If you have written a will and want it registered, in Delhi that costs Rs 600 and carries no stamp duty at all. You can do it at any of the city's 39 sub-registrar offices, not only the one that covers your property. You attend in person with two witnesses, and the appointment is booked online on NGDRS.

The rule that sends a sale deed to the sub-registrar office covering the property does not apply to a will, and neither does the four month limit for presenting a document after it is signed. The Registration Act leaves wills out of the first rule and names them as the exception to the second, so you choose the office, and a will signed years ago can still be registered.

Where this page sits

If you would rather not run the NGDRS booking yourself, WillJini's will registration in Delhi NCR service books the slot and checks the papers, and the national service is will registration.

Related guides:

• Is a registered will valid in India
• How to register a will, step by step
• Registered or unregistered will, which one holds up
• Gift deed or will, which one to use
• Is probate required for a registered will
• How to register a will in Mumbai
• Will registration in Bangalore

What Are the Will Registration Fees in Delhi?

The registration fee for a will in Delhi is Rs 600, and no stamp duty is charged on it. The Delhi Department of Revenue gives both on its property registration page: "Registration Fee is Rs.600/-" and "No stamp duty is required for registration of will".

The fee for will registration in Delhi does not scale with what you are leaving. A Rs 5 crore estate and a one bedroom flat both register for Rs 600.

The same page charges far more for the deeds that move property during a lifetime. A sale deed, a conveyance deed and a gift deed each attract one percent of the total value, plus a Rs 100 pasting charge, and a gift deed carries stamp duty on top. If you move a Rs 2 crore flat to your son by gift deed, the registration fee alone is Rs 2 lakh, before any stamp duty is added. If you leave him the same flat by a registered will, the office charges Rs 600.

Many families choose a gift deed because they assume a will is the more expensive and complicated route. On the department's fee schedule, registering the will costs a small fraction of registering a gift deed for the same flat.

Which Sub-Registrar Office Do You Go To in Delhi?

You can present the will at any of the 39 offices. Section 40(1) of the Registration Act 1908 reads: "The testator, or after his death any person claiming as executor or otherwise under a will, may present it to any Registrar or Sub-Registrar for registration."

The jurisdiction rule people are thinking of is section 28. It requires certain documents to be presented "in the office of a Sub-Registrar within whose sub-district the whole or some portion of the property to which such document relates is situate". It then lists which documents those are, and from section 18 it names "clauses (a), (b), (c) and (cc)". A will falls under section 18, clause (e), so it is not one of the documents section 28 ties to the office covering the property.

The office that covers your flat therefore has no stronger claim to your will than any other office. The Delhi revenue department's e-registration FAQ says the same: "Will may be presented for registration either in the office of the concerned Sub-Registrar or in the office of any other Sub-Registrar under the state government at which all the persons executing and claiming under the document desire the same to be registered."

Since 3 September 2026 Delhi has 39 Sub-Registrar offices, one in each revenue sub-division, across 13 registration districts. Most are working from interim buildings until new offices are set up. Several share a building, and the offices for Narela and Bawana have no location notified yet. Some of them, at the department's interim addresses:

The full list of 39, district by district, is on the department's sub-registrar offices page. Pick the one you can reach comfortably with two witnesses in tow, because all three of you have to get there on the same morning.

Is It Compulsory to Register a Will in Delhi?

Registration of a will is not compulsory in Delhi or anywhere else in India. Section 18 of the Registration Act is headed "Documents of which registration is optional", and clause (e) of it consists of a single word: "wills".

An unregistered will is still valid, so there is no reason to put off writing yours until you have time for the registration appointment. Write and sign the will first, and register it when you can.

Registration gives the will an official record. The sub-registrar sees the testator, identifies them, and records that this document was presented on this date by this person. Registration does not make a will unchallengeable, and it does not correct a will that was badly drafted. It does mean the will is entered in the office's register, with the date of presentation recorded by the office rather than by the family.

How Do You Book the Appointment for Will Registration in Delhi?

An online appointment for will registration in Delhi is booked on NGDRS, the department's Appointment Management System for e-Sub Registrar Offices, reached from its e-Sub Registrar page. The will is entered as a document with its two witnesses, and then given a date and a shift at the office you choose.

When WillJini registers a will in Delhi, we find the right office with you, book the appointment, check the papers first and send you the list of what to bring. The steps are the same whether you book yourself or we book for you, and they follow the department's NGDRS citizen user manual.

Step 1: Finish and sign the will before you book

Have the will drafted and signed before you open the portal, because the booking asks how many pages it runs to and the will has to be complete before it is presented. If it is not written yet, start with will writing in Delhi NCR and book once it is signed.

Step 2: Create a citizen login on NGDRS

The person booking first registers on the NGDRS citizen registration form, which asks whether you are an Indian citizen or an NRI, then for your name, mobile number, email, address, an office, a username and a password. Signing in later also takes a captcha and a one time password.

The office list on that form carries 22 office names, while the department's own list has run to 39 since September. Check the office name you pick against the department's list before you book; WillJini makes that check when it books for you.

Step 3: Enter the will as a new document, with its two witnesses

After signing in, you enter the will through New Document Entry. You give the number of pages, choose the article and document title from the portal's lists, and then choose the district and the Sub-Registrar office. Section 40(1) lets you choose any office, so choose the one all three of you can reach.

