How To Get A Digital Signature Certificate?

It’s time to digitally sign the documents. And GETMEONLINE helps you make your Digital Signature Certificate in 3 simple steps 

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What is a Digital Signature Certificate? – An Overview

A digital signature certificate (DSC) is a secure digital key issued by recognized Certifying Authorities (CAs) to validate the identity of the certificate holder. It contains an individual’s name, digital signature, date of issuance of the certificate and date of expiry, and the name of the CA.

Benefits of a Digital Signature Certificate

Apart from authenticating the certificate holder’s identity, DSC helps in the following ways:

Types of Digital Signature Certificate

There are three classes of DSC – Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 used for different purposes based on the type of entity and need:-

Class 1

Class 1 certificate is issued to both businesses and individuals, or private subscribers, to confirm the user’s name and email id as mentioned in the consumer database. This is just a basic assurance and is usually not considered to be of major significance.

Class 2:

Similar to Class 1, Class 2 certificate is issued to both the entities – businesses and private subscribers for confirmation of information in the database. It is used during monetary transactions or to access one’s personal information, and for other transactions, where there is a substantial risk of malicious activity. Also, Class 2 is used to file various government forms in India.

Class 3:

Class 3 certificate is an upgraded version of Class 2. It is issued to individuals and organizations that want to participate in bidding for government tenders or online tenders and auctions. Sometimes the applicants may be expected to be physically present before the CAs to receive a Class 3 certificate. Class 3 signatures are relevant to environments that are prone to data theft, fraudulence and failure of security.

Documents required to get DSC

Indian Individuals looking to obtain DSC must submit:

  • ID proof: Passport/Driving license or any Photo Identity issued by the Govt
  • PAN card
  • Address proof: Aadhaar card/Voter ID/Driving license/Registration Certificate
  • Attesting Officer proof

Indian Organizations looking to get DSC must submit:

  • Organizational PAN
  • Partnership deed, if applicable
  • List of Authorised Signatories which could be the list of Directors, Board resolution, etc.
  • Authorised Signatory ID proof
  • GST certificate

For Indian companies, the documents may differ depending upon the type of entity like Partnership, Proprietorship or sole ownership, LLP, etc.

Foreign individuals and organizations looking to obtain DSC must submit:

  • Attested copy of applicant’s passport
  • Attested copy of Visa, if the applicant is out of their native country
  • Attested copy of Resident Permit certificate, if the applicant is in India
  • Attested copy of any Govt-issued address proof

Foreign attestation procedure for DSC:

  • Embassy of native country (If applicant is out of native country)
  • Apostilled by native country, after Public Notary (if country is in Hague Convention). For example Austria, Greece, Oman, Australia, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, etc.
  • Consularized by native country, after Public Notary (if country is not in Hague Convention). For example, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, etc.

How to apply for a Digital Signature Certificate? – A detailed process

At GETMEONLINE, our professionals will help you get your DSC in just three simple steps:

Step 1: Collect basic details

We will collect basic details like Name, Gender, Address, Nationality, Country, Email Id, Mobile number, and the usage type of DSC you are applying for. It could be for company incorporation, MCA e-filing, IT filing, GST filing, Foreign trade, e-Tenders or personal use. Accordingly, we will guide you in selecting the right class.

Step 2: Submission of supporting documents

All the necessary documents like PAN card, address proof, passport, etc. with relevant attestation will be collected.

Step 3: Documents Validation

Once the payment is made and the information is verified against the PAN card as in the Income Tax portal, we will validate your documents in two ways:

Video recording: You will receive a video link to your registered mobile number and email address, where you need to record your personal information like name, DOB, etc. and send it to us.

SMS: You will then receive an SMS with the DSC application ID and a mobile number to which you need to reply with your DSC application ID, name, mobile number and email ID.

Upon successful verification we will dispatch your Digital Signature Certificate USB token, which is a password-protected physical device containing your digital signature.

A USB token also called e-token, dongle or digital signature has a special built-in software that recognises and opens your digital signature.