TS-bPASS in Hyderabad: Check a Flat's Building Permission and OC Before You Buy

A Hyderabad buyer looking at a nearly finished building in Bachupally was told, with great confidence, that "all permissions are there" and the occupancy certificate would come "any day now." He asked one follow up question that the sales team did not expect: could they show him the approval on the official Telangana portal. They could not, on the spot. That pause is exactly why the state built a single public system for building approvals, so a buyer no longer has to take a verbal promise at face value. The portal is called TG-bPASS, and learning to read it is one of the most useful hours a Hyderabad buyer can spend.

The short answer. Before you commit to a flat in Hyderabad, confirm two things on the official TG-bPASS portal at tgbpass.telangana.gov.in: that the building has a valid permission for what has actually been built, and that an occupancy certificate has been, or will be, issued on completion. Small residential buildings up to 500 square metres and 10 metres in height get an instant self certificate, while larger and taller buildings go through the single window system. The trade-off: the portal tells you what was approved and applied for, but you still have to match those approvals against the flat, the floors, and the plan you are being sold.

What is TG-bPASS and why should a Hyderabad buyer care?

TG-bPASS is the Telangana government's official building permission and self certification system, run online at tgbpass.telangana.gov.in. It was created under the Telangana State Building Permission Approval and Self Certification System Act, and it replaced the older permission process so that building approvals across the state, including in Greater Hyderabad, run through one transparent portal. For a buyer, the value is simple: instead of trusting a folder of photocopies in a sales office, you can see whether a building was approved and what stage its application has reached.

The portal itself describes the journey in three steps, letting citizens obtain permissions by "applying, uploading and paying" online. That same system is where an occupancy certificate for a residential building is applied for and issued. Because the approval, the plan, and the completion sign off all live in one place, TG-bPASS is the natural first stop when you want to check whether the flat you like sits on solid legal ground or on optimistic marketing.

What building approvals should exist before you buy?

At a minimum, a building you are buying into should have a valid permission that matches what has actually been constructed, and a path to an occupancy certificate once it is complete. The permission is the approval to build as per a sanctioned plan. The occupancy certificate, usually shortened to OC, is the local body's confirmation that the finished building matches that approved plan and is fit to be occupied. The two are different documents at different stages, and a buyer needs to think about both.

The reason both matter is that a permission on its own does not prove the builder stayed within the plan. A tower can be approved for a certain height and footprint and then quietly gain an extra floor or eat into setbacks. The OC is the check at the end that catches this, because it is issued only after the completed building is verified against the sanctioned plan. So when a builder waves a permission letter at you, the right response is to ask, calmly, about the OC as well.

It also helps to know which document answers which question. The permission answers "was this allowed to be built," the sanctioned plan answers "what exactly was allowed," and the occupancy certificate answers "was it actually built that way." A buyer who keeps those three questions separate is much harder to reassure with a single glossy letter, and much more likely to spot the gap where a promise and a paper do not line up. Reading them together, rather than one at a time, is what turns a pile of documents into a real check.

How do you check a project's permission and OC status, step by step?

You check by using the official portal and the builder's own paperwork together, rather than relying on either alone. None of this needs a lawyer for a first pass, and it costs you nothing but time. Work through this checklist before you pay a token or booking amount.

1. Open the official portal at tgbpass.telangana.gov.in and locate the options for building permission and occupancy certificate services.
2. Ask the builder for the exact permission or application number and the sanctioned plan for the specific block you are buying into.
3. Use the portal to confirm the application exists and to see its current status rather than accepting a verbal "it is approved".
4. Compare the sanctioned plan against the actual building, checking the number of floors, the block, and the unit you are being shown.
5. For a completed building, ask specifically whether the occupancy certificate has been issued, and request a copy.
6. Cross check the promoter and project details here against the RERA register, since the two records should tell a consistent story.
7. Keep copies of the permission, the plan, and the OC or its application, tied to the exact flat number you intend to buy.

If the builder cannot connect you to a verifiable application on the portal, treat that as a reason to slow down, not speed up.

Instant approval or single window: what applies to your building?

The route a building takes through TG-bPASS depends on its size and height, and knowing which route applies helps you ask sharper questions. The portal grants an instant self certificate for smaller residential buildings, and routes larger or taller buildings through a single window process that pulls in the required clearances. The table below sets out the two paths and what you, as a buyer, should confirm for each.

Why does the occupancy certificate matter so much to a buyer?

The occupancy certificate matters because it is the closest thing to an official sign off that the building you are buying is legal and complete as approved. It is issued after the finished building is checked against the sanctioned plan, so it addresses the single biggest gap in a permission only check: whether the builder actually built what was approved. For a buyer taking a home loan, an OC also tends to smooth the lending and later resale process, because banks and future buyers ask for it too.

Practically, insisting on the OC protects you from inheriting someone else's deviation. If a building was constructed beyond its sanctioned plan, that problem does not disappear when you buy a flat in it. It becomes your problem, and untangling it later is far harder than asking the question before you pay. This is why the OC deserves the same attention you would give the RERA number and the title, and why our guide to verifying a TG RERA registration pairs naturally with this one.

What are the risks of buying a flat without an OC?

The main risk is that you buy into a building whose legal status is unsettled, and that uncertainty transfers to you. Without an occupancy certificate, you have no official confirmation that the completed building matches its approved plan, which can complicate future resale, loans against the property, and your peace of mind. A cautious buyer treats a missing OC not as a formality to be sorted later but as an open question to be answered before money changes hands.

There is also a documentation risk that runs alongside it. A clean purchase needs the permission, the sanctioned plan, the OC, and clear title to all line up, and a gap in any one of them weakens the others. The safer path is to verify each on the official record and to keep the OC question live until it is answered in writing. A useful habit is to put the request in a message or email, so that the builder's answer, and the timeline they commit to, exist in writing rather than as a hallway assurance you cannot later rely on. Pair this check with a title and encumbrance review, such as the one in our guide to the Telangana encumbrance certificate and title check, so that approvals and ownership are both confirmed before you sign.

Frequently asked questions

What is TG-bPASS used for by a Hyderabad home buyer?

TG-bPASS is the official Telangana portal at tgbpass.telangana.gov.in for building permissions and occupancy certificates. A home buyer uses it to confirm that a building has a valid permission for what was constructed and to check the status of its occupancy certificate, rather than relying only on documents shown in a sales office.

Which buildings get instant approval on the portal?

The portal grants instant online self certification for residential buildings on a plot of up to 500 square metres and a height of up to 10 metres. Larger plots and taller buildings, including most apartment blocks, are processed through the single window approval route instead, which brings the required clearances together.

Is an occupancy certificate different from building permission?

Yes. Building permission is the approval to construct as per a sanctioned plan, given before construction. An occupancy certificate is issued after completion, once the finished building is verified against that approved plan. A buyer should confirm both, because a permission alone does not prove the builder stayed within the sanctioned design.

What should I do if the builder cannot show an OC?

Treat it as an open question, not a formality. Ask in writing when the occupancy certificate will be issued and request the application reference so you can check it on the official portal. Until the OC is confirmed, keep the purchase paused, and cross check the permission, sanctioned plan, and title before paying.

Last updated 2026-09-05. PropNewz Team.