The testator is entered as a party and marked with the "Set as Presenter" button as the person who presents the will at the office. The portal will not take the document without both witnesses ("2 witness entries are compulsory"), and each entry asks for the witness's name, father's or husband's name, date of birth, gender, email, mobile number, identification type and address. Enter them from the identity document each witness will carry on the day.

Step 4: Submit the document and book the date and shift

Download the summary report the portal generates, upload the file it asks for, and submit the document. The appointment is then fixed by choosing a date, a shift and a time, and saving it.

Book a morning slot if you can, because the department's standing order has offices accepting documents for registration until 2 pm, Monday to Friday. The fee is Rs 600, and WillJini confirms how the booked office takes it before the day.

Step 5: Attend with both witnesses and the originals

On the day you, the testator, and both witnesses go to the office together, because the department requires that "The Testator alongwith two witnesses need to be present during presentation." Its document checklist for a will asks for the will on plain paper, the e-registration fee receipt, a photograph of the testator, and original identity proof of the testator and both witnesses (voter card, PAN card, passport, driving licence or Aadhaar card), and the Aadhaar number if available.

You check in at reception with the appointment slip or the confirming SMS, present the will before the Sub-Registrar, then go for photographs and fingerprints, and collect your receipt.

For will registration in Delhi, the department gives the time as "Normally within 15 days".

Who Should You Take as a Witness?

Pick two people who inherit nothing under the will. A beneficiary who also signs as a witness gives anyone contesting the will an obvious point to attack, which works against the reason you are registering it.

Choose people younger than you as well, because a witness may need to be found and asked about the signing many years later. Neighbours, colleagues and family friends are all suitable. Your doctor is a good choice, because a doctor can speak to your state of mind on the day if the will is ever challenged. Have their details to hand when you book, because the portal will not accept the document without two witness entries.

Is There a Deadline to Register a Will?

There is no deadline to register a will, and the Registration Act names wills as the exception to the four month limit. Section 23 sets the general rule that "no document other than a will shall be accepted for registration unless presented for that purpose to the proper officer within four months from the date of its execution". Section 27 puts it positively: "A will may at any time be presented for registration or deposited in manner hereinafter provided."

A will signed in 2011 and never registered can therefore be presented for registration this month.

A will can also be registered after the testator has died. Under section 40(1), after the testator's death, "any person claiming as executor or otherwise under a will" may present it. Section 41(2) then says such a will shall be registered if the registering officer is satisfied that it was executed by the testator, that the testator is dead, and that the person presenting it is entitled to do so.

If a will is found only after a death, an executor or a beneficiary can still take it to a sub-registrar. They book the slot and bring the will with proof that the testator has died, because the registering officer has to be satisfied of the death before registering it.

Want this handled end to end? WillJini drafts the will, checks that both witnesses qualify, chooses the office and books the slot on NGDRS, and sends you the list of what to bring. Our Delhi office is on the 2nd Floor, Regal Building, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001, with a second NCR office in Noida. See will registration in Delhi NCR.

FAQs

What is the fee for will registration in Delhi?

Will registration in Delhi costs Rs 600, and no stamp duty is charged. The Delhi Department of Revenue publishes both on its property registration page: "Registration Fee is Rs.600/-" and "No stamp duty is required for registration of will." The figure is flat and does not scale with the value of the estate.

Can I register my will at any sub-registrar office in Delhi?

You can use any of Delhi's 39 Sub-Registrar offices. Section 40(1) of the Registration Act 1908 allows a will to be presented "to any Registrar or Sub-Registrar for registration", and the department's e-registration FAQ says a will may be presented in "the office of any other Sub-Registrar under the state government". The rule tying a document to the office covering the property is section 28, and it does not name wills.

How do I book an online appointment for will registration in Delhi?

The appointment is booked on NGDRS at ngdrs.delhi.gov.in with a citizen login. You enter the will as a new document with its district and Sub-Registrar office, set the testator as presenter, add the two compulsory witness entries, then choose a date and shift.

What documents do I need to register a will in Delhi?

The department's checklist for a will asks for the will on plain paper, the e-registration fee receipt, a photograph of the testator, and original identity proof of the testator and both witnesses, such as a voter card, PAN card, passport, driving licence or Aadhaar card.

Is depositing a will the same as registering it?

Depositing and registering are different acts under the Registration Act. A registered will is entered in Book 3, and after the testator's death anyone may apply for a copy "signed and sealed by the registering officer" that is admissible to prove its contents (section 57). A deposit is a sealed cover left with a Registrar under section 42, in Delhi a Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), recorded in Book 5 and copied into Book 3 only on application after death (section 45(1)).

Is registration of a will mandatory in India?

No. Section 18 of the Registration Act lists documents of which registration is optional, and clause (e) is "wills". An unregistered will is valid. Registration creates a dated official record of presentation, which helps if the will is disputed.

Can a will be registered after the person has died?

Yes. Section 40(1) permits an executor or a beneficiary to present it after the testator's death, and section 41(2) requires the registering officer to register it once satisfied that the will was executed, that the testator is dead, and that the person presenting it is entitled to.

How long does will registration take in Delhi?

The Delhi Department of Revenue states "Normally within 15 days" for the service. The presentation itself is one appointment, attended by the testator and two witnesses.

Do the witnesses have to come to the sub-registrar office?

Yes. The department requires that "The Testator alongwith two witnesses need to be present during presentation." All three of you attend the same appointment.