Form DIR-5: Complete Guide to Application for Surrender of Director Identification Number (DIN)
Form DIR-5 is the web form filed with the Regional Director (North) for surrender of a Director Identification Number (DIN). It is governed by Section 153 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 11 of the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Rules, 2014.
Important: A DIN holder cannot surrender a DIN merely because it is unused — surrender is permitted only for the specific reasons listed under Rule 11.
When is DIR-5 Filed? link
DIR-5 may be filed with the Regional Director (North) for surrender of DIN on any of the following grounds:
- Having multiple DINs
- DIN was obtained in a wrongful manner or by fraudulent means
- Death of the concerned individual
- Concerned individual is declared as a person of unsound mind by a competent court
- Concerned individual has been adjudicated as insolvent
- Concerned individual is/was not associated with any company/LLP, and the DIN has never been used for filing any document with any authority
Important Checkpoints Before Filing link
- Applicant must be registered as a Business User on the MCA portal
- DSC must be valid, non-expired, and non-revoked, and registered against the DIN/PAN/Membership number/Passport number provided
- The DIN to be surrendered must not be associated with any company/LLP — if it is, one DIN must be retained, except in cases of death, unsound mind, or insolvency
- No other DIR-5 should be pending approval
- No SPICe+, DIR-3C, DIR-6, DIR-11, or DIR-12 filing should be pending for payment/approval against any DIN being surrendered
- No prosecution should be pending against any DIN being surrendered
- For resubmission, the application must be in Application History and T+15 days (T = date marked ‘Resubmission Required’) must not have elapsed
Step-by-Step Filing Process link
Initial Submission link
Option 1: Via MCA Services Menu
- Login to MCA portal → MCA Services → Company e-Filing
- Navigate to “DIN Related Forms”
- Access “Form DIR-5 – Surrender of DIN”
- Fill up the application
- Optionally save as draft (enabled once DIN is entered)
- Submit the webform and note the SRN
- Affix DSC
- Upload the DSC-affixed PDF on MCA portal
- Pay Fees (within 15 days of SRN generation for upload, and 7 days of upload for payment, or due date + 2 days, whichever is earlier)
- Receive acknowledgement
- On processing, an approval or rejection letter is emailed to the registered user. On approval, the DIN status changes to ‘Surrendered’; on rejection, it reverts to its previous status
Option 2: Via MCA Search Bar
Search “DIR-5” on the MCA homepage and proceed from filling the application.
Resubmission link
- Login → Application History → select DIR-5 application marked ‘Resubmission Required’
- Fill, submit, affix DSC, and upload within 15 days of resubmission marking
Field-Level Instructions link
Field 1: Reason for Surrender of DIN link
- Select from the six eligible reasons; this drives which subsequent fields/attachments become mandatory
Field 2(a)–(f): Retaining Another DIN link
- ‘Yes’ can be selected only where the reason for surrender is “Having multiple DINs” or “DIN obtained wrongfully/fraudulently”
- If ‘Yes’, the DIN to be retained, along with the holder’s name, father’s name, date of birth, and PAN, must be provided and PAN-verified
Field 4(b): Date of Death / Unsound Mind Declaration / Insolvency Adjudication link
- Displayed and mandatory depending on which of the corresponding reasons is selected in Field 1
Field 5: Digital Signing Details link
- Mobile number and email of the applicant are prefilled if the DIN holder is signing personally; entered manually otherwise
Mandatory Attachments link
| Attachment | Mandatory? |
|---|---|
| Proof of identity of the applicant | Mandatory |
| Proof of residence of the applicant | Mandatory if application is not digitally signed by the DIN holder |
| Affidavit declaring the retained DIN will be updated with all CIN/LLPIN associations | Mandatory if retaining another DIN |
| Copy of court order declaring insolvency/unsound mind | Mandatory for those specific reasons |
| Copy of death certificate | Mandatory where reason is death of the individual |
| Optional attachments (up to 5) | Optional |
- Format: PDF or JPG; each attachment up to 2 MB
- Documents in languages other than Hindi/English must be professionally translated
- Indian applicants: address proof not older than 2 months; foreign applicants: not older than 1 year
Signing Requirements link
- DIN holder signs personally where possible; if not, an authorised applicant signs with the DIN holder’s name, DIN/PAN/Passport/Membership number prefilled
- Certification: Chartered Accountant / Cost Accountant / Company Secretary (in whole-time practice), with membership or Certificate of Practice number
- Where the DIN holder resides outside India, supporting documents must be attested by the Indian Embassy/Consulate or a foreign public notary (or, for directors, by a CS/CEO/Managing Director of the Indian company)
Fee Structure link
| Purpose | Normal Fee | Additional (Delay) Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application for surrender of DIN | ₹1,000 | Not applicable |
Processing Mode link
Form DIR-5 is processed in Non-STP mode — every application is reviewed manually by the Regional Director (North).
Useful Links link
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) link
Q1. Can a DIN holder surrender a DIN simply because it is unused? Only if the DIN was never used for filing any document with any authority and is not associated with any company/LLP — otherwise it does not qualify.
Q2. Can more than one DIN be retained after surrender? No — where an individual holds multiple DINs, only one can be retained; the rest must be surrendered (except in death, unsound mind, or insolvency cases, which are single-DIN scenarios).
Q3. Which authority approves DIR-5? The Regional Director (North), and the form is processed entirely in Non-STP (manual review) mode.
Q4. What is the fee for DIR-5? A flat ₹1,000, with no additional delay fee.
Q5. Can DIR-5 be filed if another form is pending on the DIN? No — DIR-5 cannot be filed if SPICe+, DIR-3C, DIR-6, DIR-11, or DIR-12 is pending for payment/approval against the DIN being surrendered.
Disclaimer
This article is based on the official Instruction Kit for Form DIR-5 published by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Government of India, and on the “Useful Links” cited within that Instruction Kit. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the content is intended for general guidance purposes only. MCA forms, rules, and fee structures are subject to change through amendments to the Companies Act, 2013 or notifications issued thereunder.
In case of any inconsistency or doubt, readers are advised to refer to the official MCA e-filing page for DIR-5 and resources available on the MCA website.