What Is a Service Request Number (SRN)?
A Service Request Number (SRN) is the unique reference number the MCA21 portal generates the moment a company or LLP e-form or webform is submitted to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). MCA describes it as the unique number by which "every request submitted on MCA portal is identified", and states that it is "a nine character alphanumeric string starting with an alphabet (A-Z) which is printed on the top left hand side of a Receipt or Challan". It is not a registration number and it does not mean the filing has been accepted — it is a transaction tracker. Every subsequent step of that filing's life, from digital-signature upload to fee payment to ROC (Registrar of Companies) review to final approval or rejection, is tracked against that one SRN.
For a foreign company or investor registering an Indian entity, or an Indian subsidiary maintaining its ongoing filings, the SRN is the single reference to quote in every follow-up with MCA, with a professional handling the filing, or with the Track Payment Status service on the MCA portal.
How the SRN Is Generated and Used
MCA's own e-filing guidance states that the "SRN is generated upon submission of webform" and that "the SRN can be used by the user for any future correspondence with MCA" — the same rule applies to both company and LLP e-filings. In practice this means an SRN exists before any fee has been paid and before any officer has looked at the filing: submitting the form is enough to create it.
The Two Filing Windows After an SRN Is Generated
MCA's e-filing FAQ sets out two deadlines that run from the moment an SRN is generated. A filer must:
- Upload the digitally-signed (DSC-affixed) PDF within 15 days of SRN generation, and
- Complete the fee payment within 7 days of successfully uploading that signed document, or by the statutory due date of the filing plus 2 days — whichever is earlier.
MCA's guidance is explicit about the consequence of missing either window: "In case the user does not successfully upload the DSC affixed PDF within 15 days of SRN generation and complete the payment within 7 days of successful upload of DSC affixed document or due date of filing of the webform + 2 days, whichever is earlier, the SRN will be cancelled." A cancelled SRN moves to the "Cancelled" tab in Application History. MCA publishes no step for reviving one, so the webform has to be submitted again — and a new SRN is generated on that submission.
SRN Status Values on the MCA Portal
Once logged in, a filer's SRNs appear under My Application → Application History, sorted into status tabs. MCA's published FAQs and rules confirm several of the status values a filer will see against an SRN:
- Pending for Payment / Not Paid — the SRN exists but the fee has not yet been successfully paid. MCA's FAQ on cancelling an SRN after an unsuccessful payment notes that the "Cancel SRN link is displayed only when SRN status is Not Paid or Pending for Payment" — the case it gives is one where payment of the uploaded e-form "was unsuccessful for technical reason and no option is available for making such payment again".
- Applied for — the request has been submitted and the fee paid, and it is awaiting processing. MCA's incorporation FAQ uses the term this way: the system blocks a fresh application for the same or a similar name where the proposed name is already "Applied for" and "payment is already made for such SRN".
- Resubmission — an ROC examiner has reviewed the filing and found a defect that must be corrected and refiled against the same SRN, rather than starting a new filing.
- Approved — the filing (or, for a name application, the proposed name) has been accepted.
- Cancelled — the SRN was withdrawn by the filer (for an unpaid SRN) or lapsed because the 15-day/7-day windows above were missed.
MCA's own incorporation FAQ uses this vocabulary — it refers to a proposed name that is already "Applied for", to an SRN that is "under 'Resubmission' status", and to a SPICe+ Part A webform "with status as 'Approved' in the application dashboard". The same status set carries over to company and LLP e-forms generally: MCA's cancellation FAQ notes that SRNs are "for eForms/ services and stamp duty payment", and all of them appear in the same Application History dashboard.
Resubmission — How Many Chances You Get
Resubmission is not unlimited. For SPICe+ incorporation filings specifically, MCA's incorporation FAQ states that "two re-submission are allowed to remove the defects in SPICe+ forms". If the defects are not cured within those two opportunities, the application is rejected rather than approved, and the filer submits the webform again — which generates a fresh SRN.
MCA's incorporation FAQ lists the grounds on which a SPICe+ application may be rejected. They include a "Pdf scanned copy of INC-9 attached instead of e form", a scanned copy of the MOA and AOA attached "instead of web forms", attached documents that "are not legible", and signatures copied and pasted into the attachments — on which MCA warns that action under section 447/448 of the Companies Act, 2013 can be initiated. Most are avoidable by checking the attachments before submission.
