Company registration
Documents required for private limited company registration
Incorporation rarely fails on the form. It fails on an address proof that is two months too old, or a utility bill in someone else's name.
Updated 12 Aug 20266 min read
Every private limited company incorporation runs on two document sets: one for the people, and one for the place. Get both right the first time and the filing is routine. Get one wrong and the registrar sends the form back, which costs a week and a resubmission.
For every director and shareholder
- PAN card, mandatory for Indian nationals and used as the primary identity link across MCA, income tax and GST
- Aadhaar card, used for authentication and to link the DIN
- One passport size photograph against a plain background
- Identity proof: passport, voter identity card or driving licence
- Address proof: bank statement, electricity bill, telephone bill or mobile bill, not older than two months
The two month rule is where most rejections come from. A bank statement downloaded in April will not be accepted for a July filing.
For the registered office
- Electricity bill or another utility bill for the premises, not older than two months
- Rent agreement, where the premises are rented
- A no objection letter from the owner of the premises, signed
- Sale deed or property document, where the premises are owned by a director
A residential address is acceptable. Plenty of companies incorporate from a founder's home and change the address later by filing INC-22 once they move into an office.
When a director is a foreign national
The passport becomes mandatory identity proof, and every document has to be notarised and apostilled in the country of origin, or attested at the Indian consulate there. Documents that are already in English do not need translation. At least one director on the board must be resident in India, counted as 182 days or more of stay in the previous financial year.
What the documents are actually used for
| Stage | Documents used |
|---|---|
| Digital signature certificate | PAN, Aadhaar, photograph, and a video verification |
| Name reservation | None, but the proposed objects and the trademark position matter |
| SPICe+ incorporation | Every director and shareholder document, plus the office proof |
| PAN, TAN and bank account | Filed along with SPICe+, no separate application needed |
Scanned copies are enough to begin. Originals are only needed if the department asks for verification, which is uncommon for incorporation and more common for GST.