Surveyor Licence Categories and Renewal: What Applies in 2026
Categories A, B and C are gone, and so is renewal. What replaced them, what it costs, and the dates that matter.
Two things most pages on this topic still describe no longer exist. IRDAI removed the categorisation of surveyors (the old A, B and C categories) in its 2020 amendment. And from 30 July 2026, a surveyor licence is no longer renewed every three years: it is converted into a registration that stays in force as long as an annual fee is paid.
What a surveyor holds today is a registration for one or more departments, with no category attached.
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What Happened to Categories A, B and C
- Before 2020
- The 2015 Regulations had a chapter titled "Categorisation of Surveyors". IRDAI had categorised surveyors in 2001, and IRDAI's own document list still asks older surveyors adding a department for the categorisation letter issued in 2001.
- The 2020 amendment
- Regulations of 24 November 2020 omitted the chapter heading and both sub-regulations of regulation 14. The same amendment also dropped references to a surveyor's level of membership.
- Today
- A registration names the departments you may survey (Fire, Marine Cargo, Marine Hull, Engineering, Motor, Miscellaneous, Loss of Profit, Crop) and your IIISLA membership number. Nothing else grades you.
The Three Kinds of Registration
Individual
Who
A person who passed the exam and training
Key rule
Registered department by department
Corporate
Who
A company under the Companies Act, 2013 or an LLP
Key rule
At least two directors or partners who are individually licensed or registered. Partnership firms licensed before the 2020 amendment may continue
Director or partner
Who
An individual surveyor who is a director or partner of a corporate surveyor
Key rule
Surveys and signs only in that capacity
| Type | Who | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | A person who passed the exam and training | Registered department by department |
| Corporate | A company under the Companies Act, 2013 or an LLP | At least two directors or partners who are individually licensed or registered. Partnership firms licensed before the 2020 amendment may continue |
| Director or partner | An individual surveyor who is a director or partner of a corporate surveyor | Surveys and signs only in that capacity |
Renewal Then, Annual Fee Now
What you hold
Until 30 July 2026 (2020 rules)
A licence valid for 3 years
From 30 July 2026 (2026 amendment)
A Certificate of Registration with no end date
Keeping it
Until 30 July 2026 (2020 rules)
Renew every 3 years
From 30 July 2026 (2026 amendment)
Pay an annual fee every financial year
Individual fee
Until 30 July 2026 (2020 rules)
₹1,000 per grant or renewal
From 30 July 2026 (2026 amendment)
₹5,000 processing fee once, plus ₹1,000 a year, plus taxes
Corporate fee
Until 30 July 2026 (2020 rules)
₹5,000 per grant or renewal
From 30 July 2026 (2026 amendment)
₹25,000 processing fee once, plus ₹5,000 a year, plus taxes
Paying late
Until 30 July 2026 (2020 rules)
₹100 extra if not applied 30 days before expiry; up to 6 months after expiry with ₹750
From 30 July 2026 (2026 amendment)
₹750 plus taxes extra if paid after January but by 31 March
Not paying
Until 30 July 2026 (2020 rules)
Licence ceases after 6 months
From 30 July 2026 (2026 amendment)
Automatic suspension from 1 April; cancelled if not revived within 3 months
| Until 30 July 2026 (2020 rules) | From 30 July 2026 (2026 amendment) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hold | A licence valid for 3 years | A Certificate of Registration with no end date |
| Keeping it | Renew every 3 years | Pay an annual fee every financial year |
| Individual fee | ₹1,000 per grant or renewal | ₹5,000 processing fee once, plus ₹1,000 a year, plus taxes |
| Corporate fee | ₹5,000 per grant or renewal | ₹25,000 processing fee once, plus ₹5,000 a year, plus taxes |
| Paying late | ₹100 extra if not applied 30 days before expiry; up to 6 months after expiry with ₹750 | ₹750 plus taxes extra if paid after January but by 31 March |
| Not paying | Licence ceases after 6 months | Automatic suspension from 1 April; cancelled if not revived within 3 months |
The Annual Fee Cycle
- 1
Pay between 1 and 31 January
For the financial year starting the following April, with Forms 11 and 12 for the preceding year, the fit and proper format and any other document IRDAI specifies. Corporate surveyors add the audit report and financial statements.
- 2
Missed January? Pay by 31 March
With an additional ₹750 plus taxes and the same documents.
- 3
Missed 31 March? You are suspended from 1 April
A suspended surveyor cannot accept new surveys, continue pending ones, or issue a survey report.
- 4
Revive within 3 months
Pay the annual fee plus ₹1,500 plus taxes, with the documents. Otherwise the registration is cancelled.
The licence starts with S-01. See its questions free.
New Registrations Between January and March
A registration granted between 1 January and 31 March pays the annual fee for the current year at grant and the fee for the next financial year as well.
If You Hold a Licence Issued Before 30 July 2026
- 1
It stays valid until its printed expiry date
Nothing changes in the meantime.
- 2
Apply to convert it, within 90 days before expiry
Online, with the ₹5,000 processing fee (individual) or ₹25,000 (corporate), plus taxes, and the annual fee. A renewal application already filed before 30 July 2026 is treated as a conversion application.
- 3
Missed the expiry date?
IRDAI may accept a conversion application up to 6 months after expiry, with a late fee of ₹750 plus taxes, if it accepts that refusing would cause undue hardship.
- 4
Missed that too?
The licence ceases to exist. An individual must enrol afresh as a trainee and apply for a new registration; a corporate surveyor applies directly for a new registration.
IRDAI's Web Page Still Shows the Old Renewal Steps
When checked on 3 November 2026, IRDAI's "how to become a surveyor" page still described 3-yearly renewal on the BAP portal. The Gazette text of the 2026 amendment governs. IRDAI also ran transitional annual-fee arrangements by circular before the amendment was notified. Check the current circulars on irdai.gov.in before you pay.
After a Cancellation
A surveyor whose registration is cancelled for any reason other than non-payment of the annual fee must wait one year before applying again. After cancellation for non-payment there is no waiting period, but an individual still enrols afresh as a trainee before applying.
FAQs
What are the A, B and C categories of surveyor licence?expand_more
They were the older categorisation of surveyors under IRDAI's regulations. The 2020 amendment omitted the categorisation chapter, so a licence or registration today names only departments, not a category.
Is the surveyor licence still valid for 3 years?expand_more
Licences issued before 30 July 2026 stay valid until their expiry date. After that they convert into a registration that has no end date and stays in force while you pay the annual fee.
What is the surveyor annual fee?expand_more
₹1,000 a year for an individual and ₹5,000 for a corporate surveyor, plus applicable taxes, paid in January for the next financial year.
What is the fee for a fresh surveyor registration?expand_more
A one-time processing fee of ₹5,000 for an individual or ₹25,000 for a corporate surveyor, plus taxes, and the annual fee before the registration is granted.
What happens if I do not pay the annual fee?expand_more
Your registration is suspended automatically from 1 April and you cannot take or continue surveys. You can revive it within 3 months by paying the fee plus ₹1,500 and taxes; after that it is cancelled.
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