Gift deed
Will Drafting & Probate in Bengaluru
Known locally as Uyilu (ಉಯಿಲು). Drafted, verified and registered by Karnataka legal partners — fixed fee from ₹12,999 onwards*.
Serving Bengaluru and the surrounding belt: Hosur, Tumakuru, Ramanagara, Anekal, Devanahalli, Doddaballapura, Nelamangala, Hoskote, Chikkaballapura and Kolar.
The above charges do not include government fees, stamp duty, or any additional incidental / out-of-pocket expenses incurred at government offices.
Will Drafting scope & turnaround in Bengaluru
Under the Indian Succession Act, 1925. Most Bengaluru properties fall within BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) limits.
A will attracts no stamp duty anywhere in India and registration is optional. Probate has never been mandatory in this state, and following the 2025 repeal of Section 213 it is not mandatory anywhere.
How a will drafting is registered in Bengaluru
- Establish exactly what the testator owns solely, jointly, and as coparcener — this determines what can validly be willed.
- Identify beneficiaries and confirm no intended witness is also a beneficiary.
- Draft the will with a clear asset schedule, residuary clause, executor appointment and express revocation of earlier wills.
- Execute the will in the presence of two witnesses who attest in the testator's presence.
- Where the testator is elderly or unwell, obtain a contemporaneous medical fitness certificate to pre-empt capacity challenges.
- Register the will at the Sub-Registrar Office — optional, but it materially strengthens the evidentiary position.
- Probate is optional here and always has been. Consider it only where the estate is substantial, beneficiaries are dispersed, or a challenge is anticipated.
Documents required in Bengaluru
- List of all immovable property with title deed references
- List of financial assets — bank accounts, deposits, securities, insurance
- Aadhaar and PAN of the testator and every beneficiary
- Identity details of two witnesses who are not beneficiaries
- Medical fitness certificate, where the testator is elderly or unwell
- Prior will, if any, that the new will is to revoke
- Death certificate and asset schedule, where probate is being applied for
Sub-Registrar Offices in Bengaluru
Gandhi NagarJayanagarBasavanagudiShivajinagarRajajinagarMalleswaramIndiranagarWhitefieldByatarayanapuraYelahankaK.R. PuramBommanahalliDasarahalliMahadevapuraKengeriYeshwanthpurBanashankariVarthurBegurAttibeleAnekalJalaHesaraghattaUttarahalliVijayanagarJigani
Local terms used in Bengaluru registration offices
Partition deed
Municipal property record of ownership
Encumbrance Certificate
Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops — agricultural land
Registration
What goes wrong — Karnataka and Bengaluru specifics
Probate was never mandatory in Karnataka
Unlike Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, Bengaluru and the rest of Karnataka never fell within the Section 213 requirement. Following the 2025 repeal the position is uniform nationally — probate is optional everywhere.
Khata transfer still requires more than the will
BBMP will not transfer khata on a will alone where other heirs exist. An affidavit, no-objection from co-heirs or a succession certificate is usually required in practice.
A witness who is also a beneficiary can lose their bequest
Under the Indian Succession Act, a bequest to a person who attests the will is void, though the will itself survives. Families routinely use a son or daughter as witness and unintentionally invalidate that person's inheritance.
A will cannot dispose of what the testator does not solely own
Undivided coparcenary interest, jointly held property and property held with survivorship rights cannot always be willed freely. A will drafted without establishing the nature of ownership creates disputes rather than preventing them.
Registration is optional but evidentially valuable
A will need not be registered to be valid. But an unregistered will is far easier to challenge on grounds of forgery or undue influence, and registration creates a contemporaneous official record of execution.
The latest valid will governs — and revocation must be explicit
Multiple wills executed over the years without express revocation of earlier ones are a common source of litigation. Each new will should expressly revoke all prior wills and codicils.
A-Khata vs B-Khata changes what is possible
Properties on B-Khata face restrictions on loans and further transfer, and a gift deed does not cure the underlying irregularity. In Bengaluru this must be established before drafting, since it changes the advice entirely.
Revenue-pocket layouts on the city fringe
Large parts of Sarjapur Road, Varthur, Anekal and the northern corridor contain revenue layouts on unconverted agricultural land. Gifting such property without DC conversion transfers a defect rather than resolving it.
BDA and BBMP jurisdictional overlap
Properties in transition between BDA and BBMP jurisdiction frequently show inconsistent khata records. Reconciling this before registration avoids a rejected khata transfer afterwards.
Will Drafting services across Bengaluru
WhitefieldElectronic City Phase 2Sarjapur RoadHSR LayoutYelahankaJayanagarIndiranagarKoramangalaBellandurJP NagarBannerghatta RoadKanakapura RoadMalleshwaramHennur RoadVarthurKengeri
Will Drafting FAQs — Bengaluru
What is the stamp duty on a gift deed to a family member in Bengaluru?
Within BBMP limits, gifting to a family member attracts a fixed stamp duty of ₹5,000 plus a ₹1,000 registration fee, with surcharge and cess of roughly 2% of the duty. It is a flat amount that does not scale with property value — which is why the family-member classification is the most consequential question in the transaction. Figures are indicative and were compiled in July 2026; confirm current rates before you execute.
Which Sub-Registrar Office in Bengaluru should I register at?
Registration is done at the SRO with jurisdiction over the property — Gandhi Nagar, Jayanagar, Basavanagudi, Whitefield, K.R. Puram, Bommanahalli, Mahadevapura, Yelahanka and around twenty others serve Bengaluru Urban. Karnataka's Anywhere Registration facility permits registration at any SRO within the district, though jurisdiction still governs which records are updated.
Can I gift a B-Khata property in Bengaluru?
It can be registered, but a B-Khata property carries restrictions on bank loans and onward transfer that the gift deed does not fix — the donee inherits the same limitation. We check khata status first and advise on regularisation before recommending the transfer proceed.
Do I need to transfer khata after registering a gift deed?
Yes, and it is not optional in practice. Until e-Khata reflects the donee, BBMP records still show the donor as owner, which obstructs any future sale, mortgage or loan. Khata transfer in Bengaluru typically takes 15–45 days after registration.
Is a gift deed better than a will for transferring property to my children in Bengaluru?
They serve different purposes. A gift deed transfers ownership immediately and is generally irrevocable; a will takes effect only on death and can be changed at any time. Bengaluru families transferring a self-acquired flat often prefer a gift deed for the low fixed duty and the certainty it gives — but it means surrendering control during your lifetime. A settlement deed retaining a life interest is sometimes the better middle path.
Can an NRI gift property located in Bengaluru?
Yes, subject to FEMA. An NRI or OCI may gift immovable property in India to a resident, NRI or OCI, though agricultural land, plantations and farmhouses are restricted. Registration can be completed through a properly executed and attested Power of Attorney where the donor cannot travel.