How to choose right Digital Signature as per requirement ?
Updated: May 4
Confused in how to choose digital signature ? Looking for digital signature certificate but not sure about which one to choose ? We will help you today !
Digital Signature Certificates in India are based on Classes, Types of Certificates, User Types and validity. Currently Class 3 Digital Signature is available in different types of users and certificates. Lets understand theses types.
Type of Users
Individual User : - Individual User DSC includes applicant's name, email id, pan, state name in digital signatures. For example, Sunil Goyal want to buy his own dsc. In this case dsc will include Sunil Goyal as his name, eMail ID, pan and state name. Individual User DSCs do not contains / includes Organization name in dsc. Any Indian or Foreign Individual User falls under this category.
Organization User :- Organization User or Company User DSC contains Organization Name, Applicant name, eMail ID, personal PAN number, State name. In Case of DGFT DSC, it also contains IEC Code and branch code. Propertiorship, Partnership, Private Limited, Limited, LLP, NGO, Government Organization , Foreign Organization User falls under this category.
Types of Certificates
Signing Certificate :- Signing Certificate is used to sign any document or information. It is most popular certificate in India. Income Tax Return eFiling, GST, Provident Fund, ROC, MCA21 eFiling, Company Incorporation, Director KYC, Trademark eFiling and Registration are most common departments which accept signing certificate to complete work on their websites.
Encryption Certificate : - Encryption Certificate is used to encrypt any document or information over the internet. Encryption certificate is required for most sensitive transactions like etendering, eprocurement, net banking etc. Encryption Certificate works with signing certificate. First Signing Certificate will be used to sign any document and then to encrypt, encryption certificate is required.
Combo ( Signing & Encryption ) :- If you need signing and encryption both certificates, then you need to choose Combo during purchase of dsc.
DGFT Digital Signature :- DGFT Digital Signature comes with only Signing Certificate and can be issued to companies who are having IEC ( Import Export Code ). DGFT DSC can be issued to Organization User only including Individual Applicant Name, Organization Name, eMail ID, PAN, IEC and Branch Code of Organization.
Validity of Digital Signature :
Digital Signature Certificates can be issued for 1 Year, 2 Years and 3 Years. Among these all 2 Years DSC is most popular.
USB Token Required or Not ?
All Digital Signature Certificates can be downloaded only in USB Tokens. USB Token is a password protected hardware device that is required to plug in during the use of the DSC. If you do not have any USB Token already, then choose to buy a new USB Token or you can choose NO if you have a valid USB Token already. If you have a USB Token already with you send us image of that to check it will work or not.
Suggested Usage:
Class 3 Individual Digital Signature with Signing Certificate is required for below :-
Income Tax Return ( ITR ) eFiling, Audit eFiling
ROC and MCA eFiling
GST Registration
IEC Registration
Trademark and Patent eFiling
IRCTC eTicketing
Directors EKYC
Provident Fund, EPFO
Traces
Company Registration
ICEGate, eSanchit, MEIS, SEIS Website ( Class 3 Individual User Combo is required )
Class 3 Organization Signing or Combo Digital Signature is required for below :-
All Indian eTenders, eTendering Websites
All India eProcurement Websites
All Indian eBidding, eAuction Websites
Gram Panchayat, Gram Sachiv, Gram Pradhan,
Gram Sarpanch, CERSAI Website
AICTE and CBSE Affiliated Instituions
DGFT Digital Signature Uses:
IEC Updation / Renewal
DGFT Application eFiling
Applications eFiling etc
It can be used for only www.dgft.gov.in
Note :- We have provided a suggested list of websites and departments as per our knowledge. Please verify it if you have any doubt.
For more queries and doubts, please contact us.