Buy your Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate online

A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is an electronic form of a signature that authenticates the identity of the signer and ensures the integrity of digitally signed documents. It is issued by licensed Certifying Authorities (CAs) like eMudhra, Sify, and nCode. DSCs are legally valid under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and are used for filing documents with government agencies, e-tendering, and secure online transactions.

Currently, Class 3 DSC is the main type available (Class 2 was discontinued from January 1, 2021). Class 3 DSC is the highest level of security and is used for: MCA company filings, Income Tax e-filing for companies and LLPs, GST registration and filings, E-tendering and e-procurement, DGFT filings for import export, EPFO filings, and Trademark and Patent filings.

No. Class 2 Digital Signature Certificates were discontinued in India from 1 January 2021 under guidelines from the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA). Since then, Certifying Authorities have stopped issuing and renewing Class 2 certificates, and Class 3 is the only DSC available in 2026.

If you previously held a Class 2 certificate, it stayed valid until its original expiry date and was not cancelled overnight. Once it expired, any replacement could only be a Class 3 DSC, since Class 3 is the only certificate now issued.

You do not lose any functionality by moving to Class 3. A Class 3 DSC carries the object identifiers (OIDs) of the former Class 2 certificate, so it covers everything Class 2 was used for — MCA/ROC filings, income tax returns, GST, audit reports and EPF — while also supporting higher-assurance use cases such as e-tendering, e-procurement and e-auctions.

In 2026 the comparison is mainly historical, because Class 2 no longer exists. Earlier, Class 2 was a lower-assurance certificate used for routine filings such as MCA/ROC submissions, income tax returns and GST, while Class 3 was a higher-assurance certificate required for e-tendering, e-auctions and other high-value transactions where stronger identity verification mattered.

Under the CCA's revised framework, both tiers were consolidated into a single Class 3 certificate from 1 January 2021. Today's Class 3 DSC carries the OIDs of the old Class 2 as well, so one certificate now serves both everyday compliance filings and the high-assurance use cases that were once Class 3-only.

In short, you no longer choose between Class 2 and Class 3 — you simply apply for a Class 3 DSC. It works across MCA, Income Tax, GST, DGFT/IEC, e-tendering and similar portals.

Individual DSC is issued in the name of a person for personal use in MCA filings, ITR filing, etc. Organization DSC is issued in the name of the organization but used by an authorized signatory (Director, Partner, etc.) for company filings, GST, etc. Organization DSC requires additional documents like authorization letter and board resolution.

DSC can be issued within 1-2 working days. The process includes document verification, application submission, OTP verification, and video verification (if required). Once DSC is generated, it is loaded onto a USB token and dispatched via courier, which takes an additional 2-3 days for delivery.

For Individual DSC: PAN card (self-attested), Aadhaar card (self-attested), passport size photo, mobile number, and email address. For Organization DSC: Organization PAN, Certificate of Incorporation, Authorization letter, Board Resolution (for companies), and ID proof of authorized signatory. Additional documents may be required for DGFT DSC.

For a standard Class 3 DSC, the application is completed online under the CCA's Identity Verification Guidelines, so in most cases there is no need to print, scan and self-attest photocopies or courier hard copies to the Certifying Authority, and no in-person visit to a counter.

Your identity and address are established through electronic e-KYC. The usual route is Aadhaar e-KYC — either Aadhaar Offline e-KYC, where you upload the UIDAI-signed Aadhaar XML with its share phrase and the Certifying Authority validates UIDAI's signature, or Aadhaar Online e-KYC via OTP. Alternatively, identity can be verified through PAN-based e-KYC, checked electronically against the Income-Tax database; on the PAN route you still upload a scanned PAN and a government photo ID and display the originals on camera, handled digitally rather than by post.

Issuance also requires a live video verification recorded through the Certifying Authority's own facility (pre-recorded clips are not accepted): you state your intent to obtain a DSC and read out the random codes shown on screen while the system matches your face against your e-KYC photo. For Aadhaar applicants, online Aadhaar biometric authentication can stand in for the video step, but the live video check is the standard route.

