What is Director KYC (DIR-3 KYC) and how do I file it before the deadline?

(1) Who must file:
(a) Every person who holds a DIN (Director Identification Number), regardless of whether they are a director in any company at present;
(b) This includes directors of private limited companies, public companies, Section 8 (non-profit) companies and OPCs;
(c) Designated Partners of LLPs (Limited Liability Partnerships) who hold a DPIN;
(d) Disqualified directors — even if disqualified, KYC must be filed to keep the DIN in the database;

(2) Annual deadline: 30 September of each financial year;

(3) New DIN holders (DIN allotted during the current financial year): must file DIR-3 KYC in the same year as allotment; deadline is still 30 September;

(4) Two filing modes:
(a) DIR-3 KYC Web (e-form on MCA21 portal) — for DIN holders who filed DIR-3 KYC in the previous year and whose details have not changed; simpler, OTP-based;
(b) DIR-3 KYC (full e-form) — for first-time filers or those with changed details; requires DSC (Digital Signature Certificate) of the DIN holder and a practising CA/CS/CMA certification.

(1) Personal details: name as per PAN, father's name, nationality, residential status (resident/NRI);

(2) PAN card — mandatory for Indian nationals; verified against Income Tax database;

(3) Aadhaar — mandatory for Indian nationals; OTP-based Aadhaar verification;

(4) Passport — mandatory for foreign nationals; for Indian nationals, optional but recommended;

(5) Mobile number — active Indian mobile number; OTP will be sent for verification; must be unique to this DIN (cannot reuse the same number for two different DIN holders);

(6) Email address — active email; OTP sent for verification; must be unique to this DIN;

(7) Address proof — present and permanent address; utility bill, passport, Aadhaar or driving licence;

(8) DSC (Digital Signature Certificate) — required for the full e-form (not for KYC Web); the DIN holder's own DSC, not an authorised representative's;

(9) Professional certification — full e-form must be certified by a practising CA, CS, or CMA;

(10) NRI directors:
(a) Aadhaar not mandatory; passport sufficient;
(b) Foreign mobile number accepted for OTP;
(c) Foreign address acceptable.

(1) DIN deactivated — the MCA system marks the DIN as 'Deactivated due to non-filing of DIR-3 KYC';

(2) Consequences of deactivated DIN:
(a) Cannot act as director of any company;
(b) Cannot sign any board resolution, annual return, or MCA filing;
(c) Cannot be appointed as a director in any new company;
(d) Any e-form filed with a deactivated DIN is rejected by MCA;
(e) Company Annual Returns (MGT-7) and Financial Statements (AOC-4) cannot be filed if a director's DIN is deactivated;

(3) Late fee for reactivation: ₹5,000 — file DIR-3 KYC after the deadline with this fee; DIN reactivated within 2–3 working days typically;

(4) No further penalty beyond the ₹5,000 — unlike some MCA forms, DIR-3 KYC does not attract per-day penalties; the ₹5,000 is a fixed late fee;

(5) Company-level impact: if all directors of a company have deactivated DINs, the company effectively cannot function; this can cascade into non-filing of statutory forms, further penalties, and eventual strike-off risk.

For returning filers (KYC Web — simplest route):

(1) Log in to the MCA21 portal (v3) using your registered credentials;
(2) Go to MCA Services → e-Filing → Company Forms → DIR-3 KYC Web;
(3) Enter your DIN and verify pre-filled details;
(4) Verify mobile OTP and email OTP;
(5) Submit — no payment required if filed before 30 September; ₹5,000 if filed after;
(6) Acknowledgement (SRN) generated instantly — save this;

For first-time filers or changed details (full e-form):

(1) Download the DIR-3 KYC e-form from MCA21 portal;
(2) Fill in all personal, address and contact details;
(3) Attach PAN, Aadhaar, address proof, passport (if applicable);
(4) Affix your own DSC;
(5) Get the form certified by a practising CA, CS or CMA (they attach their DSC);
(6) Upload the form on MCA21 and pay ₹0 (before deadline) or ₹5,000 (after deadline);
(7) MCA processes and reactivates DIN within 2–3 working days;

Check your DIN status anytime: MCA21 portal → Master Data → Find DIN Status.