DEMAT ACCOUNT FAQ

Demat Account FAQ

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The following documents will be required:

  • Account opening form completely filled and signed by all the holders
  • Introduction of all the joint holders (Photocopy of the Passport/Voters ID Card/Driving License/PAN Card)
  • Address proof for all the joint holders. This could be any of the introduction documents (as above) if the address is the same as required for the account. Alternatively, a Copy of the Telephone Bill/Electricity Bill/Income Tax Returns/Bank Statement can also serve as address proof
  • Income Tax Permanent Account Number (PAN) is mandatory. It needs to be mentioned on the form. If you do not have a PAN, please fill and submit Form 60
  • Signature Card with specimen signatures of all the holders
  • 1 Photograph of all the joint holders with Signatures across the Photo
  • 1 Photograph and Signature of the nominee (if you are opting for the nomination facility)
  • Form cum POA for giving transfer instructions using Citibank Online
Yes, you can open as many accounts as you like. There is absolutely no restriction on the same.
No, there is no such condition. The quantity and value of shares in your Citibank Demat Account can be as per your requirements.

You need to open your Demat Account in the same holder combination, as you own the physical shares/securities.

Thus, if you currently own shares in the names of A, B and C - your Demat Account also needs to be opened in the same holder combination. In addition to the above, if you also own shares in the name of A and B only, a separate Demat Account needs to be opened in this holder combination.

Please Note: The sequence of the holders in the account is also very important.

However, if you own shares in the names of B, A and C (in this order), then these shares can be Dematerialised and credited to the account opened in the names of A, B and C (in this order). A transposition form would also need to be submitted along with the Demat request.

Please Note: All Demat Accounts with more than one holder are to be operated jointly by all the holders i.e., these accounts cannot be operated as 'Either or Survivor' or 'Anyone or Survivor'.

Yes, if you have executed a Power of Attorney in favour of some other person, the Power of Attorney holder can also operate the account on your behalf. A copy of the POA must be given to Citibank.

There are three modes by which you can transfer the shares from your account:

  • Physical Instruction - Transfer instructions, in the specified format (Annexure L) signed by all the holders of the Demat Account, must be handed over at any Citibank branch
  • Citibank Online* - The Internet banking platform can also be used to give your share transfer instructions

These modes for transfer may be used only if the other (i.e., transferee) account is with Citibank or with any other Depository Participant with NSDL. If the transferee account is with a Depository Participant affiliated with CDSL, you need to sign and submit an Inter Depository Transfer Instruction.

* These services can be availed only if you have signed the 'Share Transfer Form cum POA'.

Just as you have a Bank Account for safekeeping all your money/cash, the Demat Account is for the safekeeping of all your shares and other eligible securities. The securities are held in this account in the electronic form, is also called, the Dematerialised form. The Demat Account can be opened with a Depository Participant.

You can avail the following additional services for your Demat Account:

  • Pledging shares in your account to avail an overdraft
  • Freezing the account/any specific security/specific quantity of a security
  • Nomination facility

In case of:

  • Dividend - for shares held in the Demat Account, the amount will be credited to your linked Bank Account
  • Bonus - the bonus shares will automatically be credited to your Demat Account
  • Rights - the allotted shares will be credited to your Demat Account or sent to you as physical certificates depending on the instructions you mention in the Rights application form
Yes, Citibank is a Depository Participant with NSDL (National Securities Depository Limited) and offers several value added services. All of these have been structured to help you meet the strict timelines for delivery and at the same time manage your busy schedule.

Dematerialisation is the process by which your holding of physical share certificates is converted into an electronic record. The shares then reflect as a credit balance in your Demat Account. Dematerialised shares do not have any folio number, certificate number or distinctive numbers i.e., they are fungible.

To Dematerialise your shares, you need to submit the physical share certificates along with a Dematerialisation Form (DRF) to your Depository Participant. They will send the share certificates to the R & T Agent of your company, who will check and confirm if everything is in order. On confirmation, the shares will be credited to your Demat Account.

The electronic form is more popularly called the 'Dematerialised' form. The foremost and most important reason to convert it is because it is now mandatory to deliver the shares (for most script's as specified by SEBI) in Dematerialised form only, if you are selling the shares. Thus, if you hold physical shares, you may not be able to sell them. Additionally, there are several advantages of holding shares in the Dematerialised form:

  • Elimination of risks associated with physical certificates e.g. theft, loss in transit, mutilation, fire, etc.
  • Reduction in handling huge volumes of paper
  • Elimination of problems related to change of address, transmission, etc.
  • Faster settlement cycle. You therefore get your money/shares much faster
  • Periodic statements and hence ease of portfolio monitoring
  • Lower costs due to lower brokerage rates charged by brokers and no stamp duty
  • There is no minimum lot in case of Dematerialised shares. You can therefore buy/sell even 1 share
  • There is greater transparency in the whole process
The process of Dematerialisation takes approx. 3 to 4 weeks. This completely depends on the time that the company's R & T agent takes to check and confirm your shares.
The R & T Agent will check the certificates submitted by you vis-a-vis the records at their end. If everything is in order, they will cancel the certificates and the shares will be credited to your Demat Account. The physical certificates will cease to exist hereafter. In case of any discrepancy e.g. signature mismatch, etc., the certificates will be returned back to you through your Depository Participant. These certificates can be resubmitted after rectification of the discrepancy.
Citibank will send you, periodically, the details of all the shares in your account. You can also check the status on Citibank Online Internet Banking or by calling CitiPhone Banking.

