Who is an insurance surveyor and loss assessor?
Under Section 64UM of the Insurance Act, 1938, most claims above a prescribed value must be assessed by a licensed surveyor before an insurer settles them. The surveyor is not an employee of the insurer or the insured — they are an independent, licensed professional whose job is to investigate the cause and extent of a loss, verify the policy cover, assess the correct liability, and submit a reasoned survey report.
Licensing is governed by the IRDAI (Insurance Surveyors and Loss Assessors) Regulations, 2015, administered by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), with examinations and professional membership handled by the Indian Institute of Insurance Surveyors and Loss Assessors (IIISLA).
When is a licensed surveyor’s survey mandatory?
Not every claim needs a licensed surveyor. Under Section 64UM of the Insurance Act, 1938 and the IRDAI Master Circular on Protection of Policyholders’ Interests, 2024, a survey by a licensed surveyor and loss assessor becomes mandatory once the estimated loss crosses a threshold. Smaller claims may be settled by the insurer using app-based / AI-driven assessment to speed up settlement.
| Claim type | When a licensed surveyor is required |
|---|---|
| Motor | Estimated loss of ₹50,000 or more must be surveyed by a licensed surveyor. Below ₹50,000 need not be mandatorily surveyed (insurers may use app/AI assessment). |
| Non-motor (fire, marine, engineering, miscellaneous, etc.) | Loss of ₹1,00,000 (₹1 lakh) or more must be surveyed by a licensed surveyor and loss assessor. |
Eligibility — who can become a surveyor, by department
A surveyor is licensed department by department, and each department accepts its own set of qualifications. You can hold more than one department if you meet the requirement for each. Here is how different educational backgrounds map to departments:
| Department | Who can become it (qualification) |
|---|---|
| Motor | Degree (B.E./B.Tech./B.Sc. Engg./A.M.I.E.) or a 3-year diploma in Mechanical or Automobile engineering. |
| Fire | Any engineering degree or 3-year diploma; or CA / CMA (Associate or Fellow); or Fellow of the Insurance Institute of India (III); or PG Diploma in Insurance (IIRM); or PGDM (NIA). |
| Marine Cargo | Marine engineering / naval architecture degree or A.M.I.E.; or Master Mariner / First-Class Marine Engineer certificate; or any 3-year engineering diploma; or CA / CMA; or Fellow of III / PG Dip. Insurance (IIRM); or MBA (Logistics & SCM); or PGDM (NIA). |
| Marine Hull | Marine engineering / naval architecture degree or A.M.I.E.; or a Master Mariner / First-Class Marine Engineer certificate of competency. |
| Engineering | Any engineering degree / A.M.I.E., or a 3-year engineering diploma. |
| Miscellaneous | Any engineering degree/diploma; or CA / CMA; or Fellow of III / PG Dip. Insurance (IIRM); or PGDM (NIA). |
| Loss of Profit (LOP) | Fellow of ICAI or ICMAI (Fellow CA / CMA — not Associate); or a B.E./B.Tech. degree; or a 3-year engineering diploma. |
| Crop | B.Sc. Agriculture, B.Sc. Horticulture, or B.Tech. Agricultural Engineering. |
Other basics: you should be at least 18 years old and meet the fit-and-proper criteria (good character, not an undischarged insolvent or of unsound mind). Technical degrees and diplomas must be from an AICTE-approved / UGC-recognised institution or an institution of national importance.
The step-by-step process
The route is set by IRDAI and administered with the Insurance Institute of India (III) and the National Insurance Academy (NIA). In short: enrol → pass the III subject papers → do practical training (institutional or under a surveyor) → clear the pre-licensing test → take IIISLA membership → get the IRDAI licence.
Enrol as a Trainee Surveyor with IRDAI
Register on the IRDAI online portal (BAP) and apply for enrolment as a trainee in your chosen department(s). The enrolment must be acted on within three years, so plan your papers and training inside that window.
Clear the qualifying papers with III
Pass the mandatory S-01 — Principles & Practice of General Insurance, plus the departmental subject for each line you want to survey (for example Motor = S-06, Crop = S-09). These are conducted by the Insurance Institute of India.
Complete your practical training — two routes
a) Institutional training (III / NIA) — a paid, structured programme (about 8 weeks). b) Under a licensed surveyor — a minimum of 6 months of field training, with a Training Completion Certificate (TCC) and quarterly reports filed on the IRDAI BAP portal. Details and fees for the institutional route are in the next section.
Pass the pre-licensing examination
Sit the online pre-licensing test (III / NIA): MCQ, 1 hour, 50 marks, pass mark 60% (30/50), no negative marking, up to three subjects per attempt — across Fire, Engineering, Motor, Miscellaneous, Marine Cargo, Loss of Profit and Marine Hull.
Take mandatory IIISLA membership
Enrol as a member of the Indian Institute of Insurance Surveyors and Loss Assessors (IIISLA) — compulsory for practising surveyors, and required at exam/licence stage. Your IIISLA grade (Licentiate → Associate → Fellow) grows with experience and further exams.
