A government transfer involves much more paperwork than simply receiving a posting order and moving to another city. From the day the transfer order is issued until your transfer TA claim is settled, several documents may be generated or required by your old office, new office, accounts section and service establishment.

For a Central or State Government employee, missing paperwork can cause problems with relieving, joining, salary continuation, transfer travelling allowance, transportation reimbursement or later service-record verification.

The most important point to remember is this:

There is no single document checklist that applies identically to every Government department, State Government, PSU, Railway unit, autonomous body or service.

Central Government employees may be governed by Central Government orders and their departmental instructions, while State Government employees follow their respective State rules. Railways, Defence establishments, PSUs, banks and other organisations may have their own procedures. The Department of Expenditure itself notes that separate orders apply to categories such as Armed Forces personnel and Railway employees in relevant matters.

This guide therefore explains the documents you should normally check during a government transfer, what each document is used for, and which paperwork deserves special attention when you plan to claim transfer-related expenses.

Quick Government Transfer Documents Checklist

Keep a physical file and a scanned digital folder containing, as applicable:

Transfer/posting order
Any corrigendum or modified transfer order
Relieving order
Relieving report or charge relinquishment report
Handing-over/taking-over or transfer-of-charge report, where applicable
Joining report
Joining/assumption-of-charge order or acknowledgement
Transfer TA/TA-DA claim form prescribed by your department
Transfer TA advance sanction/application, if an advance was taken
Travel tickets and journey proof
Family travel details and supporting declarations, where applicable
Packers and movers/transportation bill or receipt for personal effects
Consignment note/LR or transportation proof, if required
Payment receipt or digital payment proof
Vehicle transportation documents if claiming an eligible conveyance
Quotations or prior approval where specifically required
Relevant declarations/certificates prescribed by your department
Last Pay Certificate or payroll-related records where the procedure requires them
No-dues/clearance certificates where applicable
Government accommodation vacation/clearance documents, where applicable

Do not assume that every document in this list is mandatory in your case. Your establishment section, administration branch, finance/accounts section or DDO should confirm the exact requirement.

1. Transfer Order or Posting Order

The transfer order is the starting point of almost every government transfer.

It normally establishes that the competent authority has ordered your movement from the existing post or station to another post, office or station.

Preserve:

the complete transfer order;
all pages and annexures;
order number and date;
your name/designation details;
present and new office/station details;
effective date, if mentioned; and
any subsequent amendment, cancellation or corrigendum.

Do not keep only a screenshot showing your name. Save the complete authenticated order whenever possible.

The transfer order can later become important when the administration or accounts section has to connect your journey, change of station and reimbursement claim with the official transfer.

For Tamil Nadu Government employees, the State’s official HRMS guidance illustrates the administrative sequence clearly: transfer order processing is followed by relieving-order processing, while the receiving office subsequently makes the joining entry.

Tamil Nadu employees can also read our dedicated guide to Tamil Nadu Government employee transfers.

2. Relieving Order

The relieving order confirms that the employee has been formally released from the old office/post so that he or she can report at the new posting.

Depending on the organisation, it may record details such as:

date of relief;
forenoon/afternoon effect;
transfer/posting order reference;
office or post from which the employee is relieved; and
destination office/post.

The exact format varies.

Tamil Nadu’s official IFHRMS guidance specifically treats the relieving order as part of the old office’s transfer workflow before the receiving office processes the joining report.

Keep a signed or digitally authenticated copy.

If there is a difference between the transfer order date and actual relieving date, preserve records explaining the actual sequence instead of relying on memory later.

3. Joining Report

After reaching the new office, the joining report records that you have reported for duty.

It is one of the most important documents after the transfer order and relieving document.

A Government of India institution’s employee forms page, for example, separately provides a Joining Report form, illustrating its role as an establishment document.

Your joining report may generally contain:

employee name;
designation;
transfer/posting order reference;
old office;
new office;
date of reporting;
time/forenoon/afternoon where prescribed;
post joined; and
employee’s signature.

The receiving authority may acknowledge or approve it according to the department’s workflow.

