Documents Required for Farmer Schemes in India: Complete Checklist

Updated: 27 September 2026 · Last Verified: 27 September 2026 · By: Akshay Kumar, Editor

Quick Answer

Almost every central farmer scheme asks for the same three things: Aadhaar, a bank account, and proof of your land or tenancy. The differences are in the extras — a sowing declaration for PMFBY, passport-sized photographs for a Kisan Credit Card, a Detailed Project Report for the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund — and in how exactly your details must match across documents. In practice, most stuck applications and held-back payments come from mismatched names or an unlinked Aadhaar, not from a missing document. This guide gives you one checklist for all the major schemes and shows you how to get your documents in order before you apply.

Key Highlights

This table shows what we verified for each scheme in our detailed guides. Banks, state agencies and enrolment channels can ask for more, so confirm the current list before you apply.

Last Verified: 24 September 2026

The Three Documents Almost Every Scheme Needs

1. Aadhaar

For PM-KISAN, Aadhaar authentication with UIDAI is compulsory for registration, and the payment itself is Aadhaar-based. According to written replies given by the Government in the Lok Sabha and published by the Press Information Bureau, land seeding, Aadhaar-based payment and eKYC have all been made mandatory, brought in progressively between the 12th and 15th instalments. If your mobile number is not linked to your Aadhaar, the quick OTP method of eKYC will not work — you would need biometric eKYC at a Common Service Centre (a ₹15 fee applies) or face authentication through the PM-KISAN mobile app. Our PM-KISAN eKYC guide covers all three.

2. A bank account that matches

PM-KISAN pays only into an Aadhaar-seeded bank account, and PMFBY claim payouts go straight to your bank account. Use an account in your own name, and make sure the name and account details are the same as on your Aadhaar and in your scheme record. A mismatch is one of the most common reasons a payment stops — the portal shows it as a “Name/Bank Details Mismatch” status, explained in our PM-KISAN status guide.

3. Land ownership or tenancy proof

Land records — officially called the Record of Rights (RoR) — are maintained by each state or union territory’s revenue department, so what you need to fetch and where you fetch it depends on your state. The Department of Land Resources runs the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), which links to the state portals. Some states have their own citizen portals, for example Punjab’s jamabandi.punjab.gov.in and Uttar Pradesh’s upbhulekh.gov.in.

Who needs what matters here. PM-KISAN is for land-holding farmer families, so it works off your ownership records. PMFBY and the Kisan Credit Card also accept a tenancy or sharecropping agreement, which is why tenant farmers can use them even without land in their own name.

Scheme-Specific Extras

• PMFBY — sowing declaration. It confirms which crop you actually sowed and is used to calculate the sum insured.
• Kisan Credit Card — photographs and bank KYC. Passport-sized photographs, identity proof and address proof are standard for the bank application and card issuance, and the exact list can vary between banks.
• PM-KUSUM — electricity connection details. Needed only for Component C, where you are solarising a pump that is already grid-connected.
• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund — Detailed Project Report. This describes what you are building, what it will cost and how it will be used. It is assessed like a business loan application.

Document Readiness Checklist

1. Check that your name is spelled identically on your Aadhaar, bank passbook and land record. If it is not, correct the wrong one before applying.
2. Confirm your mobile number is linked to your Aadhaar. Without it, OTP-based eKYC will not work.
3. Confirm your bank account is Aadhaar-seeded with your bank.
4. Get a current copy of your land record (or your tenancy/sharecropping agreement) from your state’s land-records portal or your local revenue office.
5. Keep two or three passport-sized photographs ready if you plan to apply for a Kisan Credit Card.
6. Keep scanned or clear phone photos of everything, so an online application or a Common Service Centre visit does not stall on a missing file.

How to Apply

Once your documents are ready, follow the full step-by-step guide for the scheme you want: PM-KISAN, PMFBY, Kisan Credit Card, PM-KUSUM or the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. If you are not sure which scheme fits your situation, start with our guide to the best government schemes for farmers.

Application Mode

Depends on the scheme: online portals, your bank branch, a Common Service Centre, or your state’s nodal agency. Each scheme’s guide lists its own route.

Important Dates

There is no single deadline for gathering documents, but some schemes have time-bound windows. PMFBY enrolment closes on season-wise, state-wise cut-off dates, so collect your land record and sowing details well before your season’s cut-off rather than in the last week.

Official Source

Requirements come from each scheme’s official portal or issuing bank. Confirm the current list there before applying:

• PM-KISAN: pmkisan.gov.in
• PMFBY: pmfby.gov.in
• Kisan Credit Card (eKCC): ekcc.nabard.org
• PM-KUSUM: pmkusum.mnre.gov.in
• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: agriinfra.dac.gov.in
• Land records programme (DILRMP), Department of Land Resources: dolr.gov.in
• Common Service Centre locator: locator.csccloud.in

Important Notes

• JanAvsara does not collect documents, Aadhaar numbers or fees for any scheme. Submit documents only on the official portal, at your bank, or at an authorised Common Service Centre.
• Never share an OTP or hand your Aadhaar to someone who contacts you first and offers to “complete” or “release” a scheme payment for a fee.
• The required list differs by state, bank and enrolment channel. If your bank or state agency asks for something not listed here, follow their current requirement.
• Keep copies of everything you submit, including any registration number, policy ID or application number you receive.

Related Schemes

• Best Government Schemes for Farmers — which scheme fits your situation
• PM-KISAN eKYC Guide — the three ways to complete eKYC
• PM-KISAN Status Check — what each status message means
• Farmer Schemes — browse all farmer-related articles on JanAvsara
• Documents Required — more document guides on JanAvsara

FAQs

What documents do I need for most farmer schemes?

Aadhaar, a bank account in your own name, and proof of land ownership or a tenancy/sharecropping agreement. Some schemes add extras: a sowing declaration for PMFBY, photographs for a Kisan Credit Card, and a Detailed Project Report for the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.

Can a tenant farmer apply without land in their own name?

For PMFBY and the Kisan Credit Card, yes — both accept a tenancy or sharecropping agreement as proof. PM-KISAN, however, is for land-holding farmer families, so it is based on ownership records.

Is Aadhaar compulsory for PM-KISAN?

Yes. Aadhaar authentication is required for registration, and the Government has stated in Parliament that Aadhaar-based payment, eKYC and land seeding are mandatory for beneficiaries.

My mobile number is not linked to my Aadhaar. What can I do?

OTP-based eKYC will not work. You can complete biometric eKYC at a Common Service Centre (a ₹15 fee applies) or use face authentication in the PM-KISAN mobile app, or first get your mobile number linked to your Aadhaar.

Where do I get a copy of my land record?

From your state’s land-records portal or your local revenue office. Land records (Record of Rights) are maintained by state revenue departments, and some states, such as Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, have their own online portals.

Do the required documents change from bank to bank or state to state?

Yes. The Kisan Credit Card is issued by individual banks, and PM-KUSUM is run by each state’s nodal agency, so their exact lists can differ. The lists here are the commonly required documents; always confirm with your bank, agency or the official portal.