DIR-3 KYC is the annual identity verification every DIN holder must complete with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs by 30 September each year. Miss the deadline and the DIN is deactivated, blocking all ROC filings that need the director's signature, and reactivation costs ₹5,000. It applies to everyone holding a DIN, not just active directors.
There are two routes. First-time filers, and anyone whose mobile number or e-mail has changed, file the full e-form DIR-3 KYC with OTP verification on both, plus a practising professional's certification. Everyone else who filed the full form earlier can use the simpler DIR-3 KYC-WEB — a portal-based confirmation that takes minutes. Both routes are free if done by 30 September.
What an MSME owner should do: put a recurring reminder for early September, keep the mobile number and e-mail registered with MCA current, and check that the DSC used for filing has not expired. If you have two or three directors, all of them must complete it — one deactivated DIN is enough to stall your AOC-4 and MGT-7 filings in October and November.
Common trap: directors who resigned years ago assume the requirement lapsed. It does not — the KYC attaches to the DIN, not the directorship. If you genuinely never intend to use the DIN again, surrendering it is the cleaner fix; otherwise budget the ₹5,000 fee the moment the deadline passes.
Act on it
More Company & ROC terms
Reviewed to the law in force in FY 2026-27. General information, not advice — confirm the position for your facts before acting.