In 2022, the Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta received over 2,500 complaints in a single year. Half of them were against the Revenue Department, the same department responsible for maintaining land records and protecting property rights. That number tells you something about the state of property administration in AP.
For NRIs with family land in Andhra Pradesh, the risks are real and specific. Assigned lands get sold under false documents. Survey numbers get blocked on the Section 22A prohibited list without notice. Mutation records sit unprocessed for years while relatives or neighbours quietly occupy your land. And if your property was in the undivided state before 2014, you may be dealing with two governments and two separate record systems.
This guide covers the documents you need, the portals you can access from abroad, the legal pitfalls to watch for, and what to do about all of it.
If you have not already read our overview of India’s property dispute crisis, start there for the national context.
The documents every AP property owner needs
Andhra Pradesh has its own set of revenue records, and the terminology can be confusing even for people who grew up there. Here are the ones that matter.
Pahani (Adangal)
The Pahani is the village-level land account register. It records the owner’s name, survey number, land classification (wet or dry), soil type, irrigation source, crop details, and any liabilities on the land. Revenue officials update this seasonally based on field inspections. Think of it as the ground-level record of what the land actually is and who holds it.
The terms “Pahani” and “Adangal” are used interchangeably in AP. They refer to the same document.
1-B (Record of Rights)
The 1-B is the legal ownership record. It shows the pattadar’s (titleholder’s) name, Khata number, survey number, extent of land, type of property, and the full mutation history. If the Pahani tells you what the land is, the 1-B tells you who legally owns it.
This is the single most important revenue document for proving title in AP.
Pattadar Passbook
The Pattadar Passbook consolidates all your land holdings into one document, listing every survey number you own, the area and extent of each parcel, and overall classification. AP now issues electronic passbooks (e-Passbooks) that can be downloaded through Meebhoomi after OTP verification. The passbook is issued under the AP Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act, 1971.
Encumbrance Certificate (EC)
The EC shows every registered transaction on a property over a specified period: sales, mortgages, leases, court attachments. It is issued by the Sub-Registrar’s office. In AP, you can apply for an EC online through the IGRS AP portal by entering the document number, year of registration, and SRO name. Processing takes about one day.
Before any property transaction, get an EC for the longest period available. A gap in the EC chain is a red flag.
Sale Deed
The registered sale deed is your primary proof of purchase. Keep the original safe and maintain certified copies. If you have inherited property, you will need the succession of sale deeds going back to establish the chain of title.
How to use Meebhoomi from abroad
Meebhoomi is AP’s official land records portal, launched in 2015 by the Revenue Department. It is available in both English and Telugu. Here is what you can do from anywhere in the world.
What you can check:
- 1-B (Record of Rights): Search by district, mandal, village, and survey number to view the current ownership record
- Adangal/Pahani: View the village account showing land use, crops, and liabilities
- e-Passbook: Download your electronic Pattadar Passbook (requires OTP to an Indian mobile number)
- Village maps: View survey-level maps for your land
- Aadhaar linking status: Check whether your land records are linked to your Aadhaar
- Mutation status: Track pending mutation requests and corrections
What you need before you start:
- Your property’s district, mandal, and village name
- The survey number (check your sale deed or previous Pahani if you do not have it memorised)
- An Indian mobile number for OTP verification (needed for e-Passbook downloads and some updates)
Limitations for NRIs:
The portal lets you view records, but you cannot file corrections or mutation requests online. Those still require an application to the Tahsildar or Mandal Revenue Officer, either in person or through an authorised representative with a Power of Attorney. If your Indian mobile number has lapsed, you will not be able to access OTP-protected services.
The bifurcation problem: properties in the undivided state
When Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014 under the AP Reorganisation Act, the land records of the undivided state were split between two governments.
If your family owned property in what is now Telangana (originally 10 districts at bifurcation, since reorganised into 33), those records now sit with the Telangana Revenue Department and are accessible through Bhu Bharati (Telangana’s land portal, which replaced the discontinued Dharani portal), not Meebhoomi.
The practical problems for NRIs:
- Two portals, two systems. If your family had land in both regions, you now need to track records across Meebhoomi (AP) and Bhu Bharati (Telangana). The formats, processes, and officials are different.
