If you are searching for a DPIN, here is the short answer: the DPIN no longer exists as a separate number. Designated partners of an LLP now use the same Director Identification Number (DIN) that company directors hold. This guide explains what changed, who needs a DIN, how to get one in each situation, and how to keep it active.
DPIN stands for Designated Partner Identification Number, but it has been merged into DIN, so every designated partner now needs a DIN. A new designated partner gets one by applying inside FiLLiP when the LLP is incorporated, or through Form 4 when joining an existing LLP. The DIN is valid for life, but you must file DIR-3 KYC Web once every three financial years, by 30 June, to keep it active. Entrepreneurs planning LLP registration in India should ensure that the required designated partners have valid identification numbers and complete the necessary MCA formalities before or during incorporation, as applicable.
Quick Summary
A Designated Partner Identification Number (DPIN) is a unique identification number required for individuals appointed as designated partners in a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), subject to applicable legal requirements. Obtaining the required identification and completing the prescribed MCA formalities helps ensure that designated partners meet their statutory obligations under the LLP Act, 2008.
- Understand the requirement: Confirm whether you need a DPIN for appointment as a designated partner in an existing or newly incorporated LLP.
- Prepare the necessary documents: Keep your PAN, identity proof, address proof, photograph, and other prescribed personal details ready.
- Apply through the MCA process: For a new LLP incorporation, the designated partner identification application is generally handled through the applicable incorporation forms. For an existing LLP, the prescribed process may differ.
- Verify personal information: Ensure your name, date of birth, contact details and supporting documents are accurate and consistent.
- Complete digital formalities: Arrange a valid Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) and professional certification wherever required for the relevant filing.
- Maintain ongoing compliance: Keep your identification details updated and complete applicable MCA filings when changes or other statutory requirements arise.
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What Was the DPIN, and What Is a DIN?
The DPIN was a unique number the MCA issued to individuals who became designated partners in an LLP. The DIN was the equivalent number for company directors. Since 2018, the two systems have been merged. Existing DPINs were treated as DINs, and every new designated partner gets a DIN.
| DPIN (old) | DIN (now) | |
| Full form | Designated Partner Identification Number | Director Identification Number |
| Used for | LLP designated partners | Company directors and LLP designated partners |
| Status | Merged into DIN | In use |
| Validity | Lifetime | Lifetime, while KYC is up to date |
If you already hold a DIN as a company director, you use the same number as a designated partner. You do not apply again.
Who Needs a DIN?
Every designated partner of an LLP needs a DIN. A partner who is not a designated partner does not. An LLP must have at least two designated partners, and at least one must be resident in India. Read more about who is eligible to be a designated partner.
Eligibility for a DIN as a Designated Partner
- You must be an individual aged 18 or above.
- You must not be of unsound mind, as declared by a court, or an insolvent.
- Indian nationals need a PAN. Foreign nationals need a passport.
- Foreign nationals can be designated partners, but at least one designated partner of the LLP must be resident in India, meaning someone who has stayed in India for 120 days or more in the financial year.
How to Get a DIN: Three Situations
| Your situation | How you get the DIN |
| Forming a new LLP, and you have no DIN | Apply inside the FiLLiP incorporation form. The DIN is issued with the Certificate of Incorporation |
| Joining an existing LLP as a new designated partner, and you have no DIN | The LLP files Form 4 with your consent, which includes the DIN application |
| You already hold a DIN | Use it. No new application |
For the incorporation route, see the stages of LLP incorporation in India. For the existing-LLP route, see how to appoint a designated partner and our add a new partner to an LLP service.
Documents Needed
- Identity proof: PAN card for Indian nationals, passport for foreign nationals.
- Address proof: a recent bank statement or utility bill, not older than two months. Foreign nationals also need an address proof from their home country.
- Passport-sized photograph.
- Mobile number and email address for verification.
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) to sign the form.
- Notarised and apostilled (or consularised) copies for foreign nationals.
- Consent to act as a designated partner in the prescribed form, signed by the individual.
Names and dates of birth must match across every document. A mismatch between PAN and passport is the most common reason for a query from the Registrar.
Step-by-Step Process: Getting a DIN Through Form 4
- Get a DSC for the proposed designated partner.
- Collect the documents above, with the consent form signed.
- The LLP files Form 4 within 30 days of the appointment, adding the person as a designated partner and applying for a DIN where they have none.
- Wait for approval. The DIN is issued on approval, usually within a few working days, and appears in the MCA record.
- Update the LLP agreement if it names the designated partners. See how to change an LLP agreement.
