How to open a Zerodha minor demat account

From WebNotes, a public knowledge base. Last updated 12 May 2026. Reading time ~8 min. Level: Beginner.

This guide explains how a parent or legal guardian can open a demat account for a minor child with Zerodha, including the documents required, the operating restrictions during minority, and the steps needed when the minor attains the age of majority.

Step-by-step procedure

Step 1: Confirm age and guardian eligibility

A minor is any person below 18 years of age. The guardian who will operate the Zerodha account must be:

Natural guardian: The biological mother or father. No court certificate is needed.
Legal guardian: A person appointed by a competent court. A certified copy of the court-issued guardianship certificate must be submitted with the account opening forms.

A grandparent or sibling acting as a guardian without a court order is not accepted by SEBI-registered depositories. The guardianship must be formally documented.

SEBI regulations restrict minor demat accounts to holding securities only. The minor’s account cannot be used for intraday trading, futures and options, currency derivatives, or commodity trading. Only delivery-based equity, mutual fund units, government securities, and IPO allotments are permitted.

The Zerodha minor account overview page explains the full list of permissible and restricted activities.

Step 2: Obtain a PAN for the minor

A minor’s PAN is required before opening the demat account. Apply on the Income Tax e-Filing portal (incometax.gov.in) or through NSDL/UTIITSL:

Use Form 49A.
Select “Minor” in the category field.
Provide the guardian’s PAN and identity details as the applicant.
Attach the minor’s birth certificate as identity and date-of-birth proof.

The PAN is issued in the minor’s name. Processing takes 5-7 business days.

Step 3: Open a bank account in the minor’s name (recommended)

It is preferable to open a minor’s savings account (with guardian as the operating authority) in the minor’s name at a scheduled bank. This simplifies fund tracking and ensures clear separation of the minor’s assets. A cancelled cheque from this account is needed in the application.

Step 4: Download and fill the minor account opening forms

Navigate to zerodha.com/open-account and select the minor account type to download the form package, which includes:

Minor account opening application form
Guardian declaration annexure
IPV declaration

Fill the account opening form in the minor’s name, not the guardian’s name. The minor’s PAN, date of birth, and address are entered in the primary fields. In the guardian section, enter:

Guardian’s full name as on their PAN card.
Guardian’s PAN number.
Guardian’s relationship to the minor (father, mother, or legal guardian).
Guardian’s Aadhaar number.
Guardian’s address (which will serve as the correspondence address).

The guardian signs every page of the application. The minor does not sign any form, regardless of age.

Do not select F&O, intraday, currency, or commodity segments. These cannot be activated on a minor account.

Step 5: Complete the guardian declaration annexure

The guardian declaration is a document in which the guardian declares:

That they are the natural or legal guardian of the named minor.
That they will operate the account on behalf of the minor until the minor attains the age of 18.
That they accept responsibility for all transactions and obligations under the account.
That they will notify Zerodha and initiate account conversion when the minor turns 18.

Sign the declaration and affix the guardian’s passport-size photograph alongside the signature.

Step 6: Compile attested documents

Prepare self-attested copies (attested by the guardian) of the following:

Document	Notes
Minor’s PAN card	Self-attested by guardian
Minor’s birth certificate	Issued by Municipal Corporation, hospital, or school
Guardian’s PAN card	Self-attested by guardian
Guardian’s Aadhaar card	Self-attested by guardian
Court guardianship certificate (if applicable)	Certified true copy if guardian is not a natural parent
Cancelled cheque from linked bank account	Account in minor’s or guardian’s name
Guardian’s passport-size photograph	Affixed on the guardian declaration form

Step 7: Courier the complete package

Send the assembled forms and documents by trackable courier to:

Zerodha Broking Limited 153/154, 4th Cross, Judges Colony, J.P. Nagar 4th Phase, Bengaluru 560078, Karnataka, India

Retain the courier tracking number and a full copy of everything dispatched.

Step 8: Receive credentials and operate the account

After processing (5-7 business days from receipt), Zerodha sends login credentials to the guardian’s registered email address. The guardian sets the trading and login passwords and then operates the Kite account entirely on behalf of the minor for buying and selling securities in permitted segments.

The demat account overview explains how securities are credited and how the minor’s holdings appear on account statements via CDSL or NSDL.

Step 9: Convert the account on attaining majority (future action)

When the minor turns 18, the account must be frozen and converted to a regular individual account. Zerodha notifies the account holder in advance. The process requires:

Submission of fresh KYC documents in the now-adult’s name.
Completion of the online eKYC flow or fresh physical forms.
Activation of any additional segments if desired.

The minor’s existing holdings transfer to the converted individual account. No new transactions can be made in the minor account after the conversion request is submitted; the account is frozen until the conversion is complete.

What can go wrong

Minor PAN not obtained before applying: The account cannot be opened without a PAN in the minor’s name. Applying with the guardian’s PAN in the minor’s PAN field causes rejection.
Trading segments ticked for minor account: Any segment other than equity delivery causes the application to be flagged. Remove all derivative, intraday, and commodity segment selections.
Guardian is not the natural parent and has no court order: Grandparents, uncles, aunts, and siblings cannot open a minor account without a court-issued guardianship certificate. This is a SEBI and CDSL/NSDL requirement.
Failure to convert on turning 18: If the account is not converted after the minor turns 18, Zerodha and the depository may freeze all debits from the account.
Settlement account not clearly identified as belonging to the minor: Ensure the cancelled cheque or bank letter shows the account is for the minor to avoid fund-tracking complications.

Zerodha minor account overview - Permissible activities, restrictions, and conversion process at majority
How to open a Zerodha account online - Standard individual account for adults
How to add a nominee on Zerodha - Nominee registration once the account converts to an individual account
How to complete Zerodha KYC online - KYC process applicable at account conversion
How to track Zerodha account opening status - Monitor the application after submission
Demat account overview - How dematerialised securities are held and transferred

References

SEBI Circular on minor demat accounts and guardian operations (SEBI/HO/MIRSD/DOP/CIR/P/2020/25, 6 February 2020).
CDSL Operating Instructions, Chapter 4.6: Minor account opening and guardian obligations (revised 2024).
Income Tax Department, PAN application for minors, Form 49A instructions, NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Ltd.
Zerodha minor account page: zerodha.com/open-account (accessed May 2026).
SEBI Circular on KYC for individual investors including minors (SEBI/HO/MIRSD/MIRSD-PoD-1/P/CIR/2023/37, 23 March 2023).

Reviewed and published by

WebNotes Editorial Team

The WebNotes Editorial Team covers Indian capital markets, payments infrastructure and retail investor procedures. Every article is fact-checked against primary sources, principally SEBI circulars and master directions, NPCI specifications and the official support documentation published by the intermediary in question. Drafts go through a second-pair-of-eyes review and a separate compliance read before publication, and revisions are tracked against the SEBI and NPCI rule changes referenced in the methodology section.

Last reviewed: 12 May 2026
Conflicts of interest: WebNotes is independent. No relationship with any broker, registrar or bank named in this article.

Time required	7-10 business days (physical forms)
Documents needed	Minor's PAN and birth certificate, guardian's PAN and Aadhaar, bank account proof
Cost	Rs 200 account opening fee