General Affidavit
General-purpose sworn affidavit for declaration of facts before a Notary, Commissioner of Oaths, or Executive Magistrate.
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Same document in Hindi: हिंदी संस्करण
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AFFIDAVIT I, _______________, aged about _______________ years, son/daughter/wife of _______________, residing at _______________, do hereby solemnly affirm and state on oath as under: 1. I am the deponent herein and am fully competent to swear this Affidavit. 2. _______________ 3. The facts stated in this Affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, and nothing material has been concealed. DEPONENT: _______________ _______________ Solemnly affirmed and signed before me on _______________ at _______________. NOTARY PUBLIC / COMMISSIONER OF OATHS / EXECUTIVE MAGISTRATE Name: _______________ Seal & Signature: _______________ Registration No.: _______________
A general affidavit is a written statement of facts that you swear or affirm to be true before a notary, an oath commissioner or a magistrate. In India it is normally executed on non-judicial stamp paper of the value your state prescribes, signed by the deponent, and attested by the notary under the Notaries Act, 1952. Because it is sworn, a false statement in an affidavit is an offence — giving false evidence is dealt with under Sections 227 and 229 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Key takeaways
- An affidavit states facts you know to be true. It is not a place for opinion, argument or anything you are guessing at.
- The governing statute is the Oaths Act, 1969 — not the repealed Indian Oaths Act, 1873 that many online formats still cite.
- Stamp paper value is fixed by state stamp legislation and varies by state and by purpose. Confirm the denomination locally before you buy it.
- The verification clause is what makes it an affidavit. Separate what is true to your knowledge from what is true on information and belief.
- A false affidavit is not a technicality. Giving false evidence carries imprisonment that may extend to seven years for a judicial proceeding.
When to Use This Document
- ✓An authority has asked for a sworn statement of facts before acting on your application
- ✓You need to declare a change of name, a spelling mismatch, or that two records refer to the same person
- ✓A document has been lost and the issuing authority requires a declaration before issuing a duplicate
- ✓You must declare your address, income or marital status for an official purpose
Required Information Checklist
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Full Sample Draft
AFFIDAVIT
I, {{deponent_name}}, aged about {{deponent_age}} years, son/daughter/wife of {{deponent_parent}}, residing at {{deponent_address}}, do hereby solemnly affirm and state on oath as under:
1. I am the deponent herein and am fully competent to swear this Affidavit.
2. {{affidavit_statement}}
3. The facts stated in this Affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, and nothing material has been concealed.
DEPONENT: {{deponent_name}} _______________
Solemnly affirmed and signed before me on {{affidavit_date}} at {{affidavit_place}}.
NOTARY PUBLIC / COMMISSIONER OF OATHS / EXECUTIVE MAGISTRATE
Name: _______________
Seal & Signature: _______________
Registration No.: _______________Your details are filled in automatically. Download as Word (.docx) or PDF — free, no signup.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What stamp paper value do I need for this affidavit?▼
Do I have to sign the affidavit in front of the notary?▼
What happens if a statement in the affidavit is false?▼
Which law governs affidavits in India?▼
What an affidavit is, and when you actually need one
An affidavit is a statement of fact reduced to writing and sworn or affirmed before a person authorised to administer an oath. Its force comes from that oath: you are not merely asserting something, you are swearing to it, with legal consequences if it is false.
Indian administrative practice uses affidavits heavily, because they let an official act on a citizen's sworn statement without independently verifying every fact. That is also why they are taken seriously when they turn out to be untrue.
| Purpose | Typically required by | What it usually states |
|---|---|---|
| Change of name | Gazette office, banks, schools, passport authorities | Your old name, your new name, and that both refer to the same person |
| One-and-the-same-person declaration | Banks, insurers, employers, universities | That two differing spellings or names on documents refer to you |
| Proof of address | Banks, utilities, government schemes | Your current residential address and how long you have lived there |
| Income declaration | Scholarship bodies, welfare schemes, courts | Your annual income and its source |
| Date of birth correction | Schools, employers, records offices | The correct date and the document showing the error |
| Loss of a document | Police, issuing authority, insurers | The document lost, the circumstances, and that it has not been misused |
| Marital status | Passport, immigration, employers, insurers | Whether you are single, married, divorced or widowed |
| Guardianship or minor consent | Schools, hospitals, travel authorities | Your relationship to the minor and the consent given |
Many authorities publish their own affidavit format and require it verbatim. Where they do, use theirs — a general affidavit is for situations where no prescribed format exists.
