Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)
A Class 3 DSC is the electronic signature that MCA, GST, income-tax, DGFT and every government e-tender portal will accept. Video KYC takes about ten minutes and the certificate is usually live within the hour.
Starts at ₹199 signing certificate, 2-year validity
What is a Class 3 DSC?
A Digital Signature Certificate is a cryptographic credential issued by a Certifying Authority licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities under the Information Technology Act, 2000. Signing a document with it carries the same legal effect as a handwritten signature.
Class 3 is the only class still issued. Classes 1 and 2 were discontinued at the start of 2021, so anything described as a “Class 2 DSC” today is either out of date or not what you need. Class 3 requires identity verification, which is now done over a short video call rather than by courier.
The certificate lives on a hardware token — a USB device that never lets the private key leave it. Government portals will not accept a certificate stored as a file on your computer, so the token is not optional.
Where you will need it
Every incorporation, annual return, DIR-3 KYC and event-based ROC form is signed with a director’s DSC.
Mandatory for companies, LLPs and audited entities filing ITRs, and for filing quarterly TDS returns on TRACES.
Companies and LLPs must sign GST returns and registration applications with a DSC; EVC is not available to them.
IEC applications, amendments and most foreign-trade filings require a Class 3 certificate.
Government and PSU tender portals require Class 3, and most require the combined signing plus encryption pair.
Recognised under the Information Technology Act, 2000, with the same standing as a physical signature.
Documents required
For an individual
- PAN card
- Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence as identity proof
- Recent photograph
- Mobile number and email — both are verified by OTP
For an organisational certificate
- Authorisation letter on company letterhead
- Certificate of incorporation or registration
- PAN of the organisation
- Identity and address proof of the authorised signatory
For a foreign national
- Passport, apostilled or consularised
- Overseas address proof, attested as required
- Applicants resident outside India may need attestation by the Indian embassy
Not sure which package fits?
A specialist will map your situation to the right plan in one call.
How it works
- Application and payment0–10 min
We raise the application with the Certifying Authority and send you a secure link. Takes a couple of minutes.
- Aadhaar or PAN verification5 min
Identity is verified electronically. You confirm mobile and email by OTP.
- Video KYC5–10 min
A short recorded video call where you read a code aloud and show your ID. Done from your phone.
- Certificate issued10–30 min
The certificate is approved and downloaded onto your token. If you have an existing token we can reuse it.
- Token dispatch1–3 days
Where a new token is needed, it ships the same day. Expiry is added to our reminder list.
Transparent pricing
Signing
₹199
2-year validity, signing only
- Class 3 signing certificate
- Video KYC
- 2-year validity
- Expiry reminders
- Encryption certificate
- USB token included
Signing + Token
₹999
certificate with FIPS USB token
- Class 3 signing certificate
- FIPS 140-2 USB token included
- 2-year validity
- Driver setup assistance
- Expiry reminders
- Encryption certificate
Tender Combo
₹1,999
signing + encryption, for e-tendering
- Signing and encryption certificates
- FIPS 140-2 USB token included
- 2-year validity
- Portal registration help
- Priority replacement if lost
Professional fees inclusive of Certifying Authority charges, exclusive of GST. Three-year certificates are available at a small premium; tokens are reusable across renewals.
Which certificate do you need?
| Use case | Certificate type | Validity to choose |
|---|---|---|
| MCA / ROC filings, ITR, GST, TDS | Class 3 signing | 2 years is usually right |
| DGFT, IEC applications | Class 3 signing | 2 or 3 years |
| Government e-tendering | Class 3 signing and encryption | Match your tender cycle |
| Foreign director signing Indian forms | Class 3 signing, foreign national | 2 years, attestation needed |
Encryption certificates are only required where a portal asks you to encrypt bid documents — almost exclusively e-tendering. For every routine statutory filing, a signing certificate on its own is enough.
Things worth knowing before you buy
Class 2 no longer exists
The Controller of Certifying Authorities discontinued Class 2 certificates with effect from 1 January 2021. Everything statutory now runs on Class 3. If a vendor offers you a cheaper “Class 2” certificate, it is not a valid product.
The token is a legal requirement, not an upsell
Certificates must be stored on a FIPS 140-2 certified cryptographic token so the private key can never be copied off the device. Government portals check for this. A token is reusable indefinitely, so you only buy one — renewals load onto the same device.
Lose the token and you start again
There is no way to recover a certificate from a lost token, by design. You revoke the old certificate and apply fresh. Directors who sign rarely should keep the token somewhere deliberate, not in a laptop bag.
Renew early, not on the day
An expired DSC cannot be renewed — it is a fresh application with fresh KYC. Since expiry tends to be discovered on the day a filing is due, we track expiry dates for every certificate we issue and warn you a month ahead.
One person, one certificate, many roles
A DSC is issued to a person, not a company. The same individual certificate signs for every company where you are a director. You do not need a separate DSC per company — though organisational certificates naming the entity are a separate product used mainly for tendering.
The list of licensed Certifying Authorities is published by the Controller of Certifying Authorities under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Using and maintaining your DSC
Register the certificate on each portal before you need it. On the MCA portal a director’s DSC must be associated with their DIN; on the income-tax portal it is registered against the PAN; on GST it is mapped to the authorised signatory. Each of these is a two-minute step that becomes a crisis if left until a deadline.
Install the token drivers on the machine you will actually file from. Most filing failures blamed on the certificate are in fact driver or browser issues, and they surface at the worst time.
If a signatory resigns or a director is replaced, revoke the organisational certificate and de-register it from the portals. Leaving a former signatory’s credential active is a genuine risk.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can I get a DSC?
Usually within 30 minutes. Application, Aadhaar or PAN verification and video KYC are all done remotely. If you need a physical USB token it ships the same day and arrives in one to three days.
Do I need a USB token?
Yes. Regulations require Class 3 certificates to be stored on a FIPS 140-2 certified hardware token, and government portals check for it. If you already have a token from an earlier certificate, we can load the new one onto it.
What is the difference between signing and encryption certificates?
A signing certificate proves who signed a document. An encryption certificate lets you encrypt and decrypt documents. Every statutory filing needs only signing; government e-tendering usually needs both.
Is Class 2 still available?
No. Class 2 certificates were discontinued from 1 January 2021. Class 3 is the only class now issued and it is accepted everywhere Class 2 previously was.
What happens when my DSC expires?
An expired certificate cannot be renewed — you apply again with fresh KYC, though you can reuse the token. We track expiry for certificates we issue and remind you a month in advance.
Can a foreign national get an Indian DSC?
Yes. Foreign directors and signatories can obtain a Class 3 certificate using an apostilled or consularised passport and attested address proof. Applicants outside India may need embassy attestation.
Official references
The statutory sources behind this page. We keep our guidance aligned to them — verify anything time-sensitive directly.
- Ministry of MSMEUdyam registration and MSME schemes
- DGFTImport Export Code and foreign trade policy
- FSSAIFood business licensing and standards
Content on this page is reviewed by a chartered accountant or advocate at LexVerge LLP. It is general guidance, not advice on your specific facts.