Quick answer
Is DIR 3 KYC still an annual filing?
No. Under G.S.R. 943(E) dated 31 December 2025, effective 31 March 2026, DIR 3 KYC is filed once every three financial years, due 30 June. Between cycles, a director must update KYC whenever their mobile number, email address or residential address changes. Pages that still show an annual September deadline describe the old rule.
- Once every three financial years
- Due date: 30 June
- Effective 31 March 2026
- Event-based update on change of mobile, email or address
- Missed KYC can deactivate the DIN
What is DIR 3 KYC?
DIR 3 KYC is the know-your-customer filing that confirms the identity, personal mobile number, email and address of every individual who holds a DIN. MCA uses it to keep the director database current, so that notices and one-time passwords reach the real person and not an old phone number.
A DIN is allotted once, usually when a company is incorporated through SPICe+, and it stays with the person for life. The KYC filing keeps that DIN active. It is filed by the individual, not by the company, though in practice the company secretary or compliance adviser prepares it.
What changed in DIR 3 KYC in 2026?
The 2026 change replaced the yearly KYC with a filing once every three financial years, due 30 June, and added a duty to update details within the cycle whenever contact information changes. It was notified by G.S.R. 943(E) dated 31 December 2025 and applies from 31 March 2026.
| Point | Old rule | From 31 March 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Every financial year | Once every three financial years |
| Due date | 30 September (as widely published) | 30 June |
| Change in mobile, email or address | Captured at the next yearly filing | Updated when the change happens |
| Legal basis | Earlier director KYC rules under the Companies Act | G.S.R. 943(E) dated 31 December 2025 |
Source: ICAI Corporate Laws and Corporate Governance Committee note on director KYC, checked October 2026. Confirm your DIN's cycle on the MCA portal.
Need help with DIR-3 KYC filing? Talk to a chartered accountant in Delhi today. First call is free.
Who must file DIR 3 KYC?
Every individual who holds a DIN must file DIR-3 KYC, whether they are a director of a private limited company, an OPC, a public company or a designated partner of an LLP. Holding a DIN without any active directorship does not remove the duty.
- Active directors of companies registered in Delhi or anywhere in India.
- Designated partners of LLPs who were allotted a DIN.
- Former directors who resigned but still hold the DIN.
- NRI and foreign directors, who use their passport details in place of Indian address documents.
People who resigned years ago are the most common group with a deactivated DIN. If you are stepping down from a board, read our page on change of directors first.
When do you need to update KYC between cycles?
Under the 2026 rule, a director updates KYC when their personal mobile number, email address or residential address changes, without waiting for the next three-year due date. This keeps OTPs and MCA notices going to the right person.
Typical triggers we see in Delhi:
- A founder moves house within Delhi or shifts to another city.
- A director changes a mobile number after switching network or losing a phone.
- An NRI director moves abroad and stops using an Indian SIM.
- The email on file was a company address, and the person has left that company.
Note the difference between a director's personal details and the company's registered office. A change of the company's office is a separate ROC filing handled under ROC compliance.
Which documents are needed for DIR 3 KYC?
For DIR 3 KYC you need the director's PAN, Aadhaar (or passport for foreign nationals), a current address proof, a personal mobile number and email that can receive OTPs, and a valid digital signature certificate. Keep names spelt exactly as on PAN.
| Item | Indian director | NRI or foreign director |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | PAN and Aadhaar | Passport; PAN if held |
| Address proof | Aadhaar, bank statement, utility bill or similar recent document | Overseas address proof, usually attested as required |
| Personal mobile number | Must receive OTP | Must receive OTP |
| Personal email | Must receive OTP | Must receive OTP |
| Digital signature certificate | Valid DSC in the director's name | Valid DSC in the director's name |
| Photograph | Recent photograph | Recent photograph |
Checklist prepared by CA in Delhi, October 2026. MCA may ask for additional proof in specific cases.
How to file DIR 3 KYC: step by step
Filing takes little time once documents and the DSC are ready. Most delays come from an expired DSC or a mobile number the director no longer uses.
- 1
Check DIN status
We look up the DIN on the MCA portal to see whether it is active or already deactivated.
- 2
Confirm the cycle
We check whether the three-year filing is due by 30 June, or whether only an event-based update is needed.
- 3
Collect documents
The director shares PAN, Aadhaar or passport, address proof and the current mobile and email.
- 4
Renew DSC if needed
An expired digital signature is renewed before filing.
