Most GST applications don't get rejected because the business is wrong. They get stuck because one document was missing, blurry, or in the wrong name.
So let's fix that first. Get the folder right, and the application becomes a 90-minute job. Here's everything you need — explained like you're brand new to all of this.
- The government only wants to know 3 things: who you are, where you work, and where your money is kept.
- Everyone needs: PAN, Aadhaar, a photo, bank proof and business address proof.
- What's extra depends on your type — a partnership adds its deed, a company adds its incorporation papers.
- Companies & LLPs must sign with a Digital Signature (DSC). Proprietors and partnerships can use an Aadhaar OTP instead.
- Keep every file as a clear PDF/JPG under 100 KB–2 MB and make sure your name matches everywhere.
The big idea (this is the whole article)
Imagine you're getting an ID badge for a new building. The security guard only checks three things before letting you in:
👉 Who are you? — show your face and a name proof.
👉 Where do you sit? — show which room is yours.
👉 How do we pay you? — give your bank details.
GST registration is exactly this. Every single document on the long lists below is just answering one of those three questions. Once you see it that way, it stops being scary.
Part 1 — Documents everyone needs
No matter if you're a one-person shop or a big company, these are the basics. We've grouped them by the three questions so it makes sense.
🧑 Who you are
- PAN card — the tax ID of the business (a one-person shop just uses the owner's personal PAN). Think of it as the business's roll number.
- Aadhaar card — proves the person behind the business is a real, identifiable human.
- Mobile number linked to that Aadhaar — the portal sends a one-time password (OTP) to it. If your Aadhaar isn't linked to a working number, fix that first.
- Email ID — every GST notice and reminder for the next several years lands here. Use one you check often.
- Passport-size photograph — a recent, clear photo of your face. Like the photo on a school ID.
🏠 Where you work
- Business address proof — something that shows this is really your place of work: an electricity bill, water bill, property-tax receipt or a rent agreement.
- If the place is rented or in someone else's name: add a rent agreement and a NOC (a short "No Objection" note from the owner saying you may use the address). More on this in Part 4.
💰 Where your money is
- Bank account proof — any one of these: a cancelled cheque, a bank statement, or the first page of your passbook. It must show the account number, name and IFSC clearly.
✍️ The signature (for some)
- Digital Signature (DSC) — a USB token that signs the form online. Mandatory for Companies and LLPs. Proprietors and partnerships usually don't need it — they sign with an Aadhaar OTP instead.
Before you touch the portal, take clear daylight photos of your PAN, Aadhaar, electricity bill, bank passbook and your nameplate. Resize each one to under 100 KB (most phone photos are far too big). Then start. Skipping this is the #1 reason people quit halfway in frustration.
Part 2 — Pick your type
This is where it splits. The basics above stay the same; you just add a few papers depending on what kind of business you are. Find yourself below.
Sole Proprietor
Just you. One person.
A single owner — a kirana store, a freelancer, a small trader.
Partnership Firm
Two or more partners
A group of people who signed a partnership deed to run a business together.
LLP
Limited Liability Partnership
A partnership that's officially registered with the government and got an incorporation certificate.
Pvt / Public Company
A registered company
A company with directors, registered at the ROC, with its own legal identity.
Part 3 — The exact list for your type
Found yourself above? Here's your full folder. The "everyone" basics from Part 1 are already included so you have one clean list.
🧍 Sole Proprietorship
The shortest list. There's no separate "business" — you are the business.
- PAN card of the proprietor (your own personal PAN)
- Aadhaar card of the proprietor
- Passport-size photograph
- Bank account proof — cancelled cheque / statement / passbook first page
- Address proof of the business place
- If rented: rent agreement + NOC from the owner
🤝 Partnership Firm
Now there's a firm and the partners — so you prove both.
- PAN card of the firm
- Partnership Deed — the agreement that created the firm
- PAN & Aadhaar of every partner
- Photographs of the partners
- Authorisation letter — names the one partner allowed to sign on the firm's behalf (the "authorised signatory")
- Bank account proof
- Business address proof
📜 LLP (Limited Liability Partnership)
Like a partnership, but officially registered — so it has government papers too.
- LLP Incorporation Certificate — proof the LLP legally exists
- LLP Agreement
- PAN of the LLP
- PAN & Aadhaar of the designated partners
- Board resolution / Authorisation letter — appoints the authorised signatory
- Bank account proof
- Address proof
- Digital Signature (DSC) — mandatory
🏢 Private / Public Limited Company
The biggest list — a company is its own legal "person", so it has the most papers.
