KYC on hold? The quickest way to fix your mutual fund or demat account online

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Getting a “KYC pending” or “on hold” message usually means one of three things: your mobile or email isn’t validated, your PAN isn’t correctly linked to Aadhaar, or your KYC attributes haven’t been re-verified by a KRA after SEBI’s rule changes. The fix is online, and once your details are validated your status moves to “KYC Registered” or “KYC Validated,” restoring full access.

First, confirm exactly what’s showing against your PAN. Use any KRA’s lookup page—CVL KRA, KFintech (Karvy), NDML, CAMS or NSDL—to see whether you’re “KYC Validated,” “KYC Registered,” “Under Process,” or “On Hold,” and note the reason code if shown. This tells you what to fix and where.

If the status cites unverified contact details, complete Aadhaar OTP e-KYC on an AMC/RTA or KRA portal and re-validate your mobile and email. Most portals now support paperless KYC updates with Aadhaar authentication, which satisfies the KRA’s attribute checks introduced under SEBI’s 2024-25 framework. Where PAN-Aadhaar linkage is the issue, link PAN on the income-tax portal, then re-initiate KYC validation so the KRA can refresh its checks.

For mutual funds, investors can complete or modify KYC on KRA or RTA sites such as CVL KRA, KFintech, NDML, CAMS and NSDL. These portals push your update to the KRA, which is responsible for validating your attributes with independent sources (PAN, Aadhaar, mobile and email). You can also track remediation on CAMS’s “KYC Status” page after you submit.

“KYC Validated” means your details have been independently verified by the KRA and you should face no restrictions. “KYC Registered” generally allows activity but may still require additional validation for some intermediaries. “On Hold/Rejected” blocks fresh purchases until you correct the flagged item and resubmit; once cleared, the status flips to Registered/Validated automatically.

Beyond online self-service, many AMCs and registrars offer assisted KYC at service centres, and India Post has begun facilitating mutual fund KYC by verifying documents and forwarding them to AMCs—useful if you’d rather not upload documents yourself. Video KYC is also increasingly available under the latest RBI and market-intermediary norms, allowing a fully remote process.

KRA validations are ongoing, not one-and-done. If you change your number, email or address, update the KRA rather than only the broker or AMC, so the central record remains in sync. Make sure your PAN-Aadhaar link stays active, and keep an eye on your status after any change—KRAs publish simple PAN lookups for this. That small habit saves last-minute transaction failures.