You can:

  • Continue holding them as free shares in your Demat Account
  • Transfer the shares to any other person who has a Demat Account
  • Sell these shares
  • Pledge them to avail a loan/overdraft
The process of converting the shares from the Dematerialised form back to the physical form is called 'Rematerialisation'. If at any point of time you want your certificates back, all you need to do is submit a request by filling the Rematerialisation Request Form (RRF) to your Depository Participant.

Yes, you will need the services of a broker who will help you execute your buy/sell transaction on the exchange.

You need to inform him that you want the shares credited to your Demat Account. You will need to provide him with your Demat Account details.

Yes, you still need the services of a broker. He can help you sell the shares on the exchange where the shares of your company are listed. On confirmation from your broker that the shares have been sold, you need to transfer the shares from your Demat Account to your broker's account. Please remember there are strict deadlines within which you need to transfer the shares to your broker.

It is very simple. All you need to do is fill and sign the transfer instructions (Annexure L), which is akin to a Bank Account cheque book - and hand it over to your Depository Participant. Your broker should be able to help you with the type of instruction ('On-market' or 'Off-market' instruction) and the relevant details required for such an instruction. In all probability, you will need to do an 'On-market Transfer' to your broker by entering the following details:

  • CM BP ID - Clearing Member Business Partner ID of your broker
  • Settlement Number - the settlement number in which your shares were sold on the exchange
  • Market Type - the market type in which your shares were sold on the exchange

All these details will be provided to you by your broker.

Please remember there are strict deadlines within which the shares must be transferred.

In India, we currently follow the T+2 rolling settlement cycle. Simply stated, the broker through whom you have sold your shares needs to deliver the same to the exchange on the 2nd business day after the day of trade. Hence, you need to deliver the shares to your broker latest by day T+1 i.e., the next business day.

E.g. if you have sold your shares on Monday (Day T), you need to transfer the shares to your broker latest by Tuesday (Day T+1) to enable the broker to deliver the shares to the exchange on Wednesday (Day T+2). (Please also see the time limits for instructions on Citibank Online)

Annexure L is a transfer instruction form, which needs to be signed by all the joint holders of the Demat Account, and submitted to the Citibank branch. The Annexure L is akin to the cheque book for your Bank Account.

A personalized Annexure L booklet is sent to you along with your welcome kit at the time of account opening. For additional booklets, you need to send a request signed by all the holders of the account.

If you fail to deliver the shares within the specified time frame, your broker will not be able to deliver the same to the exchange. There will thus be a default. A penalty will be imposed by the exchange and the requisite number of shares will then have to be bought from the auction market (this transaction will normally be at a loss as compared to the normal market). The penalty as well as the loss will be passed on by the broker and must be borne by you.
Every Demat Account, at the time of account opening, based on your instructions, is linked to a Citibank account. You can give transfer instructions for the Demat Account by using the IPIN that has been issued for your Bank Account. Once you login, you need to click on the 'Investments' menu on the left of your screen and then click on the 'Share Transfer Option'. The relevant details need to be entered to register a beneficiary as 'payee', to whom shares can be transferred.

All instructions that you give on the net have to be authorized by you using your IPIN. This password should be known only to you. For further security,on successful addition of payee, alert will be sent through SMS via mobile(registered) and email(registered). Only 3 payees in the last 24-hours can be added across all transactions and across all linked accounts. There will be a limit of Rs.30000 for the first 24 working hours(excluding certain restricted days) for the payee added. Post 24(for holidays and restricted days, it will be higher)hours of addition of payee, customer will be able to transact according to the existing Citibank Online transaction limits.

Moreover, for instructions given by you and which are still pending execution, you also have the option of cancelling the same.

The details required depend on the type of transaction you are doing -

On-market Transfer

The following details need to be provided:

  • CM BP ID i.e., the Clearing Member Business Partner ID of the broker
  • Market Type
  • Settlement Number

Your broker can help and provide you with all these details.

Off-market Transfer

The following details need to be provided:

  • DP ID i.e., the Depository Participant ID where the target Demat Account has been opened
  • Client ID i.e., the target Demat Account number
Yes, this is specific to the type of transaction you are doing.
Instructions will get executed at 6.30 p.m. IST on weekdays and 2.30 p.m. IST on Saturdays.
Yes, it is possible for you to cancel the instructions, provided the same is still pending i.e., the status is 'Pending NSDL Confirmation'. In all other cases, you will not be able to cancel the instructions.
The cancellation instructions can be given using Citibank Online. You will need the Transaction Reference Number given to you at the time of authorising the transaction.