India Post calls its fixed-deposit product the National Savings Time Deposit (TD). To open one, choose the deposit period, confirm the current period-specific interest rate, complete the Account Opening Form and KYC paperwork, provide PAN and identity documents, and submit the application at the post office where you want the account. India Post also lists Time Deposit opening through e-banking, while Aadhaar e-KYC is specifically enabled for single individual adult TD accounts at departmental post offices.
Use the checklist below to determine which route and documents fit your account type. The exact rate, supported online workflow and acceptance of your documents should be confirmed with India Post for your chosen opening date.
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What a post office fixed deposit is called
“Post office fixed deposit” is the common description for India Post’s National Savings Time Deposit, usually shortened to TD. You select a deposit period, submit the required application and KYC information, and fund the account through an available India Post channel.
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The account is administered through the postal savings system. The practical opening question is therefore not simply whether you can apply online, but whether your account type and chosen post office support the route you want to use.
Choose the right opening route
India Post describes more than one route. These routes are not interchangeable for every applicant.
| Route | What the official instructions establish | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Post-office counter | Submit a completed Account Opening Form and KYC documents at the desired post office. | Confirm the live document checklist and whether that branch can open the account you want before travelling. |
| India Post e-banking | India Post’s Savings Schemes page lists opening a Time Deposit through e-banking. | The available online flow, funding steps and account-type coverage are not established as universal for every customer. |
| Aadhaar e-KYC | Department of Posts SB Order No. 07/2025 says Aadhaar-based e-KYC for individual adult TD accounts was enabled from 23 April 2025 in departmental post offices. | Do not treat this as approval for joint, minor, business, trust or every other TD account type. |
If you are opening a straightforward single-adult account and have usable Aadhaar details, ask whether the selected departmental post office can complete Aadhaar e-KYC. If you are applying jointly, for a minor, or with an unusual legal status, the counter route may require additional paperwork even when an online option is visible.
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Use the official rate for the opening date
Start with the period you need, then verify the rate currently displayed by India Post. India Post’s published page gives the overall TD range of 6.9%–7.5% per annum and says rates differ by period, but it does not provide a complete period-to-rate mapping in the published information. It would therefore be inaccurate to assign a specific rate to a particular term without checking the live official table.
Record the terms before you submit
Write down the selected period, the rate shown for that period and the date on which you checked it. Ask the post office to confirm that the rate shown on your application or receipt is the rate applicable to the account-opening date. This avoids confusing a historical rate with the rate that applies to your deposit.
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Do not assume missing product rules
India Post does not publish a complete set of rules for premature withdrawal, tax treatment, or payout and maturity choices in the information provided. Ask India Post for the current scheme rules governing those features before making a decision based on them.
Step 2: Check whether you are eligible
Individual adult accounts
A single individual adult TD account is the account type specifically covered by the Aadhaar e-KYC order. That does not mean every adult application will have the same digital path; the post office still has to support the route and validate the submitted information.
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Joint accounts
A joint application requires KYC documents for all holders. Plan for every holder to provide the identity and address information requested by the current checklist. If one holder cannot attend or cannot complete the selected digital verification, ask the branch which alternative submission process it accepts.
Minor accounts
A minor account needs the guardian’s KYC details. The Aadhaar e-KYC description is limited to single individual adult TD accounts, so do not assume that a minor account can use the same online process.
Non-residents and organisations
India Post states that NRIs, trusts, firms and institutions are not eligible for National Small Savings Scheme accounts. An official manual search excerpt separately says that NRIs cannot open TD accounts. India Post’s published materials do not include the full manual text, so an applicant with non-resident status should verify the restriction with India Post before preparing an application. Do not rely on a generic bank fixed-deposit rule or an old post-office leaflet.