Apply to IRDAI for the licence
With the III certificate, TCC, IIISLA membership and fee, apply on the IRDAI BAP portal. IRDAI grants the Surveyor & Loss Assessor licence for the department(s) you qualified in — then you can take assignments from insurers.
Institutional training (III / NIA) — the paid route
Instead of a 6-month apprenticeship under a surveyor, you can take the official institutional pre-licensing training run by the National Insurance Academy (NIA), Pune or the Insurance Institute of India (III). It is faster and structured, and is a popular route for fresh surveyors.
- Fresh surveyor — 8 weeks: ~5 weeks online (regulations, duties, report writing, domain subjects, soft skills) + ~3 weeks onsite practical with a senior surveyor (8+ years’ experience) whom you arrange yourself, in the same city or within 200 km.
- Additional department — ~2 weeks: 1 week online + 1 week onsite practical.
- Candidates who complete the NIA/III online training usually pay no extra fee for the final pre-licensing exam.
Departments you can be licensed in
A surveyor is licensed department-wise and may hold one or more of these classes of general insurance (you qualify, train and are examined separately for each). The classes are:
- Motor — cars, two-wheelers, commercial vehicles, tractors
- Fire — buildings, stock, plant & machinery
- Marine Cargo — goods in transit
- Marine Hull — ships and vessels
- Engineering — CAR/EAR, machinery breakdown, erection
- Miscellaneous — burglary, money, liability and others
- Loss of Profit — business interruption / consequential loss
- Crop — agricultural and horticultural losses
Grades and category limits
Within IIISLA, surveyors progress through three grades based on experience and further examinations:
| Grade | What it means |
|---|---|
| Licentiate | Entry grade on first licensing. |
| Associate | Upgrade after the required years of practice and the Associate examination. |
| Fellow | Highest grade, after further experience and the Fellowship examination. |
Separately, insurers allot claims using category limits (often labelled A, B and C) — the value of loss a surveyor is allowed to handle. Higher grades and more experience generally unlock higher-value (Category A) assignments, while new surveyors start on smaller claims. The exact monetary limits are set by IRDAI/insurer norms and are revised from time to time, so confirm the current limits before you rely on them.
Licence validity and renewal
A surveyor licence is issued for a fixed term and must be renewed before it expires. To renew you typically:
- Apply ahead of expiry (do not let it lapse).
- Complete the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits IRDAI requires.
- Pay the renewal fee and maintain active practice.
Documents you will usually need
- Educational qualification certificates (degree/diploma)
- Proof of age and identity
- Address proof
- Recent passport-size photograph
- Training completion certificate (or experience proof, if claiming exemption)
- IIISLA examination result / membership details
- Fee payment reference (NEFT/RTGS)
Fees (current cycle)
These are the headline charges for the institutional route and the pre-licensing exam. IRDAI enrolment/licence fees and the III subject-paper fees are separate and are paid on their own portals. All figures include GST where shown and are revised periodically — always confirm the latest on the official sites.
| Item | Fee (incl. 18% GST) |
|---|---|
| Institutional training — fresh surveyor (up to 3 subjects) | ₹59,000 (₹50,000 + GST) |
| Institutional training — additional department | ₹10,000 + GST per subject |
| Pre-licensing exam — fresh surveyor | ₹2,950 (₹2,500 + GST) per subject |
| Pre-licensing exam — additional department | ₹1,770 (₹1,500 + GST) per subject |
| NIA/III online-training candidates | No extra pre-licensing exam fee |
| IRDAI enrolment & licence fee | As per IRDAI BAP portal |
| III subject papers (S-01 & departmental) | As per III exam schedule |
Earning potential and career
Surveyors are paid per survey on the fee schedule for the department and claim size, so income scales with the volume and value of assignments you handle. Motor gives the steadiest volume for a new surveyor; fire, engineering and marine carry higher per-case fees but need more specialisation. As you move from Licentiate to Associate to Fellow, you qualify for larger claims and better-paying work, and many surveyors add corporate empanelment over time.
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See plans — ₹7 per report →Frequently asked questions
Can I become a surveyor without an engineering degree?
Yes — engineering is required mainly for motor, engineering and marine-hull work. For fire, miscellaneous and loss-of-profit you can qualify through accountancy; for crop through agriculture; and other IRDAI-approved disciplines apply too. You still need to clear the IIISLA exam in that department.
How long does the whole process take?
It depends on your training route. The institutional route (NIA/III) is about 8 weeks of training, so with the exams and licence grant many candidates finish in a few months. The non-institutional route needs a minimum of 6 months of field training under a licensed surveyor, with quarterly reports.
Is the surveyor exam tough?
It is a professional exam covering insurance principles, policy wordings, claims and survey practice. With focused study and real training exposure it is very passable; department-specific preparation matters most.
Where do I apply online?
Enrolment, licensing and renewal are done on the IRDAI portal, with examinations and membership through IIISLA. Use the official sites — irdai.gov.in, iiisla.co.in and policyholder.gov.in — for the current forms and fees.