Keep a copy carrying acknowledgement, diary number, digital approval or another proof of submission whenever available.

4. Charge Relinquishment and Assumption Reports

Not every transferred employee will require the same type of charge report.

However, where an employee formally holds charge of a post, office, cash, stores, records, equipment or other responsibilities, the department may require documentation showing:

relinquishment or handing over of charge at the old post; and
assumption or taking over of charge at the new post.

Terminology differs. You may encounter expressions such as:

Charge Report;
Report of Transfer of Charge;
CTC/RTC;
Handing Over Report;
Taking Over Report;
Relinquishment of Charge; or
Assumption of Charge.

Official Accountant General guidance for Kerala, for example, lists transfer orders together with charge reports on relinquishing and assuming charge for certain Gazetted Officer procedures. It also notes that where a transfer-of-charge report cannot be signed by both officers, the prescribed controlling-authority procedure applies.

This is a good example of why employees should not copy another department’s checklist blindly.

Ask your establishment branch whether a charge report is required for your particular post.

5. Handing-Over Note for Pending Work

A formal charge report and a practical handing-over note are not always the same thing.

Before being relieved, employees handling files, projects, cash, stores, inspections, cases, contracts or other responsibilities may be instructed to provide pending-work details to the successor or controlling officer.

An official Customs relieving order, for example, directed outgoing officers to provide pending-work details to incoming officers or the concerned supervisory officer.

Where applicable, your handing-over record may cover:

important pending files;
deadlines;
court or legal matters;
stock/store responsibility;
keys;
government equipment;
passwords/access transferred through approved procedure;
advances;
pending inspections;
financial responsibilities; and
other unfinished official work.

Never include confidential credentials or sensitive records in an informal personal document contrary to departmental security procedures.

Documents Required for Transfer TA/DA Claim

Administrative transfer documents establish the transfer itself.

A Transfer Travelling Allowance claim, however, requires an additional set of records relating to the journey and eligible transfer expenditure.

For civilian Central Government employees covered by the Department of Expenditure’s relevant orders, TA on transfer is structured around four broad components:

travel entitlement for the employee and eligible family;
Composite Transfer and Packing Grant;
reimbursement of eligible transportation of personal effects; and
reimbursement of eligible transportation of conveyance.

Your actual eligibility and documentary requirements should be checked against the current rule applicable to your service and department.

For more detailed discussion of the grant itself, see our guide to the Composite Transfer Grant (CTG) and the overview of 7th Pay Commission transfer rules.

6. Prescribed Transfer TA Bill or Claim Form

Do not submit transfer expenses as an ordinary handwritten request unless your office specifically follows such a procedure.

Government departments normally prescribe a TA bill, online module or departmental claim format.

Official CAG material includes a specific Travelling Allowance Bill for Transfer, while CAG also publishes a Transfer TA advance application asking for employee, pay-level, station and family-related information.

Depending on the form, you may need to enter:

employee name and designation;
pay/pay level;
old and new headquarters;
transfer-order details;
date of relief;
date of joining;
dates and modes of journey;
family members for whom travel is claimed;
personal-effects transportation;
vehicle transportation;
transfer advance already drawn;
bank/payment details; and
declarations/certificates.

Always use the latest form or online module prescribed by your office.

7. Travel Tickets and Journey Proof

Preserve evidence of the journey for yourself and eligible family members whenever reimbursement is being claimed.

Depending upon travel mode and departmental procedure, the file may include:

railway e-ticket;
air ticket;
boarding pass;
bus ticket;
booking confirmation;
invoice issued by an authorised booking channel where applicable; and
other prescribed journey evidence.

Do not discard tickets immediately after reaching the new station.

Also ensure that:

passenger names match;
travel dates are clear;
origin and destination are correct; and
the claimed route can be understood from the supporting records.

Rules governing mode/class entitlement and admissible reimbursement should be checked separately rather than assuming that every journey cost will automatically be reimbursed.

8. Family Details for Transfer TA

Where family travel is admissible under the applicable transfer rules, maintain the information requested by your department.

An official Transfer TA advance form published by CAG specifically seeks details of family members in respect of whom transfer TA is proposed to be claimed.