- Institutional assets still undivided. Assets belonging to nearly 245 institutions (worth approximately Rs 1.42 lakh crore as mentioned in the Reorganisation Act) remain undivided between the two states. While this mostly affects government properties, it has created administrative confusion that sometimes spills into private land disputes near state boundaries.
- Old documents reference “Andhra Pradesh.” Sale deeds, ECs, and mutation records from before June 2014 will reference the undivided state. This is normal and does not affect their validity, but you need to be clear about which state’s portal and revenue office now has jurisdiction over your specific property.
If you are unsure which state your property falls under, check your district. AP now has 26 districts (up from the original 13 Rayalaseema and coastal districts) and Telangana has 33 (up from the original 10). The region your property is in determines which state’s revenue system applies, regardless of how districts have been reorganised since 2014.
Section 22A: the silent property blocker
One of the most frustrating problems for AP property owners is discovering that their survey number has been placed on the Section 22A prohibited properties list. Under Section 22A of the Registration Act, the AP government can block registration of properties that involve government land, assigned land, endowment land, or land under dispute.
The system automatically prevents the Sub-Registrar from registering any transaction on a blocked survey number. The problem is that many genuine private patta lands were wrongly included, locking owners out of selling or mortgaging their property.
In January 2026, the Revenue Department authorised the removal of five categories from the 22A list: Defence Personnel Lands, Freedom Fighters Lands, Political Sufferers/Victims, Pre-1954 Assignments, and wrongly included private patta lands. New guidelines also require authorities to subdivide disputed survey numbers so that only the specific disputed portion remains blocked, rather than freezing an entire survey number because of one disputed acre.
Check your property: Visit the IGRS AP portal and search by district and survey number. Do this before attempting any transaction.
Stamp duty and registration costs
When registering a property transaction in AP, the costs are straightforward:
| Component | Rate |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty | 5% of market value or agreement value (whichever is higher) |
| Registration fee | 1% |
| Transfer duty | 1.5% (in municipal/development authority areas) |
| Total | Approximately 7.5% |
For a mortgage registration, stamp duty drops to 0.5% and the registration fee to 0.5% of the loan amount.
AP does not offer reduced rates for women buyers or NRIs. The rates are uniform regardless of the buyer’s category.
Payments can be made through the IGRS AP portal. Market values (guideline rates) are published by the Registration Department and updated periodically. Always check the current guideline rate for your area before a transaction, as stamp duty is calculated on the higher of the guideline rate or the actual transaction value.
For a full breakdown with calculation examples, city-specific notes, and how NRIs can pay remotely and register through a Power of Attorney, see our AP stamp duty guide.
What to do today: a checklist for NRIs with AP property
If you own or have inherited property in Andhra Pradesh, here are the steps to take now, not when a problem surfaces.
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Check your 1-B on Meebhoomi. Go to meebhoomi.ap.gov.in, search your survey number, and confirm the owner name matches your records. If it does not, you have a mutation problem that needs immediate attention.
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Download your Pahani. Review the land classification, extent, and any liabilities recorded against your property. Discrepancies here can signal encroachment or incorrect entries.
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Get a fresh Encumbrance Certificate. Apply through the IGRS AP portal for the longest available period. Look for any transactions you did not authorise.
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Check the Section 22A list. Search your survey number on the prohibited properties page. If your land appears here wrongly, you will need to apply for removal through the Tahsildar under the 2026 guidelines.
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Verify your Pattadar Passbook. If you have not collected your e-Passbook, download it through Meebhoomi. If your name is missing or incorrect, file for correction immediately.
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Organise your documents digitally. Collect your sale deed, EC, Pahani, 1-B, passbook, and property tax receipts in one place. Platforms like Assetly let NRIs store and track all their AP property documents digitally, so you do not have to rely on paper copies sitting in a relative’s cupboard back home.
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Appoint a trusted representative. If you cannot visit AP, execute a registered Power of Attorney for a trusted family member or lawyer to handle revenue office filings on your behalf. Get it attested at your nearest Indian consulate.
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Set a calendar reminder. Check your Meebhoomi records at least once a year. Land records can change without your knowledge, especially if mutation requests are filed by third parties.
Property in Andhra Pradesh does not manage itself, and distance makes it worse. The good news is that AP’s digital infrastructure, while imperfect, gives NRIs more visibility than most Indian states offer. Use it.
