Community, income and nativity certificates in Tamil Nadu are issued by the Revenue Department, applied for online, and delivered as digitally signed e-certificates that you download and print. At an e-Sevai centre the service charge is ₹60 per application, and the government fee itself is nil, according to the state IT department’s list of e-Sevai services.
These three are the certificates Chennai families chase most often: for school and college admissions, reservation in jobs, scholarships, and welfare schemes with an income ceiling. Here is how the process works, what to carry, and how long it usually takes.
Which certificate does what
- Community certificate: records your caste category (SC, ST, MBC, BC and so on) for reservation and related benefits.
- Income certificate: states the family’s annual income, used for fee concessions, scholarships and schemes with income limits.
- Nativity certificate: confirms you are a native of Tamil Nadu, often asked for in state quota admissions and state jobs.
The Commissionerate of Revenue Administration’s e-certificate page lists about two dozen certificates issued this way, including first graduate, residence, OBC, EWS, widow, unemployment and legal heir certificates. The Revenue and Disaster Management Department runs the system with the IT department and the National Informatics Centre.
Two ways to apply
Through an e-Sevai centre. The TN e-Sevai portal lists community (REV-101), nativity (REV-102) and income (REV-103) certificates among 20 Revenue services offered through about 10,443 common service centres in the state. The operator scans your documents, files the application and gives you an acknowledgement with an application number.
On your own. The citizen login at tnesevai.tn.gov.in/Citizen lets you register, upload documents and apply yourself, as district administrations such as Ariyalur point out. You pay the same kind of charge online, and you can download the certificate from the same login once it is approved.
Private browsing centres also file these applications, but a 2019 Citizen Matters guide found them charging ₹250 to ₹400. There is no need to pay that much; the authorised channels are cheaper.
Documents to keep ready
Requirements vary slightly by certificate and by taluk, but the commonly asked items are:
- Aadhaar and the family ration card (smart card) as identity and address proof.
- A recent passport-size photograph.
- For a community certificate: a parent’s community certificate, ideally the father’s. Citizen Matters noted that a sibling’s or a cousin’s on the father’s side may be accepted if the parent’s is unavailable. School transfer certificates that record community also help.
- Proof of age, such as a birth certificate or Class 10 mark sheet.
- For an income certificate: salary certificate, pension slip or a self-declaration of income, depending on the source.
- For a nativity certificate: proof of long residence or birth in Tamil Nadu, such as school records.
Scan everything clearly in colour. Blurred uploads are one of the commonest reasons an application comes back.
Who checks it, and how long it takes
After you apply, the file goes to the Village Administrative Officer and Revenue Inspector for your area, who may visit or call, and then to the Tahsildar or Deputy Tahsildar, who signs the certificate. In Chennai district the taluk office for your address handles it. For Scheduled Tribe applicants without existing family certificates, Citizen Matters reported that the Revenue Divisional Officer issues the certificate after field inquiries.
The same guide put the usual time at about 15 days, and up to 30 days for ST certificates, with corrections taking three days to a week. Treat these as rough guides. Apply well before admission or recruitment deadlines, since a field query can add days.
You get an SMS when the certificate is ready. Download it from the citizen login, or ask the e-Sevai centre to print it.
Tips for students and job seekers
Admission and recruitment seasons bring a rush of applications to Chennai’s taluk offices, especially in May and June. A few habits help:
- Apply for a community certificate once, early, and keep several printouts and the PDF. Citizen Matters reported that it is valid for life.
- Check what period an income certificate must cover. Scholarship and fee-concession rules often ask for a recent one, so you may need a fresh certificate each academic year.
- Make sure the name on the certificate matches your school records exactly; a spelling mismatch can hold up counselling or document verification.
If it is rejected or delayed
- Check the status on the portal with your application number; the remark usually says what is missing.
- Re-apply with the missing document rather than waiting.
- For long delays, take the acknowledgement to the taluk office and ask for the Deputy Tahsildar handling certificates.
- The e-Sevai helpdesk is 1800 425 6000, email tnesevaihelpdesk@tn.gov.in.
Quick answers
What is the fee for a community certificate in Tamil Nadu?
The government fee is nil; e-Sevai centres charge a ₹60 service charge.
Can I apply without going to an e-Sevai centre?
Yes. Register on the citizen login of tnesevai.tn.gov.in and apply yourself.
Who signs the certificate?
The Tahsildar or Deputy Tahsildar of your taluk, after checks by the VAO and Revenue Inspector.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- e-Certificates (Commissionerate of Revenue Administration, Government of Tamil Nadu)
- TN e-Sevai portal (TNeGA)
- List of services offered in e-sevai centres (Information Technology Department, Tamil Nadu)
- TN e-Sevai Portal (Ariyalur district administration)
- How can you get your community certificate in Chennai? (Citizen Matters, 2 May 2019)