Banks, passport offices and universities frequently have their own wording and their own stamp value. Ten minutes spent asking the counter what they require saves the cost and delay of a rejected affidavit.
The legal framework: oaths, notaries and false statements
Three statutes matter. The Oaths Act, 1969 governs the administration of oaths and affirmations and who may administer them — it replaced the Indian Oaths Act, 1873, which a surprising number of affidavit formats circulating online still cite. The Notaries Act, 1952 governs notaries and their functions, including the attestation of affidavits. And state stamp legislation, read with the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, fixes the stamp duty payable on the instrument.
On the consequences of falsity, the position changed with the criminal law reform of 2023. Giving false evidence — which covers a person legally bound by an oath, or by law to make a declaration, making a statement they know or believe to be false — is dealt with by Section 227 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the punishment by Section 229. For false evidence given in a judicial proceeding, imprisonment may extend to seven years, together with a fine.
- The Oaths Act, 1969 — administration of oaths and affirmations, and who may administer them.
- The Notaries Act, 1952 — appointment of notaries and their power to attest.
- The Indian Stamp Act, 1899 and state stamp legislation — the stamp duty on the instrument.
- Order XIX of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 — affidavits as evidence in civil proceedings.
- Sections 227 and 229 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — giving false evidence, and its punishment.
That Act was replaced by the Oaths Act, 1969. Formats citing it are usually copied from decades-old templates, and the same templates typically also cite Indian Penal Code sections that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 has replaced. Check the citations before you swear to anything.
The structure of a valid affidavit
- 1Title: AFFIDAVIT, with the purpose stated beneath it — for example, "Affidavit for change of name".
- 2Deponent block: "I, [full name], son/daughter/wife of [name], aged [ ] years, residing at [full address], do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as follows:".
- 3Numbered paragraphs, one fact per paragraph, in chronological or logical order. Facts only.
- 4Any documents relied on, identified by name and number, and annexed.
- 5The prayer or purpose paragraph: what the affidavit is being made for and to whom it is addressed.
- 6The verification clause: "The contents of paragraphs 1 to [ ] above are true to my personal knowledge and nothing material has been concealed therefrom", separating anything stated on information and belief.
- 7Place and date, immediately above the deponent's signature.
- 8The deponent's signature, and the notary's attestation, seal, registration number and register entry.
Split it honestly: paragraphs true to personal knowledge in one sentence, paragraphs true on information received and believed to be true in another, naming the source. An affidavit that swears personal knowledge of something you could not personally know is exactly what gets picked apart.
Stamp paper, notarisation and what each costs
Two separate steps are involved, and people often confuse them. Stamp duty is a tax on the instrument, paid by executing it on non-judicial stamp paper of the prescribed value or through an e-stamp certificate. Notarisation is the attestation of the oath by a notary, who charges a fee and enters the document in a register.
Stamp value for an affidavit is fixed by state stamp legislation and varies both by state and by the purpose of the affidavit. Common denominations for ordinary affidavits sit in the ₹10 to ₹100 range in many states, but this is precisely the kind of figure that differs locally and changes — buy it after confirming the denomination, not before.
- 1Confirm with the receiving authority whether they require a specific stamp value or their own format.
- 2Obtain non-judicial stamp paper or an e-stamp certificate of that value, in the deponent's name.
- 3Print the affidavit onto the stamp paper, or attach the e-stamp certificate as the first page as your state's practice requires.
- 4Do not sign it in advance. Sign in the presence of the notary or oath commissioner.
- 5Carry photo identity — the notary will verify who you are before administering the oath.
- 6Ensure the notary affixes the seal, signs, and enters the notarial register number on the document.
- 7Keep a scanned copy with the notarial entry visible before you hand over the original.
Where a deponent is outside India, the affidavit is generally sworn before an Indian consular officer or notarised locally and apostilled. On receipt in India it must be stamped within the period the Indian Stamp Act allows for instruments executed outside India. Take advice before you swear anything abroad that is intended for use here.
Mistakes that get an affidavit rejected
- Signing before reaching the notary, so the oath was never actually administered on the signature.
- Stamp paper of the wrong value, or in someone else's name.
- Stating opinions, arguments or conclusions instead of facts.
- A verification clause that swears personal knowledge of matters the deponent could not personally know.
- Names spelled differently from the identity document, or from the record the affidavit is meant to correct.
- Blank spaces or unfilled brackets left in the printed text.
- No place and date above the signature.
- Missing the notary's seal, register number or signature.
