Mandatory KYC for .IN Domains

.IN Domain KYC Guide: Stay Compliant & Avoid Suspension

Ensure Compliance, Avoid Suspension - A Step-by-Step Guide for Registrants

As part of its commitment to national cybersecurity and accurate domain ownership, the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) has mandated KYC (Know Your Customer) and e-KYC (Electronic KYC) for all registrants under the .IN country code top-level domain (ccTLD) and related extensions.

This guide explains everything you need to know to stay compliant -- including who must submit KYC, which documents are accepted, how to update WHOIS details, and how to avoid domain suspension due to non-compliance.

Why it matters: Domains that fail to meet the KYC requirements may be placed on SERVERHOLD -- which disables DNS functionality and makes your website/email inoperative until resolved.

Who Must Submit KYC

All domain registrants under the .IN ccTLD and any NIXI-managed extensions (e.g., .CO.IN, .ORG.IN, .NET.IN, .FIRM.IN, .IND.IN) must complete the KYC/e-KYC process within 7 days of registration.

Registrant Type	KYC Required	Notes
Indian Individual	Yes	Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, etc.
Indian Company/Org	Yes	Certificate of Incorporation + Signatory ID
Foreign Individual	Yes	Passport, Govt ID, Embassy Letter, etc.
Foreign Org	Yes	Business reg. + declaration of Indian connection

Acceptable KYC Documents

For Indian Registrants:

Aadhaar Card (via MeriPehchaan, the Government of India single sign-on service)
PAN Card
Passport
Voter ID
Driving Licence
Certificate of Incorporation (for companies) + signatory's ID

For Company / Organization Registrants:

Submit any one of the following for the company:

Company PAN Card
GST Registration Certificate
Certificate of Incorporation

Also include one government-issued ID of the authorized signatory:

Aadhaar
PAN
Passport
Voter ID
Driving Licence

For Foreign Registrants:

Passport (mandatory)
Foreign National ID or Driving Licence
Embassy-issued letter or Indian mission certificate
Income Tax Returns (last 2 years)
Business registration certificate
Signed declaration of business connection with India (as per clause 4.4.15)

All documents must be self-attested before submission.

KYC Submission Timeline

Action	Deadline
Submit KYC documents	Within 7 days of domain registration
For foreign users: Submit declaration	During or immediately after registration

Non-submission may result in SERVERHOLD suspension, rendering your domain non-functional.

How to Update Your WHOIS Contact Details

Login: https://www.domainindia.com/client/login
Go to: Portal Home Client Area My Domains
Click on your domain (e.g., yourdomain.in)
Navigate to Manage Domain Contact Information
Update these fields to match your KYC document:
- Registrant Name
- Email Address
- Phone Number (with country code)
- Full Address (Street, City, State, Pincode, Country)
Click Save Changes

Ensure these values exactly match the document you're submitting.

How to Submit KYC Documents

Prepare clear self-attested scans (PDF or image format).
Ensure the WHOIS data exactly matches your ID.

Choose any one method below:

Submit a Ticket:
https://www.domainindia.com/client/support
Email Us:
[email protected]

Subject Example:
KYC Documents - yourdomain.in, mycompany.co.in

Foreign users must include a signed declaration of their India business/personal connection.

Format: Declaration of Business/Personal Connection with India (For Foreign Registrants)

To:
Domain Registration India Private Limited
Email: [email protected]

Subject: Declaration of Indian Business/Personal Connection - [Your Domain Name]

I, [Full Name], holder of the domain [yourdomain.in], hereby declare that I have a valid [business/personal] connection with India as detailed below:

Type of Connection:
[Choose one or more of the following:]

I have clients/customers based in India.

I operate or manage a business that targets Indian users.

I provide services/products to Indian residents.

I have personal ties (family/relatives/residency) in India.

I run an India-focused blog/website/project.

I confirm that this declaration is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false representation may result in the suspension or termination of the domain under NIXI policy.

Full Name: [Your Name]
Passport Number / Government ID: [ID Number]
Signature:
[Sign Here]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Email Address]

Instructions for Submission:

Print or write this declaration on plain paper.
Sign it manually.
Scan or photograph the signed copy.
Email it along with your KYC documents to [email protected].

What is Not Allowed

Allowed	Not Allowed
Matching WHOIS & ID data	WHOIS mismatch with ID
Permanent contact info	Temporary/disposable email/phone
Self-attested, clear scans	Blurred, cropped, or unsigned scans
Visible, real registrant info	Proxy/Privacy WHOIS

NIXI may conduct random checks. Non-compliance results in domain lock or suspension.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Violation	Result
No KYC submitted	Domain suspended (SERVERHOLD)
WHOIS mismatch	Registrar will request correction or suspend
Proxy/temp WHOIS info	Rejection or immediate suspension

Domains in SERVERHOLD status won't resolve until compliance is verified.

Registrant Quick Recap

KYC is mandatory for all .IN and NIXI domain registrations
Submit within 7 days of purchase
Ensure WHOIS matches ID exactly
Do not use proxy info or fake email addresses

Do I Need to Resubmit KYC at Renewal

Not unless WHOIS details have changed or a re-verification is requested by NIXI.

Need Help

We're here to assist:

Email: [email protected]
Ticket Portal: Submit Here

Registrar hold or registry hold? They need different things from you

Added August 2026. This is the distinction that most often sends people down the wrong path.

A .IN domain can be stopped by two different holds. They look identical from the outside — the website and email simply stop working — but what clears them is not the same. Doing the wrong one means waiting for something that will never happen.

Hold	Who applied it	What clears it	Who acts
Registrar hold clientHold	Us, as your registrar	Completing eKYC — nothing else. No documents need to be sent to anyone.	We release it ourselves, automatically, as soon as verification succeeds.
Registry hold serverHold	The registry (NIXI)	*eKYC and* a copy of your Aadhaar sent to us**, which we submit to the registry on your behalf.	Only the registry can lift it, once the evidence is filed.

How to tell which one you have

A new domain that has never worked is almost always a registrar hold. Complete eKYC in your client area and it will start working on its own.
A domain that worked before and has now stopped, where eKYC is already complete, is almost always a registry hold. Send us your Aadhaar through a support ticket and we will file it.
If you are not sure, raise a ticket with your domain name and we will tell you which it is. You do not need to work it out yourself.

One thing worth knowing: we cannot lift a registry hold by request, however urgent the situation. It is not a matter of authorisation — the registry controls that status and releases it only when the evidence has been submitted and accepted. What we can do is file it for you the same day we receive it.

Before you start verification — check the name matches

The name on your identity document must match the registrant name on the domain. If they differ at all — a missing middle name, a different spelling, initials rather than a full name — the check fails silently and the hold stays in place, usually with nothing to tell you why. Correct the registrant name first, then verify.

If you are outside India

The online verification is built around Indian identity documents and will not work from abroad. Your route is a signed declaration of your connection with India plus a copy of your passport, sent to [email protected], which we file with the registry for you. It is normally verified within one to three business days.

Please check Who Can Register a .IN Domain before purchasing — a .IN domain does require a genuine connection with India.