- 5
Verify and sign
The director confirms OTPs on mobile and email and the form is signed with the DSC.
- 6
File and save
The filing is submitted on MCA and the acknowledgement is saved in the company's records.
What happens if DIR 3 KYC is not filed?
If DIR 3 KYC is not filed by its due date, MCA marks the DIN as deactivated. A director with a deactivated DIN cannot sign company forms, which can hold up annual filings for every company where they sit on the board. Reactivation is reported to need a fee of ₹5,000.
The ₹5,000 reactivation fee comes from secondary sources such as Kanakkupillai. We could not confirm it against MCA's own fee rules, so check the amount shown on the MCA portal when you file.
The knock-on effect is often worse than the fee. If one of two directors has a deactivated DIN, the company may be unable to file AOC-4 or MGT-7 on time, and late fees then run on those forms too.
Why do many websites still show an annual DIR-3 KYC deadline?
Many compliance calendars and penalty tables were written before the December 2025 notification and still describe an annual filing due in September. Some large platforms had not updated their text when we checked in October 2026.
Three mistakes follow from old information:
- Filing every year out of habit. It is not harmful, but it adds work that the new rule removed.
- Waiting until September. Under the new rule the date is 30 June, so a September plan is three months late.
- Ignoring contact changes. The new rule expects an update when details change, not at the next cycle.
Who files DIR 3 KYC for you at CA in Delhi?
We track every director's DIN, the three-year due date and any change in contact details as part of a company's annual compliance, so KYC is not handled in isolation.
- Moneymji lists ROC compliance among its services and can file director KYC with a company's annual forms.
- Khubchandani & Co. Chartered Accountants supports corporate compliance for the companies it helps form.
- Greenwolf Advisors manages entity governance for groups with NRI or foreign directors, where passport-based KYC is common.
Compare these firms on our directory of chartered accountant firms in Delhi. Directors living in the north-west of the city can also see our page for a CA in Rohini.
Frequently asked questions
What is the due date for DIR 3 KYC in 2026?
Under the rule effective 31 March 2026, DIR 3 KYC is due by 30 June, once every three financial years. Your DIN's next filing depends on its cycle, so check the status on the MCA portal or ask us to look it up. Any change in mobile number, email or address must be updated as it happens.
Do I have to file DIR-3 KYC every year now?
No. The yearly requirement ended with G.S.R. 943(E), dated 31 December 2025 and effective 31 March 2026. Directors now file once every three financial years by 30 June. The only reason to file in between is a change in your personal mobile number, email address or residential address.
What is the penalty for not filing DIR-3 KYC?
A DIN whose KYC is not filed is deactivated. Secondary sources report a ₹5,000 fee to reactivate it, which we could not confirm on MCA's own pages, so check the amount at filing. A deactivated DIN also blocks the director from signing company filings, which can delay the company's annual returns.
How do I reactivate a deactivated DIN?
File the pending KYC with the required documents and DSC, and pay the reactivation fee shown on the MCA portal at the time. Once the filing is approved, the DIN status returns to active. Check the status on MCA afterwards before filing any company forms that need the director's signature.
Do LLP designated partners file DIR-3 KYC?
Yes, if they hold a DIN. Designated partners of LLPs are allotted DINs just like company directors, and the same KYC rule applies to them: once every three financial years by 30 June, plus updates when contact details change. LLP annual forms are separate and covered on our ROC compliance page.
I resigned as a director. Do I still need to file KYC?
Yes, as long as you hold a DIN. Resigning from a board does not cancel the DIN, so the KYC duty continues. Many former directors discover their DIN was deactivated only when they join a new company and cannot sign. Keep the KYC current if you may take another directorship.
Can an NRI or foreign director file DIR-3 KYC from abroad?
Yes. A foreign or NRI director uses a passport as identity proof and an overseas address proof, along with a DSC and a mobile number and email that can receive OTPs. Attestation requirements for overseas documents can apply. We coordinate these filings online, so the director does not need to be in Delhi.
Is DIR-3 KYC filed by the company or the director?
It is the director's own filing, because it confirms personal details linked to the DIN. In practice the company's compliance adviser prepares it, and the director verifies OTPs and signs with their DSC. Companies track it because a director with a deactivated DIN can hold up the company's own filings.
Does a change of company address require DIR-3 KYC?
No. DIR-3 KYC covers the director's personal details only. Moving the company's registered office is a separate ROC filing. If the director's own residential address changes at the same time, the KYC update is filed for that personal change.