Your department may ask for family/dependency details or declarations according to its own rules.

Therefore, do not assume that simply attaching several tickets is sufficient.

Make sure the employees and family members included in the claim satisfy the applicable definition and conditions.

Our government transfer family checklist covers the practical relocation side separately.

Household Goods and Personal Effects Documents

For many transferred employees, household-goods transportation is where documentation becomes confusing.

One reason is that many commercial websites describe every possible moving document as a universal Government requirement.

That is not accurate.

For covered Central Government transfer cases, the Department of Expenditure’s TA order specifically provides for reimbursement of transportation of personal effects subject to applicable entitlement and states that reimbursement is subject to production of actual receipts/vouchers.

Your department may prescribe additional documentation.

9. Packers and Movers or Transport Bill

If household goods are shifted commercially and the expense is being claimed, preserve the original or accepted electronic invoice/bill as instructed by your office.

A useful moving bill should accurately identify the transaction, for example:

mover/transporter’s legal business details;
invoice/bill number;
invoice date;
customer details;
origin and destination;
description of actual services;
transportation amount;
applicable taxes;
total amount; and
payment status where shown.

The bill must reflect the real service and amount actually charged.

Never obtain an inflated, fabricated or backdated bill merely to match an entitlement amount.

For a detailed practical explanation of moving-company paperwork, see GST invoice, LR and packing-list documentation.

Is a GST Invoice Always Mandatory for Government Transfer Claims?

Do not treat this as a universal rule.

The Central Government transfer-TA provision cited above speaks of actual receipts/vouchers for eligible transportation of personal effects. It does not establish a blanket rule in that provision that every Government employee in India must submit one specific GST invoice format.

However, your department, PSU, accounts section, empanelment condition, internal financial procedure or applicable tax requirements may demand particular invoice particulars.

Therefore:

Ask your DDO/accounts section what bill format it will accept before finalising the mover whenever reimbursement is important.

This one check can prevent a large documentation problem after delivery.

10. Payment Receipt or Payment Proof

An invoice tells the office what was charged.

Proof of payment helps establish what was actually paid.

Depending on your department’s requirements, retain:

stamped receipt;
UPI payment acknowledgement;
bank-transfer proof;
card receipt;
payment confirmation issued by the mover; or
another accepted record.

Avoid cash transactions without reliable proof when your reimbursement file requires documentary evidence.

11. Lorry Receipt, LR or Consignment Note

Where household goods are transported by road, a mover or transporter may issue an:

LR;
lorry receipt;
goods receipt;
consignment note;
transport docket; or
similar logistics document.

This can provide useful evidence of:

consignor;
consignee;
booking date;
origin;
destination;
vehicle/consignment reference; and
movement of the goods.

Whether an LR/consignment note is mandatory for your reimbursement is department-specific.

Do not assume it is universally compulsory merely because a moving company says so.

But if your finance section requires one, it is far easier to obtain it during the actual move than weeks later.

12. Packing List or Inventory

A household-goods inventory can be valuable even where the department does not specifically require it for the financial claim.

It records what was handed over to the mover.

A practical packing list may record:

package number;
broad contents;
fragile items;
furniture;
appliances;
cartons;
special-value items; and
number of packages loaded.

It can also help when verifying delivery or dealing with a genuine transit-damage issue.

Employees preparing a move can use our separate government transfer packing list.

13. Moving Quotation or Estimate

A quotation and an invoice are different documents.

A quotation is provided before the service.

A final bill/invoice records the actual completed transaction.

Some Government organisations, PSUs or departmental procedures may require quotations, comparative quotations, approved vendors or prior sanction. Others may process eligible transfer reimbursement under a different mechanism.

Therefore, if your administration says quotation approval is required, obtain it before moving, not after the truck has already left.

For practical details, see government moving quotation and bill requirements.

Vehicle Transportation Documents

If you are transporting a personally owned vehicle and expect reimbursement, do not assume eligibility merely because the vehicle was transported during your transfer.

The applicable transfer-TA rules determine eligibility.

