meribari · certificate guide
Niwas praman patra — UP residence certificate
Apply at edistrict.up.gov.in through the eSathi citizen portal. Here's the actual process, the one distinction that trips people up, and the numbers we won't guess at.
the process
How to apply
- Go to esathi.up.gov.in and sign in under Citizen Login — register first if you don't already have an account.
- Complete Aadhaar e-KYC: an OTP to your Aadhaar-linked mobile pulls your name and photo directly from UIDAI, so a mismatch between your Aadhaar details and what you enter will block the application.
- From the service list, choose Revenue → Niwas Praman Patra (residence certificate), and pick Samanya (ordinary) or Mool (permanent) depending on which one the exam or scheme you need it for actually asks for.
- Fill the form and upload the documents the form itself asks for, then submit and track status on the same portal.
the distinction
Samanya Niwas vs Mool Niwas
| Certificate | What it certifies |
|---|---|
| Samanya Niwas Praman Patra (ordinary) | Where you currently live, right now. |
| Mool Niwas Praman Patra (permanent/original) | That you or your family originally, permanently belong to UP — not just your current address. |
A form that names one specifically won't accept the other — check the exact wording in the notification you're applying against.
what we won't guess
Fee and residency years — not stated here on purpose
Every guide to this certificate quotes a different fee (we found ₹15, and separately ₹25–₹100) and a different minimum years of residence (3, 5 and 15 years all appear, often for what's presented as the same certificate). None of it is confirmed against a current government order or the live fee schedule on the portal. We'd rather tell you that plainly than repeat whichever number we found first — check the figure the eSathi form itself shows when you apply; it's the only one guaranteed current.
why you need it
Exams that ask for a UP domicile certificate
- SSC GD — CAPF/AR vacancies are State/UT-wise: a Domicile/PRC certificate for the State/UT declared in the application is mandatory at DME/DV or candidature is cancelled. SSF vacancies are filled All-India. Assam candidates exempt from producing the certificate.
- UP Constable — A UP domicile certificate is mandatory to claim ANY vertical or horizontal reservation or age relaxation; without it the candidate is treated as General. Women's 20% horizontal reservation is open to women from any State/UT.
- UP SI — Open to all-India candidates (nationality clause is India-wide), but vertical/horizontal reservation benefits apply only to UP domicile holders — CONFIRMED, official notification section 4.1(i): 'लम्बवत् एवं क्षैतिज आरक्षण केवल उत्तर प्रदेश के मूल निवासी अभ्यर्थियों को ही अनुमन्य होगा'.
source
Where this comes from
Application flow and Aadhaar e-KYC requirement confirmed directly against the eDistrict UP portal (edistrict.up.gov.in) and the eSathi citizen login (esathi.up.gov.in). Fee and residency-year figures are deliberately not stated — see above. Last checked 07 Sep 2026.
questions
Frequently asked
What is niwas praman patra?
Uttar Pradesh's residence certificate — official proof, for a government purpose, of where you live in UP. It's issued through the state's own e-District system, not a central government portal.
Where do I apply for niwas praman patra online?
At edistrict.up.gov.in, through the Citizen Login (e-Sathi) portal at esathi.up.gov.in. You register once, verify your identity via Aadhaar e-KYC (the portal pulls your name and photo from UIDAI after an OTP), then apply under Revenue services for Niwas Praman Patra and upload the required documents.
What is the difference between Mool Niwas and Samanya Niwas Praman Patra?
Samanya (ordinary) Niwas Praman Patra certifies where you currently live. Mool Niwas Praman Patra certifies permanent/ancestral domicile in UP — typically asked for when an exam or admission wants proof your family, not just you personally, belongs to the state. Which one a specific exam or scheme wants is stated in its own notification; the two are not interchangeable on a form that names one specifically.
What documents do I need?
Aadhaar (mandatory for the e-KYC step), proof of address (ration card, voter ID, utility bill or similar), and a passport-size photograph are consistently asked for across guides to the portal. The exact list is confirmed only inside the eSathi application form itself once you select the service — check it there rather than assuming a fixed list, since document requirements on state portals do get revised.
What is the fee and how many years of residence does it need?
We're not going to give you a number here. Guides to this certificate disagree with each other — quoted fees range from ₹15 to ₹100, and the residency requirement quoted ranges from 3 to 15 years depending on the source and which certificate (Samanya vs Mool). None of that is confirmed against the current fee schedule or government order on the portal itself, so repeating any one figure risks being simply wrong. Check the fee and eligibility shown inside the eSathi application form when you apply — that number is current; ours would not be.
Not sure which exams you qualify for?
Answer a few questions about your age, qualification and category — the Finder checks you against every exam we track, right on your phone, nothing sent anywhere.