Will registration in Goa

Will registration in Goa: the short answer

Registration is handled by the Civil Registrar-cum-Sub-Registrar offices, Government of Goa. You register where you live, and the Will can deal with property anywhere in India.

Cities in Goa

We prepare and register Wills for families across Goa. These cities have their own local guide; everywhere else is covered in the same way.

• Panaji covered
• Margao covered
• Vasco da Gama covered

The share reserved for your family

Goa kept the forced-heirship rule from the old Portuguese Civil Code. The law reserves a portion of your estate, called the legitime, for compulsory heirs such as children, a spouse or parents. You can freely leave only the disposable portion. A gift or bequest that eats into the legitime can be reduced later to make it up.

The rules on these shares were amended in 2022 and 2023, and those amendments have been challenged in court. We check the current position for your family before drafting anything.

Public and private Wills

Goa law recognises Wills made before a Civil Registrar-cum-Sub-Registrar acting as a notary (public Wills) as well as Wills written privately. A public Will is recorded by the officer at the time it is made, which makes it much harder to dispute.

Property in Goa and elsewhere

If you live in Goa but own property in another state, or the other way round, which law applies can depend on the property and on your domicile. This is a case for careful advice before you sign.

How it works in Goa

In Goa, you sign the Will before two witnesses, book the appointment with the office at the Sub-Registrar office covering your home address, and attend together for identity checks, photographs and thumb impressions. The Will is recorded and handed back, usually the same day. We confirm the office and book the slot for you.

See the documents checklist and our Will registration service.

Our packages in Goa

Will registration in Goa: FAQs

General information, not legal advice.