Director KYC (DIR-3 KYC): The Three-Year Filing Every DIN Holder Must Not Miss

Who must file DIR-3 KYC

Every individual who holds a Director Identification Number (DIN) must keep the KYC for that DIN current under Rule 12A of the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Rules, 2014 — regardless of whether that individual is currently serving as a director on any company's board. This is a critical, frequently misunderstood point: the obligation attaches to holding the DIN itself, not to active directorship.

What changed from 31 March 2026

Until 31 March 2026, every DIN holder had to file DIR-3 KYC — or the web-based DIR-3 KYC-WEB where nothing had changed — in every financial year, ordinarily by 30 September. Rule 12A, as substituted by notification G.S.R. 943(E) dated 31 December 2025 and in force from 31 March 2026, now requires every individual who holds a DIN as on 31 March of a financial year to file Form DIR-3 KYC Web once in every third consecutive financial year, on or before 30 June. The earlier DIR-3 KYC e-form and DIR-3 KYC-WEB were replaced by this single form.

How the single KYC form works

MCA describes the revised form as a simpler KYC form that can be used for (i) KYC compliance, (ii) updating a mobile number, (iii) updating an email address, (iv) updating a residential address and (v) re-activating a DIN. Verification by the DIN holder and certification by a professional, each through a digital signature, are required only if the form is submitted for updating a mobile number, email address or residential address; a routine three-year KYC does not need them. Any DIR-3 KYC or DIR-3 KYC Web e-form that was left in Draft, Pending, or Pending-for-DSC-upload-and-payment status at 31 March 2026 was marked Cancelled by MCA and has to be filed afresh as Form DIR-3 KYC Web.

Fee. Under item VII of the Annexure to the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014, as substituted by G.S.R. 300(E) dated 21 April 2026, the fee is nil if the form is filed within the timeline, ₹5,000 if it is filed after the timeline or to re-activate a DIN, and ₹500 for every filing made again for a change. The full fee table is in our guide to Registration Offices and Fees.

Not sure which date applies to you? Use the Director KYC and DIR-3 KYC Due-Date Checker, and see our guide to the three-year cycle and how to build a director KYC register.

What happens if KYC is not completed when due

A DIN holder who does not complete KYC by the due date faces their DIN being marked "Deactivated due to non-filing of DIR-3 KYC" on the MCA registry. A deactivated DIN prevents the individual from being appointed or continuing as a director in ways that require an active DIN, and can block the person from being used in MCA filings. Reactivation is through Form DIR-3 KYC Web, for a fee of ₹5,000. MCA allowed directors who had not submitted their KYC to get their DINs re-activated under the earlier provisions only until 31 March 2026; after that, use the current form.

Why the "even if not currently a director" rule catches people out

A common, costly assumption is that someone who has resigned from all directorships, or who obtained a DIN years ago but never actually took up a directorship, no longer needs to bother with KYC — this is incorrect. The obligation is tied to holding the DIN, not to active board service, and individuals in exactly this situation (a DIN obtained once, then unused) frequently discover their DIN has been deactivated only when they later need it for a genuinely new directorship or corporate transaction, at which point they must first complete the overdue KYC before the DIN becomes usable again. A due date that comes round only once in three years is easier to forget, not safer to ignore.

What information and documents are needed

The KYC form draws on the DIN holder's PAN, current address details and a working mobile number and email ID, which the MCA process verifies by OTP. Director verification and professional certification (a practising Company Secretary, Chartered Accountant or Cost Accountant), each by digital signature, are needed only when the form is filed to update a mobile number, email ID or residential address — so keep the digital signature certificate valid before such an update. Check the instructions on the MCA portal for the documents required on the day you file.

Practical guidance for DIN holders

Treat KYC as a recurring obligation from the moment a DIN is obtained, independent of whatever directorships are actively held. Record a three-year due date for each DIN (30 June 2028 for a director who completed KYC under the annual system), keep the mobile number and email ID linked to the DIN accessible, update any change of mobile number, email ID or residential address within 30 days instead of waiting for the next cycle, and complete the KYC promptly even when the DIN is not being used for any board position, to avoid the deactivation-and-reactivation cycle. Companies should retire the old "DIR-3 KYC — every director — 30 September" calendar entry and track KYC director by director.