For covered Central Government employees, transportation of conveyance is one of the recognised transfer-TA components, subject to the prescribed entitlement and general conditions.

Depending on the office’s requirements, preserve:

RC copy;
vehicle ownership details;
transporter invoice;
transportation receipt/LR;
payment proof;
dispatch and delivery records; and
any prescribed declaration.

Employees relocating from Trichy can also refer to our guides on car and bike transport in Trichy and dedicated bike transport in Trichy.

14. Transfer TA Advance Documents

Some employees may obtain an advance toward eligible transfer travelling allowance according to their applicable rules and departmental procedure.

If you receive an advance, retain:

advance application;
sanction/approval;
amount received;
payment record; and
adjustment details when filing the final claim.

Do not file the final transfer claim as though no advance was received.

The prescribed claim process should correctly account for it.

15. Last Pay Certificate, Service Book and Payroll Records

Employees commonly hear terms such as:

Last Pay Certificate or LPC;
Service Book;
leave balance;
pay details;
NPS/GPF records;
payroll migration; and
establishment records.

Many of these documents are handled directly between the old and new offices rather than being personally submitted by the employee in every transfer.

Requirements also differ significantly between States and departments.

For example, official Accountant General guidance for Kerala includes LPC in certain deputation/foreign-service circumstances and lists specific service/pay records for other appointment situations.

So the correct question is not:

“Does every transferred employee need an LPC?”

The better question is:

“Which service and pay records does my old office have to forward to my new office, and is any action required from me?”

Ask this before leaving the old station.

16. No-Dues and Clearance Documents

Depending on your post and organisation, you may need clearance from sections such as:

administration;
accounts;
stores;
library;
government accommodation;
IT/assets;
vehicle section;
advances;
telephone;
identity/access system; or
other departmental units.

These are not universal transfer documents for every Government employee.

Where applicable, however, unresolved official property or advances can complicate relieving.

Complete department-specific clearance before your final working day whenever instructed.

17. Government Accommodation Documents

If you occupy departmental or Government accommodation, separately check the rules for:

vacation;
retention, if permitted;
licence-fee recovery;
inspection;
handing over possession;
electricity/water dues;
keys; and
clearance certificate.

Do not assume that your transfer order automatically completes your accommodation formalities.

Keep any vacation or possession-handover acknowledgement issued to you.

18. Documents After Joining the New Office

The paperwork does not finish when the moving truck reaches the destination.

After joining, verify that the new office has correctly processed your:

joining report;
joining date;
transfer/posting reference;
designation/post;
pay records;
leave/service details where relevant; and
payroll establishment entry.

Tamil Nadu’s IFHRMS workflow, for example, provides a specific receiving-office joining-report process after transfer and relieving actions have been completed.

Keep an acknowledged copy or digital record of your joining.

Transfer TA Claim Time Limit: Do Not Delay

For Central Government employees covered by the cited rules, this is particularly important.

The Department of Expenditure’s 2018 instructions state that a transfer TA claim is to be submitted within 60 days succeeding completion of the journey. They further explain that where the officer/family travel separately, the dates are reckoned separately, and claims relating to transportation of personal effects and conveyance are reckoned from the date those are actually delivered at the new station.

A later 2021 Department of Expenditure OM changed the retirement-TA limit to 180 days but expressly stated that the time limit for TA claims relating to tour, transfer and training remains 60 days.

State Government, Railway, Defence, PSU and other employees should follow the time limit applicable to their own service/organisation rather than automatically applying the Central civilian rule.

Do not wait until the final week.

Prepare the claim as soon as the final journey and delivery documentation is available.

A Practical Government Transfer Document Timeline

As Soon as the Transfer Order Arrives

Save:

transfer order;
annexures;
amendments;
applicable departmental transfer instructions.

Then confirm:

reporting requirement;
joining-time procedure;
TA entitlement applicable to you;
whether prior approval is required for any expenditure;
household-goods documentation requirement; and
claim submission procedure.

If you have received a sudden posting, our short-notice government transfer guide may help with the relocation side.

