Class 3 DSC for Individuals, Signing & Combo, issued paperless

Yes, an Individual Class 3 DSC is issued to any PAN and Aadhaar holder, including freelancers, consultants, and salaried professionals.

No, the entire process, including identity verification, happens remotely over a video call. The token is then delivered to your address.

A Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is the highest level of individual digital signature issued by licensed Certifying Authorities in India. It provides the strongest level of identity assurance, with the applicant's identity verified through Aadhaar-based eKYC. Class 3 DSCs are legally valid under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and are accepted across all government portals including GST, Income Tax, MCA, EPFO and e-Tendering platforms. They use 2048-bit RSA encryption and are stored on secure USB crypto tokens to prevent unauthorized use.

Any individual who needs to digitally sign documents or file on Indian government portals needs a Class 3 DSC. This includes salaried professionals filing income tax returns, business owners filing GST returns, directors filing KYC and annual returns on MCA, chartered accountants and company secretaries filing on behalf of clients, freelancers registering on government procurement portals, and anyone applying for patents, trademarks, or MSME registration. If you interact with any Indian government portal that requires a digital signature, you need a Class 3 DSC.

With our Aadhaar-based eKYC process, your Class 3 DSC can be issued within a day of completing the application and payment. Verification is instant, you enter your Aadhaar number, receive an OTP on your registered mobile, and your identity is confirmed. Once verified, the certificate is generated and ready. Your USB token is then dispatched to your address, same-day to 2-3 working days depending on your location in India, though the certificate itself is ready as soon as issuance completes.

For individuals applying via Aadhaar eKYC, you need just four things: your Aadhaar card (with mobile number linked for OTP), PAN card, an active mobile number registered with Aadhaar, and a valid email address. No physical documents, attestations, or office visits are required, the entire process is 100% paperless and can be completed from home or office.

Class 3 Individual DSC pricing starts from Rs 650 for the certificate itself, and varies by validity period (1, 2 or 3 years) and which Certifying Authority issues it. Rather than quoting one fixed number, we show you a live price comparison across SpeedSign, vSign, Capricorn CA and eMudhra so you can see exactly what each charges before choosing, the exact tiers are shown in the pricing cards above. See the full calculator →

Class 3 DSCs are available in three validity options: 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years, starting from the date of issuance. Longer validity works out cheaper per year than renewing a 1-year certificate repeatedly. Once a certificate expires, you'll need a fresh one, renewal is essentially a new issuance with fresh eKYC verification, it doesn't extend the old certificate. We generally recommend the 2-year or 3-year option for most users.

Yes, a Class 3 Individual DSC is fully accepted on the GST portal for new registration, filing monthly and quarterly returns (GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-9), claiming refunds, filing LUT for exporters, generating e-way bills, and responding to notices. GST filing can also use Aadhaar-based e-Sign for some taxpayer categories, but companies and LLPs specifically require DSC.

Yes, a Class 3 DSC is mandatory for filings on the MCA portal, including company incorporation via SPICe+, annual filings like AOC-4 and MGT-7, Director KYC (DIR-3 KYC), charge registration, changes in directors or registered address, and all other e-forms filed with the Registrar of Companies. Directors, company secretaries, and chartered accountants all need a valid Class 3 DSC to sign these digitally.

Class 2 DSCs were officially discontinued by the CCA (Controller of Certifying Authorities) on 1 January 2021, Class 3 is the only DSC class currently issued in India. Class 2 previously required lighter identity verification and was accepted for lower-assurance use cases, Class 3 requires stricter Aadhaar eKYC or video verification and is now the standard for every use case, GST, MCA, Income Tax and beyond. If you still see "Class 2 DSC" mentioned anywhere, that reference is outdated. Read more →

NRIs can obtain a Class 3 DSC, though the process differs slightly since Aadhaar-based eKYC needs an active Indian mobile number linked to Aadhaar. Where that's not available, verification can typically be completed over video call with a valid passport, PAN card, and address proof instead. If you're a foreign national (not an NRI), see our dedicated Foreign Individual DSC product instead.

eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) is a paperless identity verification process using your Aadhaar number and OTP. You enter your Aadhaar number, UIDAI sends an OTP to your registered mobile, and entering that OTP verifies your identity. Your name, date of birth, gender and photo are then pulled from the UIDAI database to issue your certificate. The whole process takes a few minutes and eliminates the need for physical document submission or office visits.

Every Class 3 DSC we issue is bundled with a genuine, FIPS 140-3 certified USB crypto token, from InnaIT Precision, HyperSecu, or mToken, whichever we have available at the time. All of them work reliably across Windows, auto-detect drivers, and are compatible with every government portal. The token securely stores your private key so your digital signature can't be copied or misused. Let us know if you have a specific brand preference and we'll confirm availability.