DIN registration in Mumbai is processed by the Central Government on the MCA portal, so a Mumbai applicant never deals with the Registrar of Companies for the number itself. Founders of a new Mumbai company get DINs for up to three directors inside SPICe+, while a person joining an existing Mumbai company files Form DIR-3, with a ₹500 government fee and a statutory limit of one month for allotment.
DIN registration in Mumbai: who processes the application?
The Central Government allots every DIN, under section 154 of the Companies Act 2013, and the application goes in online. The Mumbai registrars enter the picture only afterwards, when the company reports the appointment.
Since 16 February 2026, that second step depends on where the company's registered office sits:
| Registered office | Registrar for the appointment filings |
|---|---|
| Mumbai City or Mumbai Suburban district | ROC Mumbai-I |
| Thane, Palghar or Raigad district, including Navi Mumbai | ROC Mumbai-II, headquartered in Navi Mumbai |
MCA's press release of 31 December 2025 sets out that split. It also put Nashik, Aurangabad, Dhule, Jalgaon and Nandurbar under ROC Mumbai-II and created a new ROC at Nagpur. None of this changes how the DIN itself is applied for: a director living in Andheri and one living in Thane use the same online form.
Starting a company in Mumbai: DINs inside SPICe+
A new Mumbai company does not need separate DIN applications for its first directors. Up to three proposed directors without a DIN get one through SPICe+ (Form INC-32), under the proviso to rule 9(1) of the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Rules 2014.
The same SPICe+ filing also carries the Maharashtra stamp duty on the company's memorandum and articles:
- Memorandum of association: a flat ₹1,000 in Maharashtra.
- Articles of association: 0.3% of the share capital, up to ₹1 crore, since 14 October 2024.
Example. Three first-time founders register Tidewater Studio Private Limited (a made-up company) with an office in Parel and ₹10,00,000 authorised capital. All three get DINs through SPICe+, so none of them files DIR-3. Maharashtra stamp duty comes to ₹1,000 on the memorandum and ₹3,000 on the articles. A fourth director who joins in 2027 applies in DIR-3 instead.
The incorporation stamp duty calculator works out the duty for other capital amounts, and Ofin's private limited company registration in Mumbai handles the whole incorporation.
A Mumbai LLP works the same way through its incorporation form, FiLLiP, which accepts DIN applications from up to five individuals who will be designated partners. The LLP agreement then carries its own Maharashtra stamp duty; Ofin's LLP registration in Mumbai explains the full set-up.
Joining a Mumbai company's board: DIR-3, then DIR-12
For an existing Mumbai company, the order is fixed. The applicant files DIR-3, certified by a director, company secretary, manager, CEO or CFO of the Mumbai company that plans the appointment. Once the DIN arrives, the company reports the appointment to ROC Mumbai-I or ROC Mumbai-II within 30 days.
In practice the sequence looks like this:
- The board of the Mumbai company passes a resolution proposing the new director's appointment, which rule 9(3) of the 2014 Rules lists among the documents for DIR-3.
- The applicant files DIR-3 with his or her own digital signature, and the company's officer certifies it, quoting the company's CIN.
- The ₹500 fee is paid online and an application number is generated.
- The Central Government decides within one month of receiving the application.
- The director gives written consent, and the company files it with Form DIR-12 with its Mumbai registrar within 30 days of the appointment, under section 152(5) and section 170(2).
Addresses on a DIN application from Mumbai
DIR-3 asks for a permanent and a present residential address, and for each one the police station that has jurisdiction. For a director living in a rented flat in Borivali, that means naming the local police station for the flat and attaching proof of residence.
Two points matter for Mumbai applicants:
- Two addresses: someone who moved to Mumbai for work may give a family home elsewhere as the permanent address and the Mumbai flat as the present one. Both appear on the form, and any later change goes through DIR-3 KYC Web within 30 days.
- Proof of residence: the attachment is mandatory, so keep a current document in your own name for the Mumbai address before you start.
Foreign and NRI directors of Mumbai companies
Mumbai companies with overseas promoters may appoint directors who live abroad. They apply in the same DIR-3, using a passport, which the form makes mandatory for foreign nationals. The form takes the mobile number with its country code, so an overseas number can be given.
Three rules shape these appointments:
- Attested documents: for an applicant living outside India, the company officer who certifies DIR-3 has to verify the particulars from documents attested by the prescribed attesting authority.
- Land-border nationals: since 1 June 2022, an applicant from a country that shares a land border with India must attach Ministry of Home Affairs security clearance, or no application number is generated.
- A resident director: at least one director of the Mumbai company must stay in India for 182 days or more in the financial year, under section 149(3).
Government fee and total cost for a Mumbai director
The government fee for DIR-3 is ₹500, under the fee table in the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules 2014, and it is the same in Mumbai as anywhere in India. The fee is not refunded if the application is rejected, so a careful first filing matters.
A Mumbai director's total is usually Ofin's fee, from ₹1,499, the ₹500 government fee, and a digital signature if the applicant does not already have one. Founders whose DINs come through SPICe+ pay for the incorporation instead. A director who later joins other boards in Mumbai or elsewhere pays nothing more for the number, because rule 10(6) makes one DIN valid for the holder's lifetime. For the national process in full, see Ofin's guide to DIN registration, and check an existing number first with the DIN lookup.
How Ofin's Mumbai team handles DIN registration
Ofin's CAs and CSs prepare DIR-3, coordinate the certification with your Mumbai company and follow up with MCA until the DIN is allotted. The work is 100% online, with a reply within 24 hours.
If you prefer to meet, the office is at Shanti Bhuvan near Mulund station, Mulund West, open Monday to Saturday. The fee starts at ₹1,499. Get a fixed-price proposal.
