Class 3 signing and encryption certificates, issued on video KYC, with the token configured and tested.
A Digital Signature Certificate is the electronic equivalent of a signature, issued by a licensed Certifying Authority and stored on a hardware token. Since the older Class 2 category was discontinued, Class 3 is the only certificate issued for business use, and it is what the MCA, GST, income tax, EPFO, ICEGATE and every e-tender portal accept. We arrange issuance in Chennai and, importantly, configure and test the token on your machine before you need it at a filing deadline.
Where a DSC is mandatory
Portal
Who must sign with a DSC
MCA / ROC
All directors and designated partners for incorporation and every annual filing; professionals certifying forms
Income tax
Companies, LLPs, and taxpayers subject to audit under Section 44AB
GST
Companies and LLPs for registration and returns; others may use EVC
EPFO / ESIC
Authorised signatory, for approving transfer and withdrawal claims and filing returns
ICEGATE / DGFT
Importers and exporters for shipping bills, bills of entry and Foreign Trade Policy applications
e-Tendering and GeM
Bidders, usually requiring both a signing and an encryption certificate
Trade marks and patents
Applicants and agents filing electronically
Signing versus encryption
A Class 3 signing certificate authenticates the signer and is what almost all statutory filings require. An encryption certificate protects the confidentiality of a document and is required in addition to the signing certificate on most e-procurement portals. A combination certificate covers both. Buying only a signing certificate and then discovering at bid submission that the portal wants encryption is a common and entirely avoidable delay.
Documents and the video KYC
PAN card and Aadhaar of the applicant
Recent passport-size photograph
Mobile number and email linked to the applicant, both verified by OTP
For an organisation certificate: the entity's PAN, GST certificate, certificate of incorporation or deed, and an authorisation letter naming the applicant as authorised signatory
For a foreign national: passport and visa, with attestation as required by the Certifying Authority
The video verification is the step that fails. The applicant records a short video reading a code aloud, holding the original PAN card, in adequate light with a clear face and audible voice. A blurred card, a reflection on the plastic, or a name mismatch between PAN and Aadhaar causes rejection and a resubmission. We check the details for a match before the video is recorded.
Process
Application submitted to the Certifying Authority with PAN, Aadhaar, photograph and contact details.
Mobile and email verification by OTP, followed by Aadhaar-based e-KYC or paper-based verification.
Video verification recorded and uploaded.
Approval and download onto an FIPS-compliant USB token. The certificate can only be downloaded once, onto the token — it cannot be copied afterwards.
Registration on the portal where it will be used: the MCA, GST, income tax, EPFO or tender portal each require the DSC to be associated with the user profile before it works.
Validity, renewal and practical care
Certificates are issued for one, two or three years. Three years is generally the better value and avoids a renewal falling due in a filing season.
Renewal is a fresh issuance, not an extension — start about a month before expiry.
Keep the token physically secure and the password recorded somewhere retrievable. A forgotten token password cannot be reset; the certificate has to be reissued.
Java and the token driver need to be current for the MCA and income tax portals; most "DSC not detected" problems are a driver or browser issue rather than a certificate fault.
Usually within a few hours to a day once the video verification is accepted, provided PAN and Aadhaar details match and the mobile number is linked to Aadhaar. Rejections at video verification are what turn a same-day issuance into a three-day exercise.
No, and doing so is a serious problem rather than a shortcut. A DSC is legally the individual's signature. Filings made with a director's certificate are attributed to that director personally, including any false statement in the form.
The certificate cannot be recovered because it exists only on that token. Report it to the Certifying Authority for revocation and apply for a fresh certificate. The revocation matters: an unrevoked lost token remains capable of signing.
Class 2 certificates ceased to be issued and Class 3 is now the standard for all business and statutory use. Any Class 2 certificate still in hand should be replaced with a Class 3 before it causes a filing failure.