DIR-3 KYC
What DIR-3 KYC means, how it works, a worked example, the mistakes we see and the questions founders ask.
DefinitionDIR-3 KYC is the annual verification every DIN holder must complete on the MCA portal by 30 September, confirming their identity, address, mobile and email; late filing costs ₹5,000.
The MCA introduced DIR-3 KYC in 2018 to weed out inactive and untraceable directors. Every person who holds a DIN, whether or not they currently sit on a board, must file it once a year. The first time, and after any change in details, it is a full form with a DSC and OTP verification; in later years, if nothing has changed, a simpler web-based version takes a few minutes. You meet it every September. What it means for you: miss the deadline and the DIN is marked deactivated, which blocks every company filing that needs your signature until you pay the ₹5,000 fee and file. Put it on the same calendar as the AGM, and remind co-founders and nominee directors who might not think of it as their problem.
How DIR-3 KYC works
Every person who holds a DIN on 31 March must verify their details by 30 September of the same year, whether or not they currently sit on any board. The first year's filing is the full Form DIR-3 KYC, with the director's PAN, address, personal mobile and email verified by one-time passwords, signed with the director's own digital signature and certified by a practising professional.
In later years, if nothing has changed, the director completes the web-based DIR-3 KYC on the MCA portal in a few minutes: the OTPs to the registered mobile and email are the whole verification. Any change in address, mobile or email means the full form again.
Missing the date deactivates the DIN. A deactivated DIN cannot sign or be named in any MCA form, so the company's own filings stall until the director pays the ₹5,000 fee and completes the KYC. There is no penalty beyond the fee, but a DIN deactivated across the annual filing season can push AOC-4 and MGT-7 late as well.
A founder in Jaipur was allotted a DIN in February. Although her company has yet to file its first accounts, her DIN exists on 31 March, so her DIR-3 KYC is due by 30 September. She files the full e-form in August with her digital signature. The following year her details are unchanged, so she uses the web-based KYC and is done in five minutes.
Mistakes we see with DIR-3 KYC
- Assuming a director of a dormant or struck-off company has no KYC to do; the obligation attaches to the DIN, not the company.
- Using a shared office mobile or email, which must then be changed through the full form every time staff move on.
- Letting the DIN deactivate in September and discovering it only when the AOC-4 will not accept the signature in October.
Last updated 19 October 2026. Checked against the MCA, GST, Income-tax and Trade Marks rules in force for October 2026.
Where you will meet this term
- Company Annual FilingsPrivate Limited Companies, OPCs and LLPs that want every ROC filing done on time, with the AGM and audit coordinated.from ₹9,999/year
- Limited Liability PartnershipFor two or more partners running a services or professional firm who want limited liability with light compliance.from ₹4,999
Questions founders ask about DIR-3 KYC
What is the DIR-3 KYC due date?
30 September every year for every DIN allotted on or before 31 March of that year.
What does the late fee cost?
₹5,000, payable before the DIN is reactivated. Until then no MCA form naming that director can be filed.
Do I need a digital signature for DIR-3 KYC?
For the full e-form, yes, your own Class 3 DSC. The web-based version in later years needs only the OTPs sent to your registered mobile and email.