Before Being Relieved

Complete or collect, where applicable:

handing-over note;
charge relinquishment;
department clearance;
asset return;
transfer TA advance documentation;
relevant service/pay formalities;
relieving order.

Scan everything important.

Before Booking Packers and Movers

Ask your accounts/DDO section:

Is a quotation required?
Is prior approval required?
Is there an empanelled-vendor requirement?
What details must appear on the transport bill?
Is an LR/consignment note required?
Is proof of payment required?
Are original documents required?
Is an inventory/packing list required?

Employees shifting from or to Trichy can also consult our government packers and movers in Trichy guide for the moving-service side of the process.

On Moving Day

Collect and preserve:

inventory/packing list;
mover’s booking document;
consignment/LR details where issued;
vehicle details where appropriate;
invoice;
payment receipt;
insurance/transit-risk documentation if purchased;
photographs of packed goods if useful for your records.

Never agree to false billing.

During the Journey

Keep:

tickets;
e-tickets;
booking records;
boarding passes where relevant;
journey dates;
family travel documentation.

Immediately After Delivery

Check that:

goods were delivered;
delivery date is recorded;
payment records are complete;
transporter documents are available;
damaged/missing packages, if any, are immediately documented.

The delivery date can be particularly important in Central Government personal-effects/conveyance TA claims because the Department of Expenditure’s time-limit instructions specifically refer to the date such items are actually delivered at the new station.

After Joining

Complete:

joining report;
charge assumption, where applicable;
payroll/establishment formalities;
final TA claim;
advance adjustment;
supporting-document submission.

Keep a complete scanned copy of the final claim before handing over original documents.

Recommended Digital Folder Structure

Create one folder named something like:

Transfer – Trichy to New Station – 2026

Inside it, create:

01 Transfer Order
Transfer order, annexures, corrigenda.

02 Relieving
Relieving order and charge-handover documents.

03 Joining
Joining report and acknowledgement.

04 Travel
Tickets and journey documents.

05 Family Travel
Eligible family information and tickets.

06 Household Goods
Quotation, bill, LR, packing list, receipt and payment proof.

07 Vehicle Transport
RC and transportation documents.

08 TA Claim
Claim form, calculations, declarations and advance details.

09 Submitted Claim
Complete signed/scanned version of everything finally submitted.

This takes only a few minutes to create and can save considerable time if accounts later asks for a missing document.

Common Documentation Mistakes to Avoid

Submitting only the transfer order

The transfer order starts the process; it does not replace relieving, joining or financial-claim documentation.

Losing the relieving or joining acknowledgement

Preserve both sides of the administrative movement.

Taking the mover’s word that a bill is “Government approved”

Your own department’s requirements determine whether documentation is acceptable.

Assuming GST invoice = automatic reimbursement

A genuine invoice supports the transaction, but reimbursement still depends on your eligibility, applicable rules and departmental scrutiny.

Getting paperwork only after the move

If your department requires prior quotation, approval or a specific transport document, trying to recreate it afterwards can cause problems.

Accepting inflated or false bills

Only claim genuine expenditure supported by authentic documents.

Waiting too long to submit the TA claim

For covered Central Government transfer cases, the applicable time limit is particularly important.

For additional prevention tips, see our guide to common reasons transfer claims are rejected.

Central Government vs State Government Transfer Documents

The broad process may look similar, but the rules are not interchangeable.

Central Government Employees

Check:

Department of Expenditure TA orders;
DoPT/service instructions where applicable;
your Ministry/Department’s establishment instructions;
DDO/accounts procedure; and
service-specific orders.

The Department of Expenditure’s transfer-TA framework cited above applies to civilian Central Government employees within its scope and expressly recognises separate orders for certain categories.

State Government Employees

Follow:

the State’s service rules;
State travelling-allowance rules;
Treasury/HRMS procedures;
departmental instructions; and
local DDO requirements.

Tamil Nadu, for instance, uses an HRMS workflow involving transfer-order, relieving-order and joining-report actions.

PSU Employees

PSUs may have their own relocation policy, financial limits, approved-vendor systems and bill requirements.

Read your organisation’s current policy rather than assuming Central Government TA rules automatically apply.