Keep Your DIN Active: DIR-3 KYC (Now Once Every Three Years)
A DIN is valid for life, but only while your KYC is up to date. Until FY 2025-26, every DIN holder had to file DIR-3 KYC every year by 30 September. That has changed. Under MCA notification G.S.R. 943(E) dated 31 December 2025, which amended Rule 12A, the annual filing was replaced with a three-year cycle from 31 March 2026.
What the rule says now
- Every individual holding a DIN on 31 March of a financial year must file Form DIR-3 KYC Web once every three consecutive financial years, on or before 30 June.
- This covers designated partners of an LLP, because they hold the same DIN as company directors.
- The earlier DIR-3 KYC e-form and the DIR-3 KYC-Web service have been merged into a single Form DIR-3 KYC Web.
- The three-year cycle is counted from the financial year in which the DIN was allotted, not from the date you last filed.
When is your next filing due?
| Your situation | Next DIR-3 KYC |
| DIN allotted during FY 2025-26 | First filing between April and June 2029, then every third financial year |
| DIN allotted on or before 31 March 2025, and KYC already filed for FY 2025-26 | No filing needed for FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28, provided your details have not changed. Your next filing falls between April and June 2029 |
| DIN allotted in a later year | The same pattern applies, counted from the financial year of allotment |
MCA’s illustrations are the basis for these dates. A few commentary sites show 2028 for the second case, so check the due date for your own DIN on the MCA portal before you diarise it.
Changes in your details still must be reported. If your mobile number, email address or residential address changes, update it within 30 days by filing DIR-3 KYC Web. That update does not restart the three-year cycle.
If you miss the due date. The DIN is deactivated. A deactivated DIN stops you from signing or being named in MCA filings, which can block a Form 4 or an annual return for the LLP. To reactivate it, file the KYC and pay the late fee shown on the MCA portal.
Practical tips
- Put 30 June of your due year on the calendar, and do not wait for the last week.
- Keep your registered mobile number and email active, because both are verified by OTP.
- Check the status of every designated partner’s DIN before an appointment or an annual filing.
- Many websites and older guides still say “every year by 30 September”. That was the rule until FY 2025-26, so ignore it.
Our DIR-3 KYC filing team can work out your due date and file it for you.
How to Check Your DIN Status?
You can check whether a DIN is allotted and active through the MCA portal’s DIN status facility. It is worth checking before you appoint someone as a designated partner, because a deactivated DIN will block the Form 4 filing.
If a Designated Partner Leaves
When a designated partner resigns or is removed, the LLP must file Form 4 within 30 days and fill the vacancy within 30 days, so there are always at least two designated partners, one of them resident in India. The DIN stays with the individual. See removal or resignation of a partner from an LLP.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Searching for a DPIN form. It no longer exists. Use FiLLiP or Form 4.
- Paying an agent for a “DPIN” when a DIN comes with the filing.
- Mismatched names or dates of birth between PAN, passport and address proof.
- Address proof older than two months.
- Skipping DIR-3 KYC and finding the DIN deactivated when you need to file.
- Appointing two designated partners who are both non-resident.
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FAQs
What is the full form of DPIN?
Designated Partner Identification Number. It has been merged into the DIN.
Is DPIN still valid?
Existing DPINs were treated as DINs. New designated partners are issued a DIN.
What is the difference between DIN and DPIN?
None in practice today. Both identify an individual, and designated partners now use the DIN.
Does every partner of an LLP need a DIN?
No. Only designated partners need one.
Is there a fee for getting a DIN as a designated partner?
No separate DIN fee applies when you apply inside FiLLiP. Check the MCA portal for any other route.
How long does it take to get a DIN?
With FiLLiP, it comes with the Certificate of Incorporation, usually in about a week. Through Form 4, it usually takes a few working days after approval.
Can a foreign national get a DIN as a designated partner?
Yes, with a passport and address proof, notarised and apostilled or consularised. At least one designated partner must be resident in India.
What happens if I miss DIR-3 KYC?
The DIN is deactivated until you file the KYC and pay the late fee. Since 31 March 2026, the filing is due once every three consecutive financial years by 30 June, not every year.
What if I already have a DIN as a company director?
Use the same DIN as a designated partner. You do not apply again.
Conclusion
The DPIN is a thing of the past, but the requirement behind it is not: every designated partner needs a valid DIN. Get it through FiLLiP or Form 4, keep it active with DIR-3 KYC every three years and check its status before you appoint anyone. If you want help with the application or the KYC, our team will handle it.
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