# Dematerialisation Dematerialisation is the process of converting your physical shares into digital form. In the pre-digitalisation period, shares were issued in the form of certificates. However, there is a risk of the certificates getting lost, torn or stolen. After technological achievements, stocks started getting stored in Demat accounts which allow the investor to escape all the hassles mentioned above. If any investor still has physical shares and wishes to convert them into digital shares, they can do by filling out a dematerialisation request form which is available with depository participants. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://www.logeshpaul.com/wiki/finance/dematerialisation.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.