Folio number
What it is
A folio number is the reference a company's registrar uses to identify one shareholder's holding. It appears on share certificates, dividend warrants and any letter the registrar has sent.
It is not a demat account number, and it is not the same as a folio number in a mutual fund — a distinction worth making, because searching for the wrong one wastes time.
When you need it
You are contacting a registrar about a physical holding — it is the fastest way for them to find the record.
You are claiming unpaid dividends and need to identify which holding they relate to.
You hold several folios with the same company and want them consolidated.
When you don’t
The holding is in demat form, where the DP ID and client ID identify it instead.
You do not have it — a claim can still be started from the company name and the shareholder's name.
Where this fits
Services that need it
Guides that use this
Problems this solves
Tell us what you are trying to claim and we will tell you exactly which documents apply — before you start filling anything in.