Two notes: foreign applicants cannot use Aadhaar and instead submit scanned passport, identity and address proofs with the video verification; and a higher-assurance physical-verification tier still exists for cases that need it, though it is not part of the normal flow.

It depends on the type of DSC and how you intend to use it. For an individual signing certificate, your e-KYC can be completed with Aadhaar alone, so a PAN is not strictly required to issue the certificate — the CCA guidelines accept either the PAN or the Aadhaar number for an individual applicant.

The PAN is embedded in the certificate only if you add and verify it during application. This matters because the Income Tax e-filing and GST portals map a DSC to a PAN: to register your DSC for Income Tax e-filing or use it as a GST authorised signatory, the certificate must carry and match your PAN, so an Aadhaar-only certificate with no PAN embedded will not work for those purposes. Note that not every individual needs a DSC for ITR at all — many taxpayers below the audit threshold can e-verify using Aadhaar OTP or EVC.

For an organisation DSC — a company, LLP or partnership — the position is clearer: both the organisation's PAN and the authorised signatory's PAN are mandatory and are verified before the certificate is issued.

A USB token is a hardware device (like a pen drive) that securely stores your DSC. It is mandatory as per government regulations to store DSC on a hardware token rather than on a computer. The token protects your DSC from unauthorized access and can be used on any computer with a USB port. Each DSC comes with a USB token included in the price.

Class 3 DSCs are issued with 1, 2 or 3-year validity — you choose in the configurator above. Validity starts from the date of issuance, so renew before it expires to avoid disruptions in filing returns or accessing government portals. Renewal uses the same process as a new DSC.

Yes, a single Class 3 DSC can be used for multiple purposes including MCA filings, Income Tax e-filing, GST, EPFO, and e-tendering. However, for DGFT portal (Import Export Code related filings), you specifically need a DGFT DSC which has additional extensions for DGFT compatibility.

Yes. Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, digital signatures issued by licensed Certifying Authorities carry the same legal status as a handwritten signature on paper.

No. Only licensed Certifying Authorities can issue a DSC. A Chartered Accountant cannot issue one directly, though they can help you apply for it.

No. A Class 3 DSC is downloaded onto a secure USB token, so the token is required to use it. (Aadhaar-based eSign is a separate, token-free way to sign documents in some cases.)

Insert your USB token, install its driver, open the Certifying Authority's download portal, enter your credentials, and download the certificate onto the token.

No. A DSC is always issued by a licensed Certifying Authority for a fee. Treat any 'free DSC' offer with caution.

Yes. The same person can hold multiple DSCs — for example, one for individual use and one as an organisation's authorised signatory.

A DSC is required for:

• MCA/ROC filings by company directors and partners
• Income Tax filings for companies and audit-required taxpayers
• GST filings
• e-Tendering and e-Procurement
• Trademark and patent applications
• DGFT (import/export) filings

A DSC gives you:

• Legal recognition under the IT Act, 2000
• Strong data security and encryption
• Paperless, faster online filings
• Access to government e-tenders, which require it

Your DSC sits on a password-protected USB token, so it cannot be copied or used without it. Never share your token or its password.

Expiry means your certificate can no longer be used to sign. You apply for a fresh certificate before or after the expiry date to keep filing without interruption.

Insert your USB token, open your DSC management tool, and check the certificate's details and expiry date.

Open the signed document, click the signature, view its properties, and confirm it validates against the issuing Certifying Authority.

A digital signature is the electronic equivalent of a handwritten signature. A digital certificate (the DSC) is the identity certificate issued by a Certifying Authority that contains and enables that signature.

Indian citizens, foreign nationals and organisations registered in India can all obtain a DSC, provided they complete identity and address verification.

No. Once a DSC is downloaded onto a token it cannot be downloaded again, for security reasons. If the token is lost, a fresh DSC must be issued.

DSCs are grouped by usage — Sign, Encrypt, or both — and by purpose — Individual, Organisation or DGFT. Earlier they were also split into Class 1, 2 and 3, but only Class 3 is issued today, as Class 2 was discontinued in 2021.