Frequently asked questions

No. CertiSetu is an independent private platform and is not affiliated with the Government of Uttar Pradesh or any department. The certificate is issued by the competent authority; we prepare and file the application, chase it, and deliver the result to you.

Yes, and you're welcome to — our guides walk through exactly how. People use CertiSetu when they'd rather not work out which documents their Tehsil accepts, or make a second trip because one paper was missing. Our guidance is free whether or not you apply through us.

Our registered office is at 15, Mirzamurad, Gaur, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221307. The service itself is designed so you don't need to visit anyone — us or the Tehsil. Support runs on WhatsApp and phone, Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 7 PM.

Around 8 to 10 minutes if your documents are ready. It asks only what the Tehsil needs — your details, your father's or guardian's name exactly as on Aadhaar, your address, and two or three certificate-specific fields such as years of residence or annual family income. Your progress is saved against your phone number, so you can pause and return.

Your honest best estimate, with a note in the remarks box, and make sure it matches the documents you upload. Income is the whole family's from all sources; years of residence should match your oldest address proof. Don't adjust a figure to fit a scheme — the Lekhpal verifies it and a false declaration is on the applicant.

Yes, free, at any point before we file with the department — reply on your WhatsApp thread or call support. Once the application is with the Tehsil it can't be edited; a wrong detail then means a fresh application, so review the form carefully before you pay.

Yes. The applicant's details go on the form and you can be the contact person. For anyone under 18 a parent or legal guardian applies and the guardian's Aadhaar is uploaded too. DigiLocker's consent OTP goes to the applicant's Aadhaar-linked mobile, so keep that phone at hand.

No. Clear phone photos are accepted for every document — all four corners visible, text readable, no glare, no screenshots of screenshots. For the passport photo: recent, plain light background, face clear, no cap or sunglasses. The self-declaration is generated from your form, and you sign it online with Aadhaar eSign — nothing to print.

The one linked to the applicant's Aadhaar, if possible. Every update — department status, certificate ready, delivery — goes to this number on WhatsApp and SMS, and it's the number DigiLocker sends the consent OTP to.

Domicile proves where you live. Income proves what your family earns. Caste proves which reservation category applies to you. EWS proves Economically Weaker Section status for general-category applicants. Tell us what you need it for — an admission, a job application, a loan, a scheme — and we'll tell you which one applies.

For every certificate: Aadhaar (front and back), a residence proof such as an electricity bill, voter ID or ration card, and a passport-size photograph. Domicile, Income and Caste additionally need ward councillor (Parshad) or Gram Pradhan approval, which our agent arranges for you. Caste needs your father's or guardian's caste proof. EWS needs an existing income certificate, PAN and, where relevant, land records.

Domicile, Income and Caste can be applied for together in one application — you upload the shared documents once. EWS is applied for on its own, because the department requires an existing income certificate as an input to it.

Most often a name spelt differently across two documents, an address proof that doesn't cover the required period, or a declaration that doesn't match the supporting paper. We check for those before filing, which is most of what the service is.

It's the most common rejection reason, so we check for it before filing. Small differences — Mohd vs Mohammad, a missing middle name — usually pass if everything else matches. A genuinely different spelling needs either a corrected Aadhaar (free at an Aadhaar centre) or a notarised affidavit stating both names are yours. If we spot it in your documents, we tell you which.

The address where you live now and can be verified — that's where the Lekhpal checks. Attach a proof for it dated within the last 3 months: electricity or water bill, rent agreement, gas book or bank passbook. For Domicile, older proofs still matter because they show how long you've been in UP.

Usually fine. For Caste that's exactly what's needed — the proof must be your father's or guardian's. For residence, a bill in a parent's name is accepted when you live at the same address; your Aadhaar showing that address ties the two together. For Income, the earning member's proof is what counts.

DigiLocker is the Government of India's document wallet. With your one-time OTP consent we fetch your details (name, date of birth, gender and address) from your Aadhaar record and fill them into the form automatically, so there is less to type and nothing is mistyped. Your documents are not fetched from DigiLocker; you upload them as photos or PDFs.

DigiLocker sends the OTP to the mobile linked to your Aadhaar, so check that phone. If your Aadhaar isn't linked to your current number, update it at any Aadhaar Seva Kendra (₹50, a few days) — we can't do that for you. If you're still stuck, message our support and we'll help.

