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How to Buy a Digital Signature Certificate

Which class and validity to choose, the documents required for individuals, organisations and foreign nationals, and how to check an existing DSC's expiry.

Buying a Digital Signature Certificate involves three decisions and one set of paperwork. This page covers all of them, including the documents required for foreign nationals, which differ substantially from the Indian process.

1. Which class do you need?

Class 3 covers essentially everything today. Since the CCA consolidated the certificate classes, Class 3 is what Certifying Authorities issue for statutory filing and tendering alike.

You also choose between two forms:

  • Signing only — proves who signed a document and that it has not been altered since. Enough for income tax e-filing, MCA and ROC, GST, EPFO and ESI, DIN and director eKYC.
  • Signing plus encryption (combo) — adds the ability to decrypt documents that were encrypted for you. E-tendering and e-procurement portals usually require the combo, because bids are submitted encrypted.

Buying signing-only and then discovering the portal wants encryption means buying a second certificate, so confirm before ordering if you tender.

A separate DGFT certificate is used for import and export filing on the Directorate General of Foreign Trade portal.

2. Which validity?

Certificates are issued for one, two or three years. Longer validity costs less per year. The certificate expires on a fixed date regardless of use, and an expired certificate cannot be renewed in place — a new one is issued and downloaded onto the token again.

3. Which token?

The certificate has to live on a FIPS 140-2 certified USB token. If you already own one with a free slot, you may not need to buy another. The USB token guide covers the devices and what distinguishes them.

Documents required

Requirements are set by the Certifying Authorities and change from time to time. The lists below are the usual position — confirm with us before you assemble paperwork, because a rejected application means starting again.

Indian individual

  • Completed application form for the Certifying Authority
  • PAN card — mandatory, and the name on it must match the application
  • Address proof: Aadhaar, passport, voter ID, driving licence, or a recent utility bill or bank statement
  • Recent passport-size photograph
  • Mobile number and email address that you control, for verification
  • Video verification, recorded at the time of application

Organisation

Everything for the individual authorised signatory, plus:

  • Organisation PAN
  • Certificate of incorporation, partnership deed or registration certificate
  • Board resolution or authorisation letter naming the signatory
  • GST registration certificate, where applicable
  • Organisation bank statement or a cancelled cheque
  • Proof that the signatory holds the position claimed

Foreign national

This is where applications most often stall. A foreign applicant cannot rely on PAN and Aadhaar, so identity is established through the passport and attestation instead.

  • Passport — mandatory, as both identity and nationality proof
  • Attested copies. The passport and address proof must be attested. Which attestation is acceptable depends on where you are:
    • Applicant outside India: attestation by the Indian Embassy or Consulate in that country, or an apostille if the country is party to the Hague Apostille Convention
    • Applicant currently in India: attestation by the embassy of the applicant’s own country in India, or as the Certifying Authority directs
  • Visa or residence permit if the applicant is in India
  • Address proof for the address stated on the application
  • Recent passport-size photograph
  • A working email address and mobile number for verification

Two things catch people out. Attestation must be on the copies you submit, not on separate paperwork, and the name must match the passport exactly — including the order of given and family names. If your documents are in a language other than English, a certified translation is usually required as well.

Foreign national applications take longer than domestic ones because the attested documents have to be physically verified. Talk to us before you start — we will tell you exactly what your Certifying Authority will accept, which is cheaper than an apostille you did not need.

How long does issuance take?

For a straightforward Indian individual application with documents in order, issuance is typically same-day to a couple of working days, and the certificate is downloaded onto the token as soon as it is approved. Organisation applications take longer because the authorisation has to be checked. Foreign national applications depend almost entirely on how quickly attested documents arrive.

What does it cost?

Price depends on the class and form, the validity you choose, whether you need a token, and how many certificates you are buying. Rather than publish a figure that will be out of date, we quote against what you actually file on — tell us the portals and the number of signatories and we will price it.

We also supply certificates to sub-dealers. If you are reselling rather than buying for yourself, the reseller page covers that.

How to check an existing certificate’s expiry

You do not need any special software to check when a DSC expires.

  1. Plug the token in.
  2. Open Internet Options in Windows, go to the Content tab, and click Certificates. On Windows 11 the same list is reachable by running certmgr.msc.
  3. Find your certificate in the Personal tab. The Expiration Date column shows the date directly.
  4. Double-click the certificate for the full detail, including the issuing Certifying Authority and the validity period.

Start renewal a couple of weeks before that date. An expired certificate stops working the moment it lapses, and a filing deadline is a bad time to discover it.

Buying from an authorised dealer

We have issued Digital Signature Certificates from Noida since 2015 as an authorised dealer for eMudhra, VSign, (n)Code and Sify. Being multi-CA matters more than it sounds: when one Certifying Authority’s systems are slow or a portal has an issue with a particular CA’s chain, we can issue from another rather than leave you waiting.

What you get beyond the certificate itself is the part that is hard to buy online — someone who will install the token driver with you over remote desktop, work out why a portal is not seeing your certificate, and answer the phone when a deadline is close.

Not sure which certificate you need? Tell us which portal or filing you have to complete and we will tell you the class, the form and the documents — including whether you need us at all. Call +91 89200 56551 or +91 120 4321443, Mon–Sat, 9:30 AM–6:00 PM.

Buying a Digital Signature Certificate

What documents are required for a Digital Signature Certificate?
For an Indian individual: the application form, PAN card, an address proof such as Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence, a passport-size photograph, and a mobile number and email address for verification. Video verification is recorded at the time of application. Organisations additionally need the organisation PAN, incorporation or registration documents, and a board resolution or authorisation letter naming the signatory.
What documents are required for a DSC for a foreign national?
A passport is mandatory as identity and nationality proof, and the copies submitted must be attested. If the applicant is outside India, attestation is by the Indian Embassy or Consulate in that country, or an apostille where the country is party to the Hague Apostille Convention. If the applicant is in India, attestation is by the embassy of the applicant’s own country. A visa or residence permit is also required for applicants in India, along with address proof and a photograph. Documents in other languages usually need a certified translation.
Does a foreign national need a PAN card for a DSC?
No. PAN is mandatory for Indian nationals, but a foreign applicant establishes identity through an attested passport instead. Requirements vary between Certifying Authorities, so confirm before assembling paperwork.
Which class of Digital Signature Certificate do I need?
Class 3 covers statutory filing and tendering alike. The choice that matters is between signing only and signing plus encryption. Income tax, MCA, ROC, GST and EPFO filings need signing only. E-tendering and e-procurement portals usually require the combination, because bids are submitted encrypted.
How long is a Digital Signature Certificate valid?
Certificates are issued for one, two or three years. The certificate expires on a fixed date whether or not it is used, and an expired certificate cannot be renewed in place — a new certificate is issued and downloaded onto the token again.
How do I check when my DSC expires?
Plug the token in, open Internet Options in Windows, go to the Content tab and click Certificates, or run certmgr.msc. Your certificate is listed under the Personal tab and the Expiration Date column shows the date. Double-click it for the issuing authority and full validity period.
How long does it take to get a Digital Signature Certificate?
For an Indian individual with documents in order, typically same-day to a couple of working days. Organisation applications take longer because the authorisation has to be verified. Foreign national applications depend on how quickly attested documents arrive.
Can I get a certificate without buying a USB token?
Only if you already own a FIPS 140-2 certified token with a free slot, in which case the new certificate can be downloaded onto it. Class 2 and Class 3 certificates cannot be issued as files, so a token is otherwise required.

Need a Digital Signature Certificate today?

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