Engagement
Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for directors and signatories
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate for directors, partners and signatories in Bengaluru: Aadhaar or PAN eKYC, video verification, FIPS token, and registration on MCA V3.
In short
We arrange your Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate through a licensed Certifying Authority and register it on the MCA V3 portal, so it is ready for your incorporation, director change or annual filing.
What a DSC is
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is the electronic equivalent of your signature on government portals. It is issued by a Certifying Authority licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and it sits on a USB token protected by a PIN.
Class 3 is the certificate issued today. Class 2 certificates stopped being issued or renewed from 1 January 2021, so every new or renewed individual DSC is Class 3. Rule 8(4) of the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014 accepts a Class 2 or Class 3 certificate for signing MCA e-forms, so a Class 3 DSC works for all MCA filings.
| Type | What it does | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Signing | What it does: Signs forms, returns and documents | Who needs it: Directors, partners, company secretaries, authorised signatories |
| Encryption | What it does: Encrypts documents sent online | Who needs it: Bidders on some e-tender portals |
| Signing + encryption | What it does: Both | Who needs it: E-tender bidders who also sign forms |
The token
The key pair must be generated on a hardware token validated to FIPS 140-2 Level 2, as required by the CCA's Identity Verification Guidelines. An existing compatible token can usually be reused when you renew.
Validity
Certifying Authorities usually offer 1, 2 or 3 years. After expiry the certificate cannot sign; a new one is issued after fresh verification.
Who needs a DSC, and where it is used
Anyone who signs a company's or LLP's e-forms needs their own DSC: rule 8(1) and 8(4) of the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014 require every MCA e-form to be authenticated with a digital signature obtained from a Certifying Authority.
| Portal | What is signed with the DSC | Who signs |
|---|---|---|
| MCA V3 | What is signed with the DSC: SPICe+, DIR-3, DIR-12, INC-22, AOC-4, MGT-7, LLP Forms 8 and 11 and other e-forms | Who signs: Director, manager, company secretary or designated partner; the certifying professional |
| GST portal | What is signed with the DSC: Registration, amendments and returns | Who signs: Authorised signatory (companies and LLPs commonly use a DSC) |
| Income-tax e-filing | What is signed with the DSC: Returns and audit reports where DSC verification applies | Who signs: Authorised signatory |
| DGFT and e-tender portals | What is signed with the DSC: IEC updates and bids (e-tenders often need a signing + encryption certificate) | Who signs: Authorised signatory |
Every director named in a SPICe+ incorporation needs a DSC before the form can be signed. We arrange the DSCs as the first step of incorporation.
Documents and verification
For an Indian resident the whole process is paperless: identity comes from Aadhaar or PAN eKYC, followed by a short live video.
| Applicant | What is needed |
|---|---|
| Indian individual | What is needed: Aadhaar eKYC or PAN eKYC; your own mobile number and email; a short live video verification |
| Individual signing for an organisation (organisation DSC) | What is needed: As above, plus authorisation by the organisation's authorised signatory and proof of the organisation (GSTIN, or bank statement with incorporation and PAN documents) |
| Foreign national living abroad | What is needed: Passport and address proof, notarised and apostilled (Hague Convention countries) or notarised and consularised |
| Foreign national living in India | What is needed: Passport, visa and residence permit, certified by their embassy |
How it works
- 1.Send us the signatory's name, mobile number, email ID and PAN.
- 2.You receive a link from the Certifying Authority; complete Aadhaar or PAN eKYC.
- 3.Record the short video on your phone, as prompted.
- 4.Once the Certifying Authority approves, the certificate is downloaded onto your token.
- 5.We register (associate) the DSC on the MCA V3 portal for your filings.
Points that often cause delays: the mobile number and email must be the applicant's own, and one email address cannot be used for two people's DSCs; the video must be recent when the certificate is issued; paper-based applications for Indian individuals are no longer accepted.
Using the DSC on MCA V3
A DSC can sign MCA forms only after it is associated with the signatory's DIN, PAN, membership number or COP number on the V3 portal.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| New DSC | What to do: Log in to the V3 account and run Associate DSC with the token plugged in; the emSigner/emBridge utility must be running |
| Renewed DSC | What to do: Associate the new certificate in place of the old one |
| Error "DSC not associated with DIN/PAN" at upload | What to do: The certificate is associated under a different user ID, or the name on the DSC does not match the DIN record |
| Expired DSC | What to do: Forms cannot be signed; obtain a new certificate and associate it before the filing date |
| Lost token or forgotten PIN | What to do: Treat it as a new DSC: the certificate cannot be recovered from a lost token |
Most last-minute filing problems come from an expired or unassociated DSC. Before the annual filing season we check every director's DSC validity and association.
Documents & E-Forms
When to Engage
Typical turnaround: Scoped in the engagement letter.
Frequently Asked
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