How to register for GST in India
Register a business for GST on the government portal, from generating the temporary reference number to receiving the GSTIN, in seven to ten working days.
60 minutes7 stepsUpdated June 2026
What you need
- PAN of the business or proprietor
- Aadhaar of the proprietor, partners or directors
- Proof of the business address — ownership deed, rent agreement or electricity bill
- Bank account details with a cancelled cheque or statement
- Passport-size photographs
- Digital signature certificate, for companies and LLPs
The steps
- 1
Start Part A on the GST portal
Go to gst.gov.in, choose Services → Registration → New Registration, and enter your legal name exactly as it appears on the PAN, your state, district, email and mobile number. Verify the OTPs sent to both. You will receive a Temporary Reference Number.
The legal name must match the PAN database character for character. A mismatch here fails validation at the end, after all the work of Part B.
- 2
Complete Part B within fifteen days
Sign back in with the Temporary Reference Number and work through the ten tabs: business details, promoters, authorised signatory, principal place of business, additional places, goods and services, bank accounts, state-specific information, Aadhaar authentication and verification.
The TRN expires after fifteen days. If it lapses the whole application starts again from Part A.
- 3
Declare your goods and services by HSN or SAC code
Enter the top five HSN codes for goods or SAC codes for services that you deal in. These determine your applicable tax rates and are used by the department to sense-check the application against the business described.
- 4
Complete Aadhaar authentication
Choose Aadhaar authentication for the promoter and the authorised signatory. It is optional in form and near-compulsory in practice: applications that skip it are routed to physical verification of the premises, which adds weeks.
- 5
Submit with a DSC or EVC
Companies and LLPs must sign with a Class 3 digital signature certificate. Proprietorships and partnerships can use an electronic verification code sent to the registered mobile. On submission you receive an Application Reference Number.
- 6
Answer any query within seven working days
The officer may raise a query in Form GST REG-03, usually about address proof. Respond in REG-04 within seven working days. Missing that window means rejection and a fresh application.
The query arrives by email and on the portal only — there is no phone call. Applications are most often lost simply by nobody checking.
- 7
Receive the GSTIN
On approval the certificate in Form REG-06 is available on the portal, carrying your fifteen-character GSTIN. Registration takes effect from the date you became liable, not the date of approval.
What happens afterwards
Your first return is due the month after registration even if you made no sales — a nil return still has to be filed, and the late fee accrues regardless. Display the certificate at your principal place of business, which is a statutory requirement, and start issuing GST-compliant invoices immediately.
Would you rather we did it?
This guide exists so you can do it yourself. If you would rather not, we will — and you will have a fixed price before any work starts.