ARN registration in India

ARN vs EUIN vs KYD

The distinction matters when a firm has staff. The firm holds the ARN; each relationship manager holds an EUIN. If an RM leaves, the EUIN goes with them and the clients stay with the firm's ARN — which is precisely why the two codes exist separately. Where no EUIN is quoted, the form carries a declaration that the transaction was execution-only, without advice.

Documents you need

• NISM Series V-A certificate (or the CPE certificate, if you are 50 or above)
• KYD acknowledgement from CAMS or KFintech
• PAN card
• Aadhaar or another accepted proof of address
• Passport-size photograph
• Cancelled cheque or bank statement in the applicant's name, for commission payouts
• For entities: certificate of incorporation or partnership deed, board resolution or authorisation letter, and the details of the individuals who will hold EUINs

Names must match exactly across PAN, bank account and the NISM certificate. A mismatch — a missing middle name, an initial spelled out — is the most common reason an ARN application comes back, and it costs weeks.

How the application works

1. 1

   Complete KYD first

   At a CAMS or KFintech investor service centre, with biometric verification. Nothing else proceeds until this is done.

2. 2

   Submit the ARN form

   Online through the AMFI distributor registration portal, or physically at a CAMS office, with the documents above and the fee.

3. 3

   Pay the registration fee

   Roughly ₹3,000 plus GST for individuals and ₹5,000 plus GST for corporates at the time of writing. Confirm the current figure on the AMFI site — it is revised periodically.

4. 4

   Receive the ARN and card

   Usually two to four weeks. The ARN number typically arrives by email before the physical card.

Renewal — and what happens if you miss it

An ARN is valid for three years. Renewal is not just a fee: you must be re-certified first, either by re-sitting NISM Series V-A or by completing the CPE programme, and the certification must be valid on the date you renew.

• Start the process at least two months before expiry. Exam slots and CPE sessions fill up.
• The renewal fee is generally lower than the initial registration fee.
• If the ARN lapses, it is suspended — new business cannot be sourced under it and trail commission is withheld until it is restored.
• AMFI allows reinstatement after a lapse, but the commission for the gap period is not always recoverable. Treat the expiry date as a hard deadline.

Changing details, or transferring a book

Address, bank account, email and mobile changes are done through AMFI's change-request process and then reflected with the RTAs. Update the bank account promptly — commission credits fail silently when the account details are stale.

Transferring AUM from one ARN to another — on sale of a practice, or on the death of a distributor — is a defined process involving both ARN holders, the AMCs and the registrars, and it requires investor consent in the cases where the rules call for it. It is slow, and it is far easier when your client records, KYC status and contact details are already clean.