Tracking an SRN — Track Payment Status
MCA provides a public, no-login "Track Payment Status" service on the portal. A user enters the SRN, completes a CAPTCHA, and the system returns the payment status and date of payment for that SRN, with the option to download a copy of the challan, receipt, or acknowledgement (including e-stamp receipts) as a PDF. This is the fastest way for a filer — or a foreign investor waiting on confirmation from their India-based registered agent — to independently confirm that a fee for a given SRN has actually been received by MCA, separate from the underlying form's approval status.
Why the SRN Matters for a Foreign Company or Investor
Every MCA filing that follows incorporation of an Indian entity — director changes, annual filings, charge registrations, name changes, conversions — generates its own SRN, and each SRN carries its own 15-day/7-day clock and its own resubmission limit. For a foreign parent monitoring an Indian subsidiary from outside India, three practical points follow directly from how the SRN system works:
- Ask for the SRN, not just "it's filed." A filing that has an SRN may still be unpaid, under resubmission, or about to be cancelled for missing a deadline. The SRN is the only reference that lets you or your India team check the actual status independently on the Track Payment Status page.
- Resubmission opportunities are finite. Because MCA allows only two resubmissions to remove defects in SPICe+ forms, a defect flagged by the ROC needs a fast, correct response — a third round is not available.
- A cancelled SRN means starting over. Missing the 15-day DSC-upload or 7-day payment window does not pause the filing; it cancels the SRN entirely, which can delay an incorporation timeline, a name reservation under RUN, or a compliance deadline that was tied to that filing.
Worked Example
A foreign-owned entity files its SPICe+ Part B incorporation form. MCA generates an SRN the moment the webform is submitted. The company's Indian compliance team has 15 days to attach the digitally signed PDF; they upload it on day 9. Payment is then due within 7 days of that upload, and they pay on day 3. Ten days later, the ROC examiner reviews the filing and finds the attached rental agreement for the registered office is only partially legible — the SRN is marked "Resubmission," the first of the two resubmissions MCA allows on SPICe+ forms. The team refiles with a clearer scan within the resubmission window, and the SRN moves to "Approved," at which point the Certificate of Incorporation, PAN, and TAN are issued. Throughout the process, the SRN — not the company name — is what the team quotes to MCA support and checks on Track Payment Status.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming an SRN means the filing is approved. An SRN is created on submission, before any review has happened — it is a tracking number, not a confirmation of acceptance.
- Letting a resubmission notice sit unanswered. With only two resubmissions permitted on SPICe+ forms, delay increases the risk of outright rejection and having to refile from scratch.
- Missing the 15-day or 7-day windows. These are hard, MCA-stated deadlines; missing either one cancels the SRN, not just delays it.
- Losing track of the SRN itself. Because all correspondence with MCA about a filing references the SRN, misplacing it (rather than the form's name or date) makes it harder to check status or resolve a problem quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an SRN expire?
Yes, indirectly. MCA cancels an SRN if the DSC-affixed document is not uploaded within 15 days of SRN generation, or if payment is not completed within 7 days of that upload (or by the filing's due date plus 2 days, whichever is earlier). MCA publishes no route to reactivate a cancelled SRN, so the webform must be submitted again, which generates a new SRN.
How many times can I resubmit against the same SRN?
For SPICe+ incorporation filings, MCA's incorporation FAQ states that "two re-submission are allowed to remove the defects in SPICe+ forms". Beyond that, the application is rejected rather than sent back again.
How do I check the payment status of my SRN?
Use MCA's public Track Payment Status page: enter the SRN and complete the CAPTCHA. The system returns the payment status and date of payment, and lets you download the challan, receipt, or e-stamp receipt for that SRN — no login is required.
Can I cancel an SRN myself?
Only while it is in "Not Paid" or "Pending for Payment" status. MCA's FAQ states that the "Cancel SRN link is displayed only when SRN status is Not Paid or Pending for Payment" — for example when a payment failed for a technical reason and you do not want to retry it. Once payment succeeds, the SRN can no longer be self-cancelled.
Is the SRN the same as my company's registration number?
No. The SRN is a transaction reference for one specific filing. The company's own permanent identifiers — its Corporate Identification Number and Certificate of Incorporation — are issued separately, only after the incorporation SRN reaches "Approved" status.
See also: Registrar of Companies (ROC) and MCA, SPICe+, and RUN (Reserve Unique Name).
Need help tracking or resolving an MCA filing? Beacon Filing handles company incorporation and MCA compliance for foreign-owned entities in India.