Step 3: Gather the forms and KYC documents
India Post’s checklist identifies the following core items. Bring originals where the office asks to see them and copies in the format it accepts.
| Item | Who generally needs it | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Account Opening Form | Every new TD applicant | Complete the form for the selected post office, account type and deposit period. Ask the counter to check for omissions before submission. |
| KYC Form | A new customer or a customer making KYC changes | Provide the requested identity, address and customer information. Joint applicants should expect KYC information for each holder. |
| PAN | Applicants where the current India Post checklist requires it | Carry the PAN information and a copy if requested. Confirm any exception or alternate procedure directly with the post office. |
| Aadhaar | Applicants using Aadhaar for identity and address verification, including the documented adult e-KYC route | Ensure the details you submit match the application. Ask whether the branch can use Aadhaar e-KYC or requires a physical copy. |
| Alternative identity/address document | Applicants who do not have Aadhaar available | India Post lists a passport, driving licence, voter ID, an eligible MNREGA job card, or a National Population Register letter containing name and address details as alternatives. |
| Guardian’s KYC details | Minor accounts | Include the guardian information required by the current form and branch checklist. |
| KYC for every holder | Joint accounts | Prepare documents for each joint holder rather than only the first named applicant. |
Documents that are acceptable can depend on the live KYC rules and the account circumstances. Before leaving home, contact the intended post office and ask whether it wants self-attested copies, originals for inspection, photographs or any additional form. Those details are operational requirements that may not be visible in a general scheme description.
Step 4: Prepare proof for a large investment
India Post says that investments of more than ₹10 lakh require proof of the source of funds under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. If your planned deposit exceeds that amount, ask the post office what evidence it will accept and bring it with the regular application and KYC documents.
Do not wait until the counter asks for the source-of-funds evidence. A missing document can prevent the application from being completed even when your identity documents are otherwise in order. The requirement is tied to the investment amount; it is separate from the ordinary identity and address checks.
Step 5: Open the account at a post office
- Confirm the branch and route. Contact the desired post office and ask whether it opens National Savings Time Deposit accounts for your account type, whether e-banking or Aadhaar e-KYC is available, and which documents it currently accepts.
- Obtain the current forms. Get the Account Opening Form and, if you are a new customer or changing KYC details, the KYC Form. Use the latest version supplied by India Post rather than an old downloaded copy.
- Complete applicant details. Enter your name, address, identity details and other requested information exactly as they appear on your KYC documents. For a joint account, complete the information for every holder; for a minor account, include the guardian’s details.
- Enter the TD choice. Specify the selected deposit period and review the rate shown or confirmed by the post office for the opening date. If the rate is not shown on the form, ask the counter to confirm it before you sign.
- Submit KYC documents. Provide PAN, Aadhaar or an accepted alternative, plus any additional documents requested for the account type. Present originals if the office needs to inspect them.
- Provide source-of-funds proof when required. For an investment above ₹10 lakh, submit the evidence requested under the PMLA-related requirement.
- Fund the deposit through the accepted method. Follow the branch’s instructions for payment or transfer. India Post does not establish one universal funding method for every post office or online customer.
- Review the acknowledgement. Check your name, account type, deposit amount, selected period, rate and opening date on the receipt or confirmation. Keep the acknowledgement and copies of the submitted forms.
There is no universal settlement or activation time established for every customer and route. Do not assume that handing over the form means the account is immediately active; ask the post office when and how it will confirm completion.
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How the online and e-KYC options differ
India Post e-banking
India Post’s Savings Schemes page lists Time Deposit opening through e-banking. That confirms that an online route exists in the postal banking system, but India Post does not publish a single end-to-end process for every applicant. The page does not provide a universal sequence covering eligibility checks, document upload, payment, account activation and confirmation for all account types.
Use only the e-banking option presented through the official India Post service. If the menu does not show TD opening, or if it stops at an eligibility or KYC step, contact the post office rather than submitting an incomplete application through an unrelated service.
Aadhaar e-KYC
SB Order No. 07/2025, dated 23 April 2025, documents Aadhaar-based e-KYC for individual adult TD accounts in departmental post offices. The scope matters: it is not evidence that every joint, minor, NRI, trust, firm or institutional application can be opened digitally.
