What is V-CIP (Video KYC)?
V-CIP (Video-based Customer Identification Process) is RBI's framework for doing KYC over a live video call instead of in person. A trained official of the bank or NBFC verifies the customer's identity documents, face and liveness on a consented, recorded call from within India. When done as prescribed, V-CIP is treated as equivalent to face-to-face KYC.
V-CIP yaani Video KYC: bank ya NBFC ka official video call par aapki pehchaan verify karta hai. Aadhaar ya DigiLocker document, PAN, live chehra aur location check hota hai. Sahi process se hua V-CIP face-to-face KYC jaisa hi mana jata hai, branch jaane ki zarurat nahi.
Full form and origin
V-CIP stands for Video-based Customer Identification Process. RBI introduced it in January 2020 through its Master Direction on KYC, so regulated entities can onboard customers remotely without losing the assurance of in-person verification.
How a V-CIP call works
- The customer consents and shares identity data, typically Aadhaar through offline XML or DigiLocker, plus PAN.
- A trained official, not a bot, joins a live video call. The customer must be in India, which is checked by geo-tagging.
- The official matches the live face to the document photo, runs liveness checks, and sees the original PAN on camera.
- The session is recorded with a date and time stamp and stored securely. Concurrent audit and checks follow.
Is video KYC full KYC?
Yes. A V-CIP done as the Master Direction prescribes is treated as face-to-face KYC, so the account doesn't carry the limits that OTP-based e-KYC accounts do. This is its main advantage over Aadhaar OTP e-KYC.
What makes V-CIP hard to run well
Low bandwidth in smaller towns, deepfake and replay attacks, agent availability at peak hours, and audit-ready storage. Modern stacks add passive liveness, face-match scoring and document OCR before the call, so the agent only confirms instead of typing. See Digital KYC.
Common questions
What is the full form of V-CIP?
Video-based Customer Identification Process, RBI's framework for doing KYC over a live video call.
What is V-CIP used for?
Remote customer onboarding by banks, NBFCs and other RBI-regulated entities, with the same standing as in-person KYC.
Is video KYC full KYC?
Yes, if done as RBI's Master Direction prescribes. It is treated as face-to-face KYC.
Is video KYC safe?
It is recorded, done by a trained official from within India, and includes liveness checks. Never share OTPs or your UPI PIN on a KYC call. A genuine V-CIP will not ask for them.
V-CIP kya hai?
V-CIP yaani Video KYC, jisme bank ka official live video call par aapki pehchaan aur documents verify karta hai.
Related
ZyroAI products for this: Digital KYC.
Written by the ZyroAI team for people building in Indian BFSI. Regulatory rules change, so for binding requirements check the current RBI, NPCI, UIDAI or relevant regulator circular. Last updated 2026-09-24.