If you’re wondering what is domicile certificate, it is an official document issued by the government that establishes your permanent residence in a specific state or union territory in India.
Why Domicile Certificate is required?
The domicile certificate acts as proof that you’ve been living in a certain area for a defined period, usually several years. To fully understand why domicile certificate is required, let’s discuss the significance of this certificate.
- Educational Admissions: Many government institutions and colleges require domicile certificates from students before they can get enrolled in various courses. Domicile certificate serves as proof of local residency and is used to determine whether a student is eligible for admission, seat allocation and application of regional/local quotas.
- Proof of Residence: A domicile certificate acts as an official document which serves as a proof of permanent residence of an individual or their domicile in a particular state/district/region. Domicile certificate number establishes legal status of residency and confirms the individual’s long term residence in a specified jurisdiction.
- Opportunities for Employment: Certain jobs and employment opportunities within the state or central government may demand specific requirements regarding domicile. To establish local residency and eligibility for job vacancy, reservations for local residents and certain local benefits, it becomes necessary to obtain a domicile certificate.
- Government Schemes and Benefits: Domicile certificates are often needed to get access to various government benefits under welfare programs or subsidies which are specific to a particular district or region.
Eligibility Criteria of Domicile Certificate
To get a Domicile Certificate, the eligible individuals must visit the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Sub-District Magistrate, Common Service Center (CSC), or Sub-Divisional Magistrate. You must file your application form, and attach all the required documents. Once you submit, the applicants, you will receive an application number.
However, a domicile certificate is an important document to get a certificate of residence. The students residing in a particular state can use this certificate to apply for scholarship schemes. So, it can also serve as proof of residency for individuals seeking loans from institutions.
Required Documents for Domicile Certificate
The following documents are required for the domicile certificate to show the details of continuous residence for 3 continuous years. So, these documents are as follows:
- Self-declaration in a prescribed Performa (It is submitted by the major person, if the children are below 18 years).
- The photograph of the applicant will be captured through a web camera at the time of submission of the application or at the time of verification. However, the photograph of the applicant should match with a photo of the applicant on the Aadhaar Card.
- Aadhaar number is not compulsory to apply, instead of an Aadhaar card, you can provide any one document as identity proof, such as PAN/Passport/Driving License/Voters Card.
- Supporting documents for the present residential proof like an Aadhaar Card, Voter Card, Electricity Bill, Water Bill, Telephone Bill etc.
- Proof of Date of Birth (Birth certificate, School certificate or passport).
- Proof of continuous stay in Delhi for the last 3 years, such as Education Certificate, Electricity Bill, House Tax, Water Bill, or Gas Bill.
- Rent Agreement, Bank Passbook, Driving License.
Note: Only educational certificates for all three consecutive years will not be considered for issuance of Domicile Certificate. However, all the documents must be attested by Gazetted Officers.
In case, you attach the documents attested by Group ‘A’ Gazetted Officer, then the information such as the name of the officer, designation, name of the department, address, ID card, ID card number, telephone number, mobile number, and e-mail ID, must attach with the application.
What Documents are Required as an Identity Proof of Beneficiary?
In the application form, you need to attach any one of the domicile certificate documents mentioned above with the document number. You can choose any one document from the following:
- Aadhaar Card
- Voter ID Card
- PAN Card
- Any Government recognised document
- Passport
- Ration Card with Photograph
- Driving License
- Letter (attested) from School Principal (for minor only)
- School ID Card (for minor only)
- Birth Certificate (for minors below 5 years only)
Online Application Procedure for Domicile Certificate
The applicant can apply for a domicile certificate online by following the below-written procedure:
- Step 1: Visit the official web portal of the Delhi Government, which is the domicile certificate issuing authority in Delhi.
- Step 2: Click on the ‘Apply for Certificates Online’ option.
- Step 3: Log in with your User ID and Password.
- Step 4: Click on the “Apply for services” option under the “Apply Online” menu.
- Step 5: Click on the “Apply” button to apply for the Domicile Certificate in the below application form.
- Step 6: Fill in all the necessary details in the application form and attach the required documents. Then click on the “submit” button.
- Step 7: After submitting the application form, you will receive an acknowledgement number. You can also take a print of the acknowledgement received.
Note: The domicile certificate generally takes 15 working days. Once the domicile certificate online is received, you can visit the Delhi Government’s official web portal for domicile certificate download. The domicile certificate will have a serial number printed on it known as the domicile certificate number.
Offline Application Process for Domicile Certificate
To apply for a domicile certificate, you can visit the office of the Deputy Commissioner or approach the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of the relevant area. However, you can download or print the application form from the official website. Refer to the following application form for the domicile certificate.
Format of Self-Declaration
Fill out the form and submit it to the SDM office. Usually, the authority issues a certificate in 21 days. So, to apply for the domicile certificate, you can approach the SDM of your area or you can also approach the concerned Officer of the Deputy Commissioner from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM on any working day.
How to Check the Status of Domicile Certificate?
To check the status of your application, visit the website of the e-district of the Delhi government, you can use the e-portal of the “Track your Application” feature on the home page for domicile certificate status check. So, simply select the department, enter the application number, apply for which service, and the applicant’s name to verify its status. In last, type the security code, and click on submit.
Conclusion
To conclude, this domicile certificate establishes the place of residence of an individual. So, anyone who is residing in any state of India for 3 years can apply for this certificate. So, after successful completion of the application, download the domicile certificate, go to the official web portal and click on the print or download certificate link. After successfully downloading the certificate, you can use it as residential proof for any government or non-government purposes. Once received, domicile certificate validity is lifelong.