- Certificate of Incorporation — proof the company legally exists
- PAN of the company
- MOA & AOA — the company's rulebook (what it does, how it's run)
- PAN & Aadhaar of all directors
- Board resolution appointing the authorised signatory
- Photographs of the directors
- Bank account proof
- Registered office address proof
- Digital Signature (DSC) — mandatory
Quick-reference table
One glance, everything compared. ✓ = you need it, — = not required.
| Document | Proprietor | Partnership | LLP | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAN | Owner's PAN | Firm's PAN | LLP's PAN | Company's PAN |
| Aadhaar (of person) | ✓ | ✓ each partner | ✓ each partner | ✓ each director |
| Photograph | ✓ | ✓ partners | ✓ partners | ✓ directors |
| Bank proof | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Address proof | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Constitution document | — | Partnership deed | Incorporation cert + LLP agreement | Incorporation cert + MOA & AOA |
| Authorisation | — | Authorisation letter | Board resolution | Board resolution |
| Digital Signature (DSC) | Optional (Aadhaar OTP) | Optional (Aadhaar OTP) | Mandatory | Mandatory |
Part 4 — Address proof (the trickiest bit)
This is where most people slip. The rule is simple: do you own the place, or not?
You own the place
Any one document
Pick any one recent bill or receipt in your name. That's it.
You rent the place
You need all three
The agreement shows you're allowed there, the NOC is the owner's "yes", and their bill proves the address is real.
About the Digital Signature (DSC)
A DSC is a small USB pen-drive that proves you signed a form online — like a digital version of your signature, but tamper-proof. It's issued by approved agencies after a quick verification.
👉 Companies and LLPs: you must sign with a DSC. There's no Aadhaar-OTP shortcut for you.
👉 Proprietors and partnerships: you usually skip the DSC and sign with an Aadhaar OTP instead — much simpler.
File-format rules (don't skip these)
The portal is fussy about file sizes. Get this wrong and the upload simply fails with no clear error.
- Photographs: JPEG, usually under 100 KB. Phone photos are way bigger — resize them.
- Other documents: PDF or JPEG, usually under 1–2 MB each.
- Make it readable: good light, no shadows, all four corners visible. A blurry scan = a rejection.
- Keep bills fresh: an electricity bill older than 2 months often gets flagged.
Name mismatch. If your PAN says "Rohit Kumar Sharma" but your electricity bill says "R. K. Sharma", the officer raises a query. Before uploading, lay your PAN, Aadhaar and address proof side by side and check the spelling matches everywhere.
The grab-and-go folder
If you remember nothing else, build this one folder on your phone or laptop before you begin:
PAN + Aadhaar + a clear passport photo (under 100 KB). Plus the same for every partner/director if you have them.
Latest electricity/water bill or property-tax receipt. If rented — add the rent agreement + a signed NOC.
A cancelled cheque, or the passbook first page, or one bank statement — clearly showing account number and IFSC.
Partnership deed, or LLP/company incorporation papers + MOA-AOA, plus the authorisation/board resolution. DSC ready if you're a company or LLP.
The registration is free and the form is short. What slows people down is hunting for documents at 11 PM. Build the folder first, calmly — then the application is the easy part.
Quick answers
No. A sole proprietorship has no separate legal identity, so you use your own personal PAN. A separate PAN only exists for firms, LLPs and companies.
You can actually start without it — bank details can be added within 45 days of getting your GSTIN. But if you already have an account, give the proof upfront; it's one less thing to do later.
Yes, very commonly. Use your home's electricity bill or property-tax receipt. If the home is rented or in a parent's name, add a rent agreement and an NOC from the owner.
No. Only Companies and LLPs must use a DSC. Proprietors and partnership firms can verify with an Aadhaar-based OTP (called e-Sign / EVC), which is free and instant.
Yes — the OTP for Aadhaar authentication goes to the linked number, and Aadhaar authentication gets you approved in ~3 days with no officer visit. Update the linked number at any UIDAI centre before you apply.
As a rule of thumb, within the last 2 months. Older bills are often flagged. The same freshness expectation applies to bank statements used as proof.
When you might want a hand
The list is free and DIY-friendly. Where founders usually ask for help: matching the name across PAN / Aadhaar / address proof (the top rejection cause), drafting a clean NOC and authorisation letter, getting a DSC issued for a company or LLP, and resizing documents so the portal actually accepts them. If you'd rather hand over the folder and get a GSTIN back, that's exactly what we do.
Want us to handle the whole thing?
Send us your documents on WhatsApp — we check, fix and file. Fixed fee, no government markup, GSTIN delivered with your invoice template ready to go.