We store it masked to the last four digits only, never store biometrics, and delete any DigiLocker artefacts as soon as the application has been filed.

Your documents go only to the government department handling your application, and nowhere else. We never sell data. Uploaded documents are deleted 90 days after your certificate is delivered, and you can ask us to delete them sooner. The full position is in the Privacy Policy.

Yes. Write to [email protected] and we'll action it within 30 days. One limit: once an application is filed we can delete our copy, but we cannot remove the record held by the government department — that correction has to go through the department.

For Domicile, Income and Caste, most UP Tehsils want a local elected representative — the ward councillor (Parshad) in a city, the Gram Pradhan in a village — to attest that you live there. Our field agent takes the form to them and gets it signed; you don't have to. If yours is unavailable for long, the agent tells you and uses the alternative your Tehsil accepts.

For Domicile and Income the Lekhpal usually verifies the address — sometimes in person, often by phone or through the Pradhan or councillor. If a visit is scheduled we tell you the day before; an adult family member who knows the details can stand in. Keep the originals of what you uploaded handy.

No. You fill the form, upload your documents and pay, all online. Our field agent handles the whole process at the Tehsil, and once the certificate is issued it is couriered to your home.

Don't pay it. The only government fee is the small e-District user charge, already included in what you paid us. Tell our support what happened; we escalate through the official grievance route and the application continues. No CertiSetu agent will ever ask you for cash.

A self-declaration (Swa-Praman Patra) is needed for all four certificates — we generate it from your form and you sign it online with Aadhaar eSign. A notarised affidavit is only for specific cases: name mismatch, no proof of a deceased father's caste, or when the Tehsil asks. If so, we give you the exact wording; any notary does it for ₹100–200.

Guidance is free. When you apply, you see each certificate's price, and the GST it includes, before you pay — nothing is added afterwards. Domicile, Income and Caste are ₹499 each; EWS is ₹999.

Before we file. The fee covers checking, filing, follow-up and delivery — work done whether or not the department approves. The government's e-District charge is included; there is nothing to pay at the Tehsil or on delivery.

A failed UPI debit is reversed by your bank automatically, usually within 48 hours. If we received it, your application shows 'Paid' and the GST invoice is emailed to you. If it isn't showing after an hour, send us the UPI transaction ID and we'll trace it with the gateway.

If it's rejected on its merits, or because information you declared turned out to be untrue or incomplete, the fee isn't refundable — the work was done. If we're unable to file for a reason on our side, or you cancel before we file, you get the service fee back in full. The detail is in clause 11 of the Terms.

Yes — a GST invoice in the name on the application, emailed once payment succeeds and available from your application page any time.

There is no fixed time. The department sets the pace, not us, and it varies by certificate and by Tehsil. Your application page updates as each stage clears, you get a WhatsApp update when it changes, and we notify you as soon as the certificate is ready. The process also pauses while an application is waiting on you.

Every application has its own page showing each certificate as a separate item, with its own department reference and current stage. You also get SMS and WhatsApp updates when a stage changes, and the e-District number once we file so you can cross-check on the government portal yourself.

Both. UP e-District certificates are digitally signed PDFs with a QR code; the QR is what any office scans to verify it, so the PDF is the original. When it's ready we notify you and you download it from your profile, and the printed copy is couriered to your home.

A parent or legal guardian fills the form and gives consent; their Aadhaar is uploaded alongside the child's. Income, Caste and Domicile for school scholarships and admissions are routine for minors — photos and documents are the child's, income and residence proofs are the family's.

For Domicile, Caste and EWS — yes, if your permanent address and family are in UP and you can show it: Aadhaar at the UP address, parents' documents, or your own older proofs. Verification happens at the UP address, so a family member there should be reachable. For Income it depends on where the family's income is earned and where the family lives; ask us first and we'll tell you honestly.

In UP a correction is filed as a fresh application with the existing certificate attached and the error marked — an issued certificate can't be edited. The fee is the same as a new application. Upload the proof that shows the correct detail, such as the Aadhaar with the right spelling.

There's no renewal as such — you apply again, but it's quicker in practice if you've applied through us before: your DigiLocker profile stays usable for 180 days, so your details fill in automatically. Documents are uploaded again. EWS must be renewed every financial year; Income is commonly wanted within the current year; SC/ST Caste is permanent and OBC is usually accepted for 3 years; Domicile doesn't expire but many institutions want a recent one.