Key takeaways
- Form DIR-3 KYC Web is the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) KYC filing for every individual holding a Director Identification Number (DIN), required under Rule 12A of the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Rules, 2014.
- From 31 March 2026, the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Amendment Rules, 2025 replaced annual DIR-3 KYC with one routine filing every three financial years, due by 30 June.
- Under MCA's published illustrations, directors who completed DIR-3 KYC in FY 2025-26 next file between 1 April and 30 June 2028. DINs allotted during FY 2025-26 first file between 1 April and 30 June 2029.
- A change in a DIN holder's personal mobile number, email address or residential address must be reported in Form DIR-3 KYC Web within 30 days, with a ₹500 fee. The update does not reset the triennial cycle.
- Form DIR-3 KYC Web filed within the triennial timeline carries no fee. Filing after the timeline, or to reactivate a deactivated DIN, costs ₹5,000.
- The DIR-3 KYC obligation follows the DIN, so disqualified directors and DIN holders with no current directorship must also file.
What is DIR-3 KYC
DIR-3 KYC is the Ministry of Corporate Affairs' (MCA) process for verifying the identity and contact details of every individual who holds a Director Identification Number (DIN). A DIN is the unique number an individual needs before they can be appointed as a director of an Indian company. It is applied for under Section 153 of the Companies Act, 2013 and allotted by the Central Government under Section 154, most commonly at company incorporation through the SPICe+ form.
The KYC obligation sits in Rule 12A of the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Rules, 2014. A DIN does not lapse on its own: it stays with the individual until it is cancelled, surrendered or deactivated under Rule 11 of the same rules. Without periodic confirmation, MCA's director database would accumulate outdated mobile numbers, email addresses and residential addresses against DINs that remain in use. DIR-3 KYC keeps those records current; it does not re-approve anyone's right to act as a director.
New DIR-3 KYC rules from 31 March 2026
Until 31 March 2026, every DIN holder filed DIR-3 KYC each year, by 30 September, regardless of whether any of their details had changed. MCA amended this through the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Amendment Rules, 2025, notified on 31 December 2025, replacing the annual cycle with a triennial one.
The same amendment also consolidated the filing route itself.
Who must file DIR-3 KYC
Every individual who holds a DIN as on 31 March of a financial year must file, whether or not they are currently serving as a director, and whether their DIN is linked to an active, dormant or struck-off company. Directors disqualified under the Companies Act must also file: disqualification removes someone's ability to be reappointed, not the KYC obligation attached to their DIN. Foreign nationals holding a DIN for an Indian company file too, using a passport and address proof in place of a PAN.
Since the 2025 amendment, every filing, whether it is a first triennial filing, a reactivation, or a routine update, is made through Form DIR-3 KYC Web on the MCA21 portal. The earlier PDF-based e-form has been withdrawn from use.
How the triennial cycle works
Rule 12A(1), as substituted by the 2025 amendment, states that every individual holding a DIN as on 31 March of a financial year must file Form DIR-3 KYC Web on or before 30 June of the immediately following every third consecutive financial year. MCA published illustrative scenarios clarifying how this applies, in an official clarification issued on 31 March 2026:
The third scenario is worth noting on its own: updating contact details mid-cycle, as Rule 12A(2) requires, does not restart the three-year count. The triennial clock is fixed to the financial year in which the DIN was allotted or the KYC was last completed, not to the date of the most recent filing.
When you must file outside the triennial cycle
Rule 12A(2) requires every DIN holder to file Form DIR-3 KYC Web within 30 days of a change in their personal mobile number, email address or residential address. Each such filing carries a fee of ₹500 under the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Amendment Rules, 2026. The obligation is mandatory, not optional, and it runs independently of the routine triennial date.
A change-based filing does not move the routine due date. A director who completed KYC in FY 2025-26 and changes residential address in August 2026 files Form DIR-3 KYC Web with the ₹500 fee within 30 days of the move, and still files the routine triennial filing between 1 April and 30 June 2028.
How to file Form DIR-3 KYC Web
Form DIR-3 KYC Web is filed online on the MCA V3 portal. Indian nationals need their PAN, and foreign nationals need a valid passport. Every filer needs proof of permanent and present residential address, and access to the personal mobile number and email address being recorded, because both are verified by one-time password (OTP) during filing. The OTP step is how MCA confirms that the DIN holder controls the contact details on record at the time of filing.
- Log in to the MCA V3 portal with the DIN holder's registered credentials.
- Open Form DIR-3 KYC Web from the DIN services section.
- Review the pre-filled particulars and update any that have changed.
- Verify the personal mobile number and email address through the OTPs sent to each.
- Attach supporting proof for any changed particulars, pay the applicable fee and submit the form.
What happens if you miss the DIR-3 KYC due date
Rule 11(2) of the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Rules, 2014 provides for deactivation of the DIN of any individual who does not file particulars in Form DIR-3 KYC Web in accordance with Rule 12A. MCA marks such DINs "Deactivated due to non-filing of DIR-3 KYC". A deactivated DIN cannot be used to sign MCA filings, so any company filing that requires that director's signature cannot proceed until the DIN is reactivated.
Under Rule 11(3), a deactivated DIN is reactivated only after Form DIR-3 KYC Web is filed. The fee schedule substituted by the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Amendment Rules, 2026 sets three amounts: nil for a filing made within the Rule 12A(1) timeline, ₹5,000 for a filing made after that timeline or for reactivation of a DIN, and ₹500 for every change-based filing under Rule 12A(2).
FAQs on DIR-3 KYC
1. What is the purpose of filing DIR-3 KYC for directors?
DIR-3 KYC keeps the Ministry of Corporate Affairs' (MCA) director database accurate, specifically the mobile number, email address and residential address recorded against each Director Identification Number (DIN). A DIN does not lapse on its own once allotted, so MCA uses Form DIR-3 KYC Web to confirm that the person behind each DIN can still be identified and reached, whether or not they currently serve as a director.
2. Is DIR-3 KYC to be filed every year?
No. Since the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Amendment Rules, 2025 took effect on 31 March 2026, routine DIR-3 KYC is filed once every three financial years, by 30 June, instead of annually. A DIN holder must still file Form DIR-3 KYC Web, with a ₹500 fee, within 30 days of any change in their personal mobile number, email address or residential address.
3. What is the process for Director's KYC?
Director KYC is filed through Form DIR-3 KYC Web on the MCA V3 portal. The DIN holder reviews and updates their pre-filled particulars, verifies their personal mobile number and email address through one-time passwords, attaches proof of any changed particulars and submits the form. Filing within the triennial timeline carries no fee; filing late or for DIN reactivation costs ₹5,000.
4. What is the last date to file the Director KYC in 2026?
Most DIN holders have no routine DIR-3 KYC due date in 2026. Under MCA's illustrations, directors who completed KYC in FY 2025-26 next file by 30 June 2028, and DINs allotted during FY 2025-26 first file by 30 June 2029. Filings can still arise in 2026 if a DIN holder's mobile number, email address or residential address changes, which must be reported within 30 days, or if a deactivated DIN needs to be reactivated.
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