Director KYC (DIR-3 KYC): Annual Compliance Every Director Must Complete

If you are a director of any company in India — or if you hold a Director Identification Number (DIN) even without being an active director — you must complete the DIR-3 KYC process every year by September 30.

This is one of the most commonly missed compliance requirements, and the consequences are immediate and disruptive: your DIN is deactivated, and you cannot sign any company documents, file any MCA forms, or be appointed as a director anywhere until you reactivate it.

DIR-3 KYC is the annual Know Your Customer (KYC) process mandated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) for all DIN holders. It was introduced in 2018 to maintain accurate and updated records of all directors in the MCA database.

The process verifies:

• Your personal details (name, date of birth, nationality)
• Your contact details (mobile number and email address — both must be unique and verified via OTP)
• Your identity documents (PAN, Aadhaar, passport for foreign nationals)

Every person who holds a DIN must file DIR-3 KYC, including:

• Active directors of companies
• Directors who have resigned but whose DIN is still active
• Persons who obtained a DIN but were never appointed as a director
• Designated Partners of LLPs (they also hold DINs)

There is no exemption based on whether you are currently an active director or not. If you have a DIN, you must file.

Filed when:

• You are filing KYC for the first time after obtaining your DIN
• Your mobile number or email address has changed since the last KYC
• Your personal details (name, date of birth) have changed

This form requires:

• Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) of the director
• Certification by a practising CA, CS, or CMA
• OTP verification on the mobile number and email address

Filed when:

• You have already filed DIR-3 KYC in a previous year
• Your mobile number and email address are unchanged

This is a simpler web-based process:

• Log in to the MCA portal with your credentials
• Verify your details
• Confirm via OTP on your registered mobile and email

No DSC or professional certification required for DIR-3 KYC-Web.

If you miss September 30:

• Your DIN is deactivated (marked as "Deactivated due to non-filing of DIR-3 KYC")
• To reactivate, you must file DIR-3 KYC with a ₹5,000 penalty
• The DIN is reactivated within 24–48 hours of filing and payment

A deactivated DIN has serious practical consequences:

1. Cannot sign MCA forms — Any form filed with the ROC (AOC-4, MGT-7A, DIR-12, etc.) requires the director's DSC linked to an active DIN. A deactivated DIN means the form cannot be filed.

2. Cannot be appointed as a director — No company can appoint you as a director while your DIN is deactivated.

3. Cannot sign board resolutions — While technically a deactivated DIN does not invalidate your position as a director, it creates practical difficulties in signing documents.

4. Company compliance blocked — If the only director with a valid DIN has their DIN deactivated, the company cannot file any MCA forms until the DIN is reactivated.

5. Loan and banking complications — Banks and financial institutions check DIN status. A deactivated DIN can delay loan processing or banking transactions that require director verification.

1. PAN card — mandatory for Indian nationals
2. Aadhaar card — for OTP-based verification
3. Passport — if you have one (optional but recommended)
4. Personal mobile number — must be unique (not shared with another DIN holder) and capable of receiving OTP
5. Personal email address — must be unique (not shared with another DIN holder) and capable of receiving OTP
6. DSC — for the full DIR-3 KYC form (not required for DIR-3 KYC-Web)

1. Passport — mandatory
2. Driving licence or bank statement — as proof of address
3. Personal mobile number and email
4. DSC

All documents must be self-attested. Foreign documents must be apostilled or notarised.

1. Log in to the MCA21 portal (mca.gov.in) using your registered credentials
2. Navigate to MCA Services → e-Filing → Company Forms Filing
3. Select DIR-3 KYC-Web
4. Your pre-filled details will appear — verify them
5. Enter the OTP received on your registered mobile number
6. Enter the OTP received on your registered email address
7. Submit — the KYC is completed instantly

1. Download the DIR-3 KYC form from the MCA portal
2. Fill in all personal details, contact details, and upload documents
3. Affix your DSC on the form
4. Get the form certified by a practising CA, CS, or CMA (they affix their DSC)
5. Upload the form on the MCA portal
6. Enter OTPs received on mobile and email
7. Pay the filing fee (₹0 if filed before September 30; ₹5,000 if filed after)
8. The form is processed and your KYC status is updated

Each mobile number can be linked to only one DIN. If your number is already linked to another DIN (perhaps from a previous company), you need to update the other DIN first or use a different number.

Solution: Contact MCA helpdesk or file a grievance on the MCA portal to delink the number from the other DIN.

Aadhaar OTP is sent to the mobile number registered with UIDAI, which may be different from your current mobile number.

Solution: Update your mobile number in Aadhaar first (at an Aadhaar enrolment centre), then proceed with DIR-3 KYC.

If your DSC has expired, you cannot file the full DIR-3 KYC form.

Solution: Renew your DSC from a licensed Certifying Authority (CA) before filing. DSC renewal typically takes 1–2 working days.

If your name as per PAN does not match the name in MCA records, the form will be rejected.

Solution: File a request to update your name in MCA records (using the appropriate form) before filing DIR-3 KYC.

Designated Partners of LLPs also hold DINs and must file DIR-3 KYC by September 30 each year. The process is identical to that for company directors.

You can check the status of your DIN at any time:

1. Go to mca.gov.in
2. Navigate to MCA Services → DIN Services → Verify DIN/DPIN
3. Enter your DIN number
4. The status will show as "Approved" (active) or "Deactivated"

If your DIN has been deactivated:

1. File the full DIR-3 KYC form (not the web version)
2. Pay the ₹5,000 penalty
3. The DIN is typically reactivated within 24–48 hours

There is no provision to waive the ₹5,000 penalty — it is mandatory regardless of the reason for the delay.

• Set a calendar reminder for September 15 — giving yourself two weeks before the September 30 deadline
• Check your DSC validity — ensure your DSC is valid before the deadline
• Verify your registered mobile and email — ensure you have access to the OTPs
• If you have multiple DINs — this is not permitted; contact MCA to surrender the duplicate DINs
• If you have resigned as director — your DIN remains active and you must still file DIR-3 KYC

Our corporate compliance team handles DIR-3 KYC for directors and designated partners:

• Checking DIN status and KYC due dates
• Preparing and filing DIR-3 KYC / DIR-3 KYC-Web
• Resolving issues with mobile/email linking, name mismatches, and DSC problems
• Reactivating deactivated DINs

Contact us to complete your DIR-3 KYC before the September 30 deadline.