Ask the branch to confirm that your post office is departmental, that the service is enabled there and that your account type qualifies. Keep a counter-based fallback in mind if the Aadhaar details cannot be verified or the branch requires additional documents.
What to do when your application does not proceed
The branch says your route is unavailable
Ask whether the issue is the post office, the account type or the verification method. A branch may support counter opening while not offering the same e-banking or Aadhaar workflow. Request the correct paper form and document list instead of assuming the scheme itself is unavailable.
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Your Aadhaar details do not verify
Use the branch’s accepted alternative identity and address document, such as a passport, driving licence, voter ID, eligible MNREGA job card or National Population Register letter with name and address details. Confirm whether PAN and a physical KYC form are still required.
You are opening jointly
Prepare KYC documents for every holder and ask whether all holders must be present. The single-adult Aadhaar e-KYC scope does not automatically extend to a joint account.
You are opening for a minor
Bring the guardian’s KYC details and ask for the minor-account checklist. Do not use the adult e-KYC instructions as a substitute for the guardian process.
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Your deposit is above ₹10 lakh
Ask for the source-of-funds evidence before submitting the application. The amount-specific requirement is in addition to ordinary KYC, not a replacement for it.
You are an NRI or represent an organisation
Pause before filling out the form. India Post’s stated restrictions cover NRIs, trusts, firms and institutions for National Small Savings Scheme accounts, and the manual excerpt specifically says NRIs cannot open TD accounts. Verify your status directly with India Post because India Post has not published the manual’s full text.
Compare periods without assuming the wrong rate
If you are deciding between two or more TD periods, compare the tenure and the rate applicable on the opening date. A longer period is not automatically the better choice simply because the overall published range includes a higher number. The rate is period-specific, and India Post’s published information does not provide a complete mapping that would support a reliable term-by-term table here.
- Write down each candidate period.
- Record the official rate shown for each period on the same date.
- Confirm that your account type can use the route you prefer.
- Ask for the current rules on premature withdrawal, tax treatment and maturity or payout choices before treating those features as part of the comparison.
Documents-and-visit checklist
- Selected TD period and the current official rate checked on the intended opening date.
- Desired post office and confirmation that it supports your account type.
- Account Opening Form.
- KYC Form if you are a new customer or changing KYC details.
- PAN.
- Aadhaar, or an accepted alternative such as a passport, driving licence, voter ID, eligible MNREGA job card or National Population Register letter with name and address.
- KYC documents for every joint holder.
- Guardian’s KYC details for a minor account.
- Source-of-funds proof for an investment above ₹10 lakh.
- Original documents for inspection and copies in the format the branch requests.
- A safe place to retain the acknowledgement, receipt and copies of all submitted forms.
Questions to ask before signing
- What is the exact TD rate for this period on today’s opening date?
- Can this branch open my account through the route I selected?
- Does Aadhaar e-KYC apply to my account type, or must I submit paper KYC?
- Which documents are accepted if Aadhaar is unavailable?
- Do all joint holders need to attend or complete verification separately?
- What guardian information is required for a minor account?
- What source-of-funds evidence is required for my amount?
- When and how will the branch confirm that the account is active?
- Where can I read the current rules for premature withdrawal, tax treatment and maturity or payout choices?
Key points to remember
The product name to use with India Post is National Savings Time Deposit (TD). The normal counter process is a completed Account Opening Form plus KYC documents at the desired post office. E-banking is listed as an opening route, and Aadhaar e-KYC has a specifically documented scope for single individual adult TD accounts in departmental post offices from 23 April 2025.
The currently displayed rate range is 6.9%–7.5% per annum, varying by period; verify the exact rate for your chosen term and opening date. Joint and minor accounts need additional KYC arrangements, investments above ₹10 lakh need source-of-funds proof, and applicants with NRI or organisational status should verify eligibility before applying.
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