Income Certificate Online Apply 2026: Documents, Validity, Fees and Download

Issued by

State revenue authority (tehsildar / SDM)

Where to apply

State e-district portal or CSC

Commonly needed for

Scholarships, pensions, fee waivers, EWS

Validity

Set by the state or the scheme — often one year

An income certificate is the government's written record of how much your family earns in a year from all sources — salary, farming, business, wages, pension and so on. It is issued by the state revenue department after the patwari, lekhpal or talathi verifies the declaration. Schemes use it to decide whether you fall under an income limit, for example a scholarship with a family-income ceiling. Note that the EWS certificate for central reservation is a separate certificate with its own rules on income and assets; a regular income certificate does not replace it.

With a valid income certificate you can apply for income-linked scholarships, fee concessions in schools and colleges, social security pensions, and many state welfare schemes. A correct, recent certificate avoids the most common reason scholarship forms get rejected: an income proof that is missing, out of date, or does not match the income entered in the form.

• ✓Any resident of the state can apply; there is no income limit to get the certificate itself
• ✓The income shown should cover the family as defined by your state or scheme — often parents and unmarried children
• ✓Income from all sources must be declared truthfully; false declarations can lead to cancellation and penalties
• ✓A student usually applies with the parents' income, not their own

• ✓Aadhaar card of the applicant
• ✓Proof of residence — ration card, voter ID or electricity bill
• ✓Self-declaration of family income in the state's format
• ✓Salary slip or Form 16 for salaried members, if any
• ✓Land record (khatauni / 7-12 extract) for farming income, if applicable
• ✓Passport-size photograph

1. Open your state portal — Uttar Pradesh: edistrict.up.gov.in · Bihar: serviceonline.bihar.gov.in (RTPS) · Maharashtra: aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in · Rajasthan: emitra.rajasthan.gov.in · Madhya Pradesh: mpedistrict.gov.in. Other states run similar e-district or ServicePlus portals; the nearest CSC (Jan Seva Kendra) can apply for you.
2. Register with your mobile number and log in, or go to a CSC with your documents
3. Select 'Income Certificate' / 'Aay Praman Patra' under revenue services
4. Enter family members and annual income from each source carefully
5. Upload the documents in the format and size the portal asks for
6. Pay the fee shown on the portal and save the application number
7. Track the status; reply quickly if the official asks for a correction or extra proof
8. Download the approved certificate and save a copy in DigiLocker if your state issues it there

There is no national deadline. States fix a service time under their public services guarantee laws, shown on the portal. Many schemes accept only a certificate issued in the current or previous financial year, so apply early in the session and well before your scholarship or pension form's last date.

• ✓Entering an income in the scholarship form that is different from the certificate
• ✓Using an old certificate when the scheme asks for one from the current year
• ✓Leaving out a source of income such as farming or a family member's salary
• ✓Confusing the income certificate with the EWS certificate
• ✓Paying middlemen for a 'fixed income' certificate — false certificates can be cancelled and lead to recovery of benefits