- Citing repealed statutes — the Indian Oaths Act, 1873, or Indian Penal Code sections replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
- Annexures referred to in the text but not actually attached.
Central and several state governments have moved a number of routine processes from affidavits to self-declarations, precisely to reduce cost and delay for citizens. Before paying for stamp paper and notarisation, ask whether a self-attested declaration is accepted.
Worked examples
Example 1: Affidavit for change of name
- Purpose
- Name change, for gazette publication and bank records
- Old name
- As on the birth certificate and school records
- New name
- The name to be used going forward
- Documents relied on
- Aadhaar, PAN, birth certificate
- 1.Paragraph 1: identify the deponent, with parentage, age and address exactly as in the identity document.
- 2.Paragraph 2: state the old name as it appears on the documents, listing the documents.
- 3.Paragraph 3: state the new name and that both names refer to one and the same person.
- 4.Paragraph 4: state the reason for the change, briefly and factually.
- 5.Paragraph 5: state that the change is not for any fraudulent purpose and that no proceedings are pending against the deponent that the change would affect.
- 6.Verification: paragraphs 1 to 5 true to personal knowledge.
Executed on stamp paper of the value your state prescribes and notarised, this affidavit is the standard supporting document for gazette publication, after which banks, schools and the passport authority update their records. Confirm the gazette office's own format requirements first — several states publish one.
Example 2: One-and-the-same-person affidavit for a spelling mismatch
- Problem
- PAN shows one spelling, bank records another
- Documents affected
- PAN, bank account, employment records
- Required by
- The bank, before releasing a payment
- 1.Paragraph 1: identify the deponent with the fullest form of the name and the address.
- 2.Paragraph 2: set out each document and the exact spelling appearing on it, document by document.
- 3.Paragraph 3: state that all the spellings refer to one and the same person, namely the deponent.
- 4.Paragraph 4: state which spelling is to be treated as correct going forward.
- 5.Paragraph 5: undertake to indemnify the recipient against any loss from any misstatement, if the recipient requires it.
- 6.Verification: paragraphs 1 to 5 true to personal knowledge.
A short, factual affidavit that a bank or employer can act on. Listing each document with its exact spelling is the part that matters — a general assertion that "the names are the same" is what gets sent back from the counter.
Example 3: Affidavit for a lost document
- Document lost
- An original certificate or policy
- Circumstances
- Lost in transit; not traceable
- Police complaint
- Lodged, with an acknowledgement number
- Required by
- The issuing authority, before issuing a duplicate
- 1.Paragraph 1: identify the deponent.
- 2.Paragraph 2: identify the document precisely — its number, date of issue and issuing authority.
- 3.Paragraph 3: state when and how it was lost, factually and without speculation.
- 4.Paragraph 4: state that a police complaint was lodged, with its number and date, and annex the acknowledgement.
- 5.Paragraph 5: state that the document has not been pledged, transferred or otherwise dealt with, and that if found it will be surrendered.
- 6.Verification: paragraphs 1 to 3 and 5 true to personal knowledge; paragraph 4 true from the record annexed.
This is the affidavit most issuing authorities require before releasing a duplicate. The undertaking to surrender the original if found is what makes it acceptable to them, so do not leave it out.
More questions about this page
What stamp paper value is needed for an affidavit in India?▼
Which law governs affidavits in India?▼
What happens if an affidavit turns out to be false?▼
Do I need a lawyer to make an affidavit?▼
Can I sign the affidavit before going to the notary?▼
Is an affidavit valid across all states in India?▼
What is the difference between an affidavit and a self-declaration?▼
Can an affidavit be executed outside India?▼
How long is an affidavit valid?▼
Can I write an affidavit in Hindi or a regional language?▼
What must the notary do for the affidavit to be valid?▼
Does GetNyay notarise the affidavit for me?▼
Official sources checked
The statutes, rules and regulator pages the statements on this page were checked against.
- Administration of oaths and affirmations, and attestation by a notary. The Indian Oaths Act, 1873 is repealed.
- Causing death by negligence, giving false evidence, and its punishment. Replaced the corresponding Indian Penal Code provisions.
- An unstamped or under-stamped instrument is not admissible until the duty and penalty are paid. Rates are set by the state.
Affidavits must be sworn before a Notary Public, Oath Commissioner, or Executive Magistrate. Use appropriate stamp paper as required by your state.
Other affidavits and authorities
Documents that are sworn, or that let someone else act for you.
How an affidavit is drafted and sworn — or browse every template, or the free tools that work out the dates and figures these documents need.
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