DIN reactivation means filing Form DIR-3 KYC Web with the purpose "Reactivation of DIN" and paying a government fee of ₹5,000. Rule 11(3) of the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Rules 2014 lets a DIN deactivated for missing KYC come back only through that form, and the ₹5,000 is the same however long the DIN has been inactive.
Why a DIN gets deactivated
A DIN is deactivated for missing KYC under rule 11(2), which requires the Central Government to deactivate the DIN of an individual who does not file DIR-3 KYC as rule 12A requires. Under the yearly rule in force until 31 March 2026, skipping a single year's KYC was enough.
MCA has marked such numbers as "Deactivated due to non-filing of DIR-3 KYC". It can happen to a director who left KYC to a former accountant, to someone who resigned from a board and assumed the DIN no longer mattered, or to a designated partner of a dormant LLP. The duty attaches to holding the DIN, so none of those reasons stops the deactivation.
Deactivated, disqualified or cancelled: which applies to you?
Check the reason before paying anything, because DIR-3 KYC Web fixes only one of these. The DIN lookup shows how to see the status on MCA's director master data.
| Status or marking | What caused it | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Deactivated for non-filing of KYC | No DIR-3 KYC under rule 12A (rule 11(2)) | DIR-3 KYC Web with the ₹5,000 fee (rule 11(3)) |
| Disqualified | A company where you are or were a director did not file financial statements or annual returns for three continuous years, or failed for a year or more to repay deposits, redeem debentures or pay interest or a declared dividend (section 164(2)) | Not KYC. The bar runs for five years from the date of the company's failure |
| Cancelled or deactivated under rule 11(1) | Duplicate DIN, DIN obtained wrongfully or by fraud, death, unsound mind, insolvency, or surrender in Form DIR-5 | Not KYC. Rule 11(3) reactivates DINs deactivated under rule 11(2) |
How to reactivate a DIN, step by step
Reactivation is one online filing by the DIN holder. Under MCA's press release of 1 January 2026, a digital signature and a professional's certificate are needed only when the form updates a mobile number, email or address.
- Confirm the reason. If the record shows disqualification or a rule 11(1) cancellation, stop here and take advice instead.
- Open Form DIR-3 KYC Web on the MCA portal and tick "Reactivation of DIN" as the purpose.
- Enter the DIN and verify, by OTP, the personal mobile number and email that MCA already holds.
- Check your full name, nationality, date of birth, PAN and passport number, then your permanent and present residential addresses.
- Give one residential proof from the form's list: voter ID, passport, driving licence, Aadhaar, bank statement or utility bill.
- Pay ₹5,000 and keep the service request number (SRN) the filing generates.
- If your mobile, email or address has changed since your last KYC, report it as well. A change filing carries ₹500 and needs your DSC and a practising CA's, CS's or cost accountant's certificate.
How much does DIN reactivation cost?
The government fee is a flat ₹5,000 per DIN under G.S.R. 300(E) of 21 April 2026. There is no per-day element, so a DIN deactivated for one missed year costs the same to revive as one that has been inactive for five.
| Item | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Government fee for reactivation | ₹5,000 per DIN | G.S.R. 300(E), item VII(ii) |
| Reporting a changed mobile, email or address | ₹500 for every filing | G.S.R. 300(E), item VII(iii) |
| Ofin's professional fee | From ₹999 | Ofin's published fee |
| Digital signature, only if a change must be reported | From ₹1,999 | Ofin's published fee |
Example. Two directors of Harbourline Agro Private Limited (a made-up company) both find their DINs deactivated in November 2026, after missing the yearly KYC under the old rule. Each pays ₹5,000, so the government fees total ₹10,000. One of them also changed her mobile number in 2025, so the number MCA holds is out of date. She should plan for an update filing as well, with ₹500, her DSC and a professional's certificate.
What changed for deactivated DINs on 31 March 2026
The route and the form changed; the fee did not. Until 31 March 2026, deactivated DINs could be reactivated under the old provisions, as MCA's release confirmed. From that date the single Form DIR-3 KYC Web replaced the earlier DIR-3-KYC e-form and web service, and G.S.R. 943(E) rewrote rule 11(3) to name it.
Two other changes help anyone reactivating now. Periodic KYC is due only once in three years, so a revived DIN is not back on a yearly treadmill. And the DSC and certificate are tied to change filings, not to every KYC.
After reactivation: keeping the DIN active
Once the DIN shows as active again, the job is to stay current. Changes in mobile, email or address go in within 30 days. MCA's illustrations do not cover a DIN reactivated after 31 March 2026, so confirm your next periodic date when you file; the DIR-3 KYC due date tool covers the common cases.
Then look at the company side. Forms that were held back while a director's DIN was inactive may now carry their own additional fees, which the MCA late fee calculator works out. Check your co-directors' status at the same time, so the board is not caught out twice.
Mistakes that make DIN reactivation harder
The costly mistakes are applying for a fresh number and paying the fee for the wrong problem.
- Applying for a new DIN. Section 155 of the Companies Act 2013 bars anyone from obtaining or holding a second DIN, and section 159 allows a penalty of up to ₹50,000, plus up to ₹500 a day while the default continues.
- Paying ₹5,000 when the issue is disqualification. KYC does not lift a section 164(2) bar.
- Using the company's email or a shared phone. The form asks for personal contact details.
- Waiting with an expired DSC. If a change has to be reported, the DIN holder signs it.
- Ignoring old DINs. A resigned director's DIN is still on the KYC cycle.
How Ofin reactivates your DIN
Ofin's CAs and CSs review your DIN's status on the MCA portal, prepare and file DIR-3 KYC Web, generate the SRN and confirm the reactivation, all 100% online with a reply within 24 hours. The fee starts at ₹999; the ₹5,000 government fee is paid on top, and packages with a Class 3 digital signature are available. For regular filings later, see DIR-3 KYC filing, or get a fixed-price proposal.