Our separate guide to PSU relocation claims covers this category in more detail.

Railway Employees

Railway employees should follow Railway-specific rules and orders applicable to their service rather than treating general civilian Central Government guidance as the complete rulebook.

Employees connected with the region can refer to our Southern Railway Trichy transfer guide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Government Transfer Documents

What are the most important documents for a government employee transfer?

Usually start with the transfer/posting order, relieving record and joining report. Depending on the post, a charge-handover/assumption report may also be required. If claiming transfer expenses, additional TA claim forms, journey evidence and transportation receipts will be needed.

Exact requirements vary by Government, department, service and organisation.

Is a relieving order necessary after a transfer order?

The old office normally needs to formally release the employee according to its transfer procedure. The exact terminology and workflow vary. Tamil Nadu’s official HRMS process, for example, specifically includes relieving-order processing following the transfer order.

Is a joining report required after a government transfer?

A joining/reporting record is a standard part of many Government establishment procedures. Tamil Nadu’s official HRMS workflow specifically provides for joining-report entry at the receiving office, and Government employee-form repositories also publish joining-report formats.

Follow your department’s prescribed format.

What is a charge report in a government transfer?

A charge report records relinquishment, transfer or assumption of responsibility for a post or official charge. Its requirement and format depend on the position and department.

Official Accountant General guidance in Kerala, for example, specifies relinquishing and assuming charge reports for certain Gazetted Officer transfer procedures.

Which documents are needed for transfer TA?

Depending on the applicable rules, the claim can involve the prescribed TA form, transfer information, journey details, family details, tickets and supporting records for eligible transportation expenses.

For covered civilian Central Government employees, transfer TA includes travel for self/family, CTG, eligible transportation of personal effects and eligible transportation of conveyance.

Do I need the packers and movers bill for a transfer claim?

If you are claiming reimbursement of an eligible household-goods transportation expense, documentary proof of the actual transportation expense is important. The cited Central Government transfer-TA order requires actual receipts/vouchers for reimbursement of transportation of personal effects.

Your department may prescribe additional documents.

Is an LR compulsory for Government employee reimbursement?

Not universally.

An LR or consignment note can provide strong transportation evidence, but whether it is mandatory depends on your department, organisation and claim procedure.

Confirm before booking the mover.

Is a GST bill compulsory for every Central Government transfer?

Do not apply such a blanket rule.

The cited Central Government provision refers to actual receipts/vouchers for eligible personal-effects transportation. Your office may prescribe GST invoice particulars or other supporting documents depending on its own financial procedure.

How long do Central Government employees have to submit a transfer TA claim?

Under the cited Department of Expenditure instructions, the time limit for TA claims on transfer remains 60 days. Separate reckoning applies to journeys performed separately by the employee/family and to delivery of personal effects/conveyance as described in the official OM.

Employees outside the scope of these Central Government rules should check their own service rules.

Should I keep original documents or scanned copies?

Follow your department’s submission requirements for originals/e-documents, but keeping a complete scanned personal copy is sensible.

Scan every important paper before surrendering an original to an office.

Final Government Transfer Document Checklist

A successful government transfer is easier when you treat the paperwork as three separate files:

Service documents: transfer order, relieving, joining and charge-related records.

Journey documents: tickets, eligible family details and travel evidence.

Reimbursement documents: TA form, genuine transportation bills/receipts, payment evidence and any department-specific supporting paperwork.

The biggest mistake is assuming that another employee’s checklist—or a moving company’s checklist—must also apply to you.

Before spending money, confirm the requirements with your administration/establishment branch and DDO/accounts section, particularly for household-goods transportation, vehicle movement, quotations, vendor conditions and supporting bills.

Government rules differ between Central Government departments, States, Railways, Defence organisations, PSUs and other bodies, and procedures can also change over time.

Keep the paperwork genuine, organised and submitted within the applicable deadline. That is far more important than trying to collect every document mentioned on the internet.

For employees relocating in and around Trichy, you can also review our government relocation services in Trichy and the practical Trichy moving checklist before planning the physical move.