OV (Organization Validation) and EV (Extended Validation) certificates verify your organisation, not just your domain - so visitors can see a real, registered company stands behind the site. For a well-registered Indian company, the Certificate Authority verifies most of this directly from public records, and only asks for documents when those records fall short.
What the CA checks
- Legal existence - via the MCA / Registrar of Companies (RoC) registry.
- Address and locality - your registered physical presence.
- A verification phone call - to a number listed in a public directory.
- Domain control - the usual domain validation.
OV documents (only if public records fall short)
- Business registration proof - Certificate of Incorporation, GST registration certificate, Shops & Establishment licence, or company PAN.
- Address proof - a recent utility bill, bank statement, or registered lease in the company's name.
Typical issuance is 1-3 business days once everything is confirmed.
EV - stricter identity binding
EV includes everything in OV, plus a check directly with the incorporating authority, so it usually needs documents: a Certificate of Incorporation showing the registration number, proof of operational existence (a bank confirmation letter or a D-U-N-S record), a verified physical address, government photo ID of the authorised signatory, and a signed EV Subscriber Agreement.
The India shortcut: a Legal Opinion Letter
A single Legal Opinion Letter from a practising lawyer, Chartered Accountant or Company Secretary can attest your legal existence, operational existence, physical address and signatory authority in one document. It's the common, fast route for Indian EV (and for OV when public records aren't enough).
Still deciding between DV, OV and EV? Read DV vs OV vs EV.