Udyam Registration: How to Register Your MSME Online for Free

Udyam registration is the Ministry of MSME's registration for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It gives your business a permanent Udyam Registration Number and an online certificate. It is free, online and paperless.

This guide is based on the official guidelines as of October 2026; always check the portal for the latest rules.

It is free, and only one site is official

The Udyam Registration portal is clear about this: registration is "Zero cost, No Fee and Free". The site also says it is the only official website for MSME registration and that no other website, portal or app is official. A notice on the home page warns "Beware of Fake Sites".

The legal basis is the Ministry of MSME notification S.O. 2119(E) dated 26 June 2020, which says: "There will be no fee for filing Udyam Registration." The portal's Important page adds that, apart from this portal and the government's Single Window Systems, no private online or offline system, agency or person is authorised to do MSME registration.

Many lookalike websites charge a "processing fee" to file Udyam registration for you. You don't need them. Type udyamregistration.gov.in yourself rather than clicking ads or search results.

Who should register

Under the notification, anyone who intends to set up a micro, small or medium enterprise can file Udyam registration online on a self-declaration basis.

Your category depends on both investment in plant and machinery or equipment and turnover. These are the limits in force from 1 April 2025, after the amendment S.O. 1364(E) dated 21 March 2025:

Key classification rules from the notification:

• If you cross the limit for your category on either investment or turnover, you move up to the next category. You only move down if you fall below the limits on both.
• Exports of goods or services are left out when your turnover is calculated.
• "Plant and machinery or equipment" covers tangible assets other than land and building, furniture and fittings. Investment is linked to your Income Tax Return (ITR).
• All GSTINs under the same PAN count as one enterprise. Their investment and turnover are added together.
• For a new enterprise with no ITR yet, investment is based on the promoter's self-declaration. This relaxation ends after 31 March of the financial year in which you file your first ITR.

Proprietorships, partnerships, HUFs, companies, LLPs, cooperatives, societies and trusts can all register, but the identity rules differ (see below). Informal micro enterprises have a separate option on the home page, the Udyam Assist Platform (UAP).

What you need: Aadhaar, PAN and GSTIN

The portal says registration is "fully online, paperless and based on self-declaration" and that no documents or proof have to be uploaded. What you do need are these numbers.

Aadhaar. Aadhaar is required. Whose Aadhaar depends on your business type:

• Proprietorship: the proprietor's
• Partnership firm: the managing partner's
• Hindu Undivided Family: the karta's
• Company, LLP, cooperative society, society or trust: the organisation or its authorised signatory gives the entity's GSTIN and PAN along with the Aadhaar number

PAN. The amendment S.O. 1055(E) dated 5 March 2021 says a proprietorship not registered under any central or state law may use the proprietor's PAN, and that PAN is mandatory for all other types of enterprise. Investment and turnover figures are pulled automatically from government databases linked to your PAN and GST.

GSTIN. You need a GSTIN only if GST law requires you to have one. S.O. 1055(E) says the exemption from having a GSTIN "shall be as per the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017". If your business is not required to register for GST, you can still get Udyam registration.

If you can't file for any reason, including not having an Aadhaar number, the notification says you can go to a Champions Control Room or your District Industries Centre (DIC). Take your Aadhaar enrolment slip or another ID such as a bank photo passbook, voter ID, passport or driving licence, and they will help you through the process.

Step-by-step: new Udyam registration

1. Open udyamregistration.gov.in. Under "For New Entrepreneurs who are not Registered yet as MSME", choose New Registration. Existing Udyog Aadhaar (UAM) holders have a separate Migration to Udyam option.
2. The registration form moves through these stages: Aadhaar Verification → PAN Verification → Basic Details → Official Address → Plant/Unit Details → Other Details. The portal's sample form shows every field.
3. Aadhaar Verification: enter the Aadhaar Number and the Name of Entrepreneur exactly as on Aadhaar. Tick the consent that lets the Ministry of MSME use your Aadhaar number for Udyam registration. Click Validate & Generate OTP, then enter the OTP sent to the mobile number registered with that Aadhaar.
4. PAN Verification: choose your Type of Organisation, enter the PAN, the name as per PAN and the date of birth or incorporation as per PAN. Give consent for the Ministry to use your ITR and GST data, and click PAN Validate. The form then asks whether you filed an ITR for the previous year, your investment in plant and machinery or equipment (written down value, less excluded items such as pollution control and R&D equipment), and your total and export turnover.
5. Basic Details: name of enterprise, mobile number, email, social category, gender and whether you are specially abled (Divyang).
6. Official Address: the full address of the enterprise, including state, district and your District Industries Centre.
7. Plant/Unit Details: add each plant or unit with its address. You can add more than one.
8. Other Details: any earlier EM-II or UAM number, date of incorporation or registration, whether business has started and the date it started, bank name, IFSC and account number, your major activity (manufacturing or services), National Industrial Classification (NIC) codes for each activity, and the number of people employed. You can also opt in to related portals such as GeM and TReDS.
9. Accept the declarations and click Submit & Get Final OTP. Enter the OTP to finish. When registration is complete, you get a permanent Udyam Registration Number and an e-certificate.

