What is DIR-3 KYC and do directors need it?

Short answerDIR-3 KYC is an annual KYC filing that every director holding a DIN must complete, due by 30 September each year. If nothing has changed, it is a quick web-based confirmation. Miss it and the DIN is deactivated and a ₹5,000 fee applies to reactivate it.

Who must file and by when

Anyone who holds a Director Identification Number (DIN) — whether or not they are currently on a board — must complete DIR-3 KYC annually by 30 September. It keeps the director’s contact details current with the MCA.

Two ways to file

If your details are unchanged from last year, you file the simple web-based KYC (a one-time password confirmation). If your mobile, email or address has changed, or it is your first KYC, you file the full e-form DIR-3 KYC with documents. Confirm the current process and due date.

The cost of missing it — an example

Skip the deadline and the MCA marks your DIN ‘deactivated due to non-filing of KYC’. You cannot sign company filings with a deactivated DIN, so your annual ROC filings stall — and reactivating costs a ₹5,000 fee per director. Example: a co-founder who ignores the September deadline can hold up the company’s AOC-4 in October until the DIN is restored and the ₹5,000 is paid. The catch is that the requirement is easy to forget because it is personal to the director, not tied to any company event — even a director of a dormant or single startup must file it every year. Our startup service tracks director KYC each year.

Talk to CA Vijay R Singh

Need your directors' KYC filed before the deadline? You can message him directly, or book a short call to talk through your situation.

This answer is general information for founders and startups, not tax or legal advice. Tax rates, thresholds and forms change with each Finance Act — please confirm the current position for your own facts, or speak to us, before acting.

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