Documents Required for Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is a secure digital key that is issued by the certifying authorities to validate and certify the identity of the person holding this certificate. Now, DSC is a statutory requirement for submitting various forms to the Government of India. To obtain a digital signature certificate, the applicant must submit the required documents to the certifying authorities. The types of documents required for DSC differ based on the applicant type. In this article, we provide a comprehensive list of Documents Required for a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) in India.

Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is the equivalent of a physical signature in an electronic format, as it establishes the identity of the sender of an electronic document on the Internet. It’s mandatory for Company Registration, GST Registration, Trademark Registration, Income Tax Filings, and Many other Government Forms like Tenders.

Documents Required for Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

The Documents Required for DSC are mainly classified into four categories, which are as follows:

Documents Required for Indian Nationals
Documents Required for an Indian Organization
Documents Required for Foreign Nationals
Documents Required for Foreign Organization

Documents Required for Indian Nationals

The following documents are required to get Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

Identity Proof

The applicant can submit any one of the following documents as Identity Proof:

Aadhar Card (eKYC Service)
Passport
PAN Card of the Applicant
Driving Licence
Post Office ID Card
Bank Account Passbook containing the photograph and signed by an individual with attestation by the concerned Bank official
Any Government-issued photo ID card bearing the signatures of the individual
Photo ID card issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs of Centre (MHA) or State Governments

Address Proof

Aadhar Card (eKYC Service)
Telephone Bill
Voter ID Card
Driving Licence (DL)/Registration Certificate (RC)
Water Bill - Not older than 2 months
Electricity Bill - Not older than 2 months
Latest Bank Statements signed by the bank - Not older than 2 Months
GST registration certificate
Property Tax or Corporation or Municipal Corporation Receipt
Any Government issued photo ID having a Name and address

Documents Required for Indian Organization

Documents Required for Indian Organization are listed as follows:

Company

Copy of Organizational PAN Card, If GST number is not provided
Copy of Recent Bank Statement / Bank Certificate, If GST number is not provided
Copy of Incorporation, If GST number is not provided
Proof of Authorized Signatory - List of Directors / Board Resolution / Resolution
Authorized Signatory ID Proof - Organizational ID Card / PAN Card / etc
Copy of Applicant PAN Card

Partnership Firm

Copy of Organizational PAN Card, If GST number is not provided
Copy of Recent Bank Statement / Bank Certificate, If GST number is not provided
Copy of Partnership deed containing a list of Partners / Authorization Letter
Authorized Signatory ID Proof - Organizational ID Card / PAN Card / etc
Copy of Applicant PAN Card

Proprietorship

Copy of Recent Bank Statement / Bank Certificate, If GST Number is not provided
Copy of Business Registration Certificate - Shop and Establishment (S&E) /etc
Authorized Signatory ID Proof - Organizational ID Card or PAN Card
Copy of Applicant PAN Card

AOP / BOI - An association of persons or a body of individuals

Copy of Organizational PAN Card, If GST number is not provided

Copy of Recent Bank Statement / Bank Certificate, If GST number is not provided
Copy of Incorporation, If GST number is not provided
Proof of Authorized Signatory - List of Directors / Board Resolution / Resolution
Authorized Signatory ID Proof - Organizational ID Card / PAN Card / etc
Copy of Applicant PAN Card

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)

Copy of Organizational PAN Card, If GST number is not provided
Copy of Recent Bank Statement / Bank Certificate, If GST number is not provided
Copy of Incorporation, If GST number is not provided
Proof of Authorized Signatory - List of Directors / Board Resolution / Resolution
Authorized Signatory ID Proof - Organizational ID Card / PAN Card / etc
Copy of Applicant PAN Card

Non-governmental organization/Trust

Copy of Organizational PAN Card, if GST number not provided
Copy of Recent Bank Statement / Bank Certificate, If GST No. not provided
Copy of Incorporation, if GST number not provided
Proof of Authorized Signatory - List of Directors or Board Resolution or Resolution
Authorized Signatory ID Proof - Organizational ID Card / PAN Card / etc
Copy of Applicant PAN Card

Documents Required for Foreign Nationals

The Foreign National needs to submit the following documents:

Identity Proof

The following documents are mandatory for getting the DSC.

Attested copy of Applicant Passport
If the applicant is out of a foreign country- Attested copy of VISA
If the applicant is in India - Attested copy of Resident Permit certificate

Address Proof

The following documents are mandatory for getting the DSC

Attested copy of Applicant Passport
Attested copy of any other Government issued Address Proof

Documents Required for Foreign Organization

Identity Proof (All are mandatory)	Address Proof (All are mandatory)
Attested copy of Applicant Passport Attested copy of VISA (If the applicant is out of the native country). Attested copy of Resident Permit certificate (If the applicant is in India)	Attested copy of Applicant Passport Attested copy of any other Government issued Address Proof

Foreign Attestation

The identity and address proof of foreign nationals must be attested by the following authorities:

Embassy of Native Country (If the applicant is not a citizen of India)
Apostilized by Native Country, after Public Notary (if the country is in Hague Convention)
Consularized by Native Country, after Public Notary (if the country is not in Hague Convention)

General Instructions

Follow the general instructions listed below while furnishing the digital signature application form:

The signature of the applicant should be in Blue Ink only
The signature of the applicant should be as it is in Identity Proof
A photo of the applicant in the application form should be signed by the applicant
All supporting documents should be attested by either of Gazetted Officer / Bank Manager / Post Master
For proof of attesting officer, either one of the below is mandatory –
Contact Details of Attesting Officer including the name, designation, office address, and contact number. This should be part of the attestation. If provided separately, it should be attested either by the Applicant or Attesting Officer; or
Self-Attested copy of Organizational Identity card of Attesting Officer
Organizational Documents can also be attested by Authorized Signatory. However, if the taxpayer fails to get the Organizational Documents attested by the authorized signatory, in such cases an attested copy of the organizational ID card of the authorized signatory is mandatory.