You can list any number of activities, whether manufacturing, services or both, in the one registration.

Your Udyam certificate

According to the portal:

• You get a permanent registration number, and you never have to renew the registration.
• The certificate is issued online and carries a dynamic QR code. Scanning it opens the enterprise's details on the portal.
• You can reprint your certificate, verify a registration, and recover a forgotten number from the Print/Verify and Forgot Udyam/UAM Number options on the home page.

Updating your registration

Registration is permanent, but you still have duties. Under paragraph 8 of S.O. 2119(E):

• You must update your information online on the portal, including ITR and GST return details for the previous financial year, on a self-declaration basis.
• If you don't update within the period the portal specifies, your status can be suspended.
• Your classification is updated using your filings and government data. You will be told if you move up or down a category.
• If you move up, you keep your current status until one year from the close of the year of registration. If you move down, you stay in your current category until the end of the financial year, and the new status applies from the following 1 April.

To update, use Update/Cancel Udyam Registration on the home page. The Udyam login page asks for:

1. Your 19-character Udyam Registration Number, in the format UDYAM-XX-00-0000000
2. The mobile number you entered in your application
3. Your choice of OTP by mobile or email

Click Validate & Generate OTP, enter the OTP, then click Validate OTP & Login.

Documents checklist

You upload nothing, but have these ready before you start:

• Aadhaar number of the proprietor, managing partner, karta or authorised signatory
• Mobile number registered with that Aadhaar, for the OTP
• PAN of the enterprise (or the proprietor's PAN for an unregistered proprietorship), with the name and date of birth or incorporation exactly as on PAN
• GSTIN, if GST law requires you to have one
• Business name, official address and the address of each plant or unit
• Date of incorporation or registration, and the date business started
• Bank name, IFSC and account number of the enterprise
• NIC codes for your activities (manufacturing, services or both)
• Number of people employed
• Investment and turnover figures (including export turnover), if you are new and have no ITR yet
• Old EM-II or UAM number, if you have one

Common mistakes the ministry flags

• Paying a fee on a lookalike site. Registration is free, and only the government portal and official Single Window Systems are authorised.
• Filing more than one registration. The notification says no enterprise shall file more than one Udyam registration. Add extra activities to your existing one.
• Misstating figures. Deliberately misrepresenting or hiding self-declared facts can attract a penalty under section 27 of the MSMED Act.
• Keeping an old EM-II or UAM registration. The portal says these holders must re-register on Udyam.
• Not updating after filing ITR and GST returns. This can lead to suspension.
• Forgetting that all GSTINs under one PAN count together when you work out your category.

FAQ

Is Udyam registration really free?

Yes. The portal and the notification both say there is no fee. Don't pay anyone to file it for you.

Do I need GST registration to get Udyam?

Only if GST law requires you to be registered. S.O. 1055(E) says the GSTIN exemption follows the CGST Act, 2017.

Do I have to renew my Udyam certificate?

No. The portal says registration is permanent and does not need renewal. You do need to keep your details updated.

Can a private limited company or LLP register?

Yes. The company or LLP, or its authorised signatory, gives the entity's PAN and GSTIN (where applicable) along with an Aadhaar number.

I run several businesses under one PAN. How many registrations do I need?

One. All GSTINs under the same PAN count as one enterprise, and you add all activities to that single registration.

Does Udyam registration make me eligible for startup schemes?

It helps with MSME schemes, but each scheme has its own rules. Browse government schemes to see what you qualify for, or get help through our services.

Sources

• Udyam Registration Portal, Ministry of MSME
• Udyam Registration Portal: Important
• Udyam Registration Portal: New registration form
• Udyam Registration Portal: Sample application form (PDF)
• Udyam Registration Portal: Udyam login (update/cancel)
• Gazette notification S.O. 2119(E), 26 June 2020, with amendment S.O. 1364(E), 21 March 2025 (PDF)
• Gazette notification S.O. 1055(E), 5 March 2021 (PDF)

Cover photo: Swastik Arora on Unsplash