Family member certificate after a death in the family: Andhra Pradesh, Vizag and Vijayawada MeeSeva (for property transfer)

Official district and MeeSeva pages read on 21 Oct 2026 · Not legal advice · Government websites change, so re-check before you rely on a step.

Short answer: In Andhra Pradesh, the Family Member Certificate is issued by the Tahsildar and is listed among Revenue MeeSeva services in Visakhapatnam, NTR (Vijayawada) and Krishna districts. The state's GSWS user manual lists it as a Category B service with a 15-day service level, needing the application form, a notarised affidavit of name, age and relationship, a relationship document and the death certificate. Fees are not on the pages we read (to verify).

What the official AP pages say

"This certificate is used to provide the family members information, where the head of the family is deceased, and the rest of the family belongs to the deceased person. Used for availing the benefits and updations of properties and other details."
GSWS New Citizen Service Portal (CSP) User Manual, Government of Andhra Pradesh, section 8 "Family Member Certificate" (read 21 Oct 2026)

Listed in your district: "Family Member Certificate (Social security schemes & govt. employees / pensioners)" appears in the Revenue MeeSeva services list of the Visakhapatnam, NTR and Krishna district sites.
Who decides: the Tahsildar. The manual's approval flow: the DA (as the manual names the operator) fills the application for the citizen, the VRO checks the documents and may visit the field (7 days), the RI re-checks (5 days), and the Tahsildar approves (3 days).
Service level: 15 days, Category B, workflow GSWS (manual dated October 2022; to verify the current figure).
Status: the Eluru district page says applications can be tracked on the AP MeeSeva department portal (ap.meeseva.gov.in).
For the land record: the same manual lists "Mutation and Title Deed cum Pattadar Passbook" (Tahsildar, 30 days, Webland) for name changes after succession, gift, will or purchase. See our AP mutation guide.

To verify: a 2015 AP government order (G.O.Ms.No.145, Revenue) is widely reported to require a 7-day notice in the village or ward, issue only if no family member objects in writing, and a printed line that the certificate is not a legal heir certificate. We could only find copies of that order on non-government sites, so treat these points as unconfirmed and ask the Tahsildar's office. Fees are not stated on the pages we read.

Before you go: papers checklist

Application form
A notarised affidavit with the name, age and relationship (to the person who died) of each family member
A document showing the relationship: ration card, voter ID, passport, passbook, Aadhaar or similar
Death certificate (the manual says "Death Certificate/FIR")
Names written the same way as on each person's ID
A copy of the property documents you plan to transfer, for the next office (not needed for the certificate itself)

Which paper does which job

Family member certificate (from the Tahsildar, applied through MeeSeva): lists who the family members of the person who died are. It is a revenue-office record of the family.
Legal heir or succession papers from a court: a separate route. Whether the family member certificate is enough for your bank, society, builder or the Sub-Registrar, or whether they want a court document, is something to ask that office and your lawyer (to verify for your case).
The property record itself: changing the owner's name after a death is a separate step (mutation). See our mutation guide. If the family then divides or gives up shares, see the partition and settlement deed guide; if there is a will, see the will registration guide.

Who inherits, and in what share, depends on the law that applies to your family and on any will. This page does not answer that. Not legal advice.

Property in Hyderabad? See the Telangana family member certificate guide.

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FAQ

Is a family member certificate the same as a legal heir certificate?

Not necessarily. District pages describe it as a certificate listing the family members of the deceased, issued by the Tahsildar. Whether an office will accept it in place of a court succession document is for that office and your lawyer to confirm. Not legal advice.

Can I apply from abroad?

The official pages we read describe applying at a MeeSeva centre (and, in Andhra Pradesh, through the GSWS portal, where staff fill the application for the citizen). Whether an NRI can apply without visiting, or through a family member in India, is to verify with the Tahsildar's office.

How long does the AP family member certificate take?

The GSWS CSP user manual (October 2022) lists a 15-day service level: VRO 7 days, RI 5 days, Tahsildar 3 days. Check the current figure when you apply.

What documents are needed in Andhra Pradesh?

The GSWS manual lists the application form, a notarised affidavit with name, age and relationship to the deceased, a document showing the relationship (ration card, voter ID, passport, passbook, Aadhaar etc.) and the death certificate or FIR.

Official sources

Not legal advice. We don't check properties or certify ads. A lawyer must confirm title, and the Authority's own notices override anything on this page.