e-StampNotary
Three things, often confused
An affidavit involves three separate steps and three separate charges, and people routinely quote one when they mean another.
- Drafting. Writing the affidavit so it says what it needs to say. A professional charge, not a statutory one.
- Stamp duty. A tax on the instrument under the Gujarat Stamp Act, 1958, paid to Government. We issue the e-stamp certificate here as a Government authorised centre, CSC ID 136237240013.
- The notarial act. Administering the oath under section 8(1)(e) of the Notaries Act, 1952. Rule 10(1) of the Notaries Rules, 1956 caps this at ₹35.
When somebody tells you an affidavit “costs” a certain amount, ask which of the three they are describing. The breakdown is set out at notary charges in Vadodara.
The Gujarat Stamp Act, 1958 was amended in 2025. A number on a web page does not update itself, and somebody who acts on a stale figure ends up with an insufficiently stamped affidavit — which surfaces later, when the office that wanted it looks at it properly. We confirm the current figure at the counter, for your document, on the day.
“Which stamp paper value do I need?”
This is the question we are asked most often on the phone, usually because a clerk at some office said a number out loud. Two things are worth knowing.
First, the correct duty depends on the article of the Schedule the instrument falls under — and not every document people call an affidavit is one. A declaration that operates as an agreement, an acknowledgement of a debt, or an indemnity is charged differently, whatever the heading on the page says. We read the document before deciding the article. See how stamp duty is calculated.
Second, the office asking for the affidavit does not set the duty; the Act does. If a counter clerk insists on a particular value, tell us and we will look at it, but the statutory position governs.
Do not buy the stamp before the affidavit exists
A very common sequence: somebody buys a stamp certificate on Monday because a relative said to, brings it in on Thursday, and by then the document needs to be in two names instead of one, or it turns out to be a different instrument altogether. The certificate names the parties, describes the instrument and records the duty. It is not a voucher. Come with the requirement; leave with the finished document.
The 2025 amendment added an Explanation treating copies, extracts and photocopies as original instruments for duty purposes. Where several offices each want an affidavit, tell us at the start how many executed originals you need, rather than stamping one and running copies.
The oath is the part that makes it an affidavit
A stamped page with a statement typed on it is not an affidavit. It becomes one when the deponent appears before a person authorised to administer the oath, is identified, affirms the contents and signs in that person's presence. A Notary's authority comes from section 8(1)(e) of the Notaries Act, 1952, reinforced by section 139(aa) of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and section 333(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. And under section 8(2), nothing is a notarial act unless done under the Notary's signature and official seal. See affidavit notarisation.
Most passport annexures are now plain-paper self-declarations that need neither stamp paper nor a notary — Annexure F, for a lost or damaged passport, is the main one that still normally requires a sworn affidavit. Anti-ragging undertakings are filed online at antiragging.in by student and parent. EPFO corrections are usually an online joint declaration by member and employer, with a notarised affidavit only a fallback where the employer no longer exists. Ask the office what it actually wants before anyone sells you a stamp.
What we do in one visit
Read what the receiving office has asked for. Draft the affidavit in Gujarati or English. Identify the correct article and confirm the current duty. Issue the e-stamp certificate. Administer the oath, apply signature and official seal, enter the act in the Notarial Register in Form XV under Rule 11(2), and give you a receipt under Rule 11(9). Usually the same day.
What to bring
- The letter, form or checklist from the office that asked for the affidavit
- Original Aadhaar or passport of the deponent, plus a photocopy
- PAN where the affidavit concerns income, tax or a bank account
- Copies of any document the affidavit will refer to, with numbers and dates
- Exact spelling of all names and the full address as it must appear
- The number of executed originals you need, worked out in advance