Company Registration in Pakistan
Registering a company is mostly a documents exercise. The part that delays people is not the filing, it is arriving at it without the name approved, the capital decided or every director's CNIC to hand. This page sets out exactly what each structure needs, what we handle, and what it costs.
Decide the structure first
This page assumes that decision is made. If it is not, it is worth twenty minutes before any form is filled in, because changing structure later is more work than choosing correctly now. Our guide to choosing a business structure in Pakistan works through liability, credibility, compliance burden and cost.
What we register, and what it costs
These fees are published on our services and fees page and are reproduced here unchanged, so the two agree.
Private Limited Company
The usual choice where there is more than one owner, or where customers and lenders expect an incorporated supplier.
What you need to provide
- Three proposed names for the company
- Clear scanned copies of CNICs of all proposed directors and subscribers
- Registered or correspondence address of the proposed company
- The principal business of the proposed company
- Nature of the business activity
- Authorised capital
- Paid up capital
- Value per share, for example Rs. 10, Rs. 50 or Rs. 100
- The combination of shares each director or subscriber will subscribe to
- Name of the Chief Executive of the proposed company
- Telephone numbers and email IDs of all proposed directors
- SECP login details of the proposed directors or subscribers, if any
Single Member Company (SMC)
A company with one owner. It needs a nominee, which is the practical difference from a private limited company at registration.
What you need to provide
- Three proposed names for the company
- Clear scanned copies of CNICs of all proposed directors, subscribers and the nominee
- Registered or correspondence address of the proposed company
- The principal business of the proposed company
- Nature of the business activity
- Authorised capital and paid up capital
- Value per share
- Telephone numbers and email IDs of all proposed directors and the nominee
- SECP login details of the proposed directors or subscribers, if any
Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
Partnership flexibility with limited liability. Note that FBR credentials of the proposed partners are needed at registration.
What you need to provide
- Three proposed names for the LLP
- Clear scanned copies of CNICs of all proposed partners
- FBR credentials of the proposed partners
- Registered or correspondence address of the proposed LLP
- The principal business of the proposed LLP
- Nature of the business activity
- The combination of shares each partner will subscribe to
- Telephone numbers and email IDs of all proposed partners
- SECP login details of the proposed partners, if any
Partnership or AOP
Registered with the registrar of firms rather than the SECP. Published as available only in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, the whole of Punjab and Islamabad.
What you need to provide
- Clear scanned copies of CNICs of all proposed partners
- Nature of the business activity
- Registered or correspondence address of the AOP
- Letterhead of the AOP
- Rent agreement or ownership documents for the office premises (for AOPs outside Karachi)
- Latest paid electricity bill (for AOPs outside Karachi)
- Phone numbers of all partners
- Email addresses of all partners
After registration
Incorporation starts an annual cycle rather than finishing a task. Filings fall due whether or not the company traded, and changes to directors or shareholding have to be notified.
- Private limited company compliances — Minimum fee Rs. 25,000 annually, excluding SECP fees. Our estimate: 15 to 25 working days.
- Single member company compliances — Minimum fee Rs. 25,000 annually, excluding SECP fees. Our estimate: 7 to 10 working days.
- Director changes — Minimum fee Rs. 35,000, excluding SECP fees. Our estimate: 20 to 30 working days.
Registering for tax is normally the immediate next step after incorporation. Our guides to NTN registration and sales tax registration cover what comes next.
Two numbers we deliberately do not print
The SECP fee. It depends on the authorised capital you register, so any figure quoted here without knowing your capital would be wrong. Our fees above are stated as excluding it, exactly as they are on our services page. Tell us the authorised capital you have in mind and we will give you the complete number.
A statutory processing time. The timescales above are our service estimates, not a guarantee from the regulator, and the biggest variable is name approval. The current position on fees, forms and procedure is published by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.
Common questions
Which structure should I register?
That is a different question from how to register, and it deserves its own answer. Liability, credibility with larger customers, compliance burden and cost all pull in different directions. Our guide to choosing a business structure works through the trade-offs; this page assumes you have already decided.
What is the difference between a private limited company and a single member company?
A single member company has one owner. At registration the practical difference is that an SMC must name a nominee, so you need that person's CNIC alongside your own. Our published fee is the same for both.
Why can you not tell me the total cost?
Because part of it is not ours to set. Our fee is published above. The SECP fee sits on top and depends on the amount of authorised capital you register, so a figure quoted here without knowing your capital would be wrong. Tell us the authorised capital you have in mind and we will give you the whole number.
How long does registration really take?
The timescales above are our own service estimates, not a regulator's guarantee, and the largest variable is name approval. If your first choice of name is rejected the clock restarts on that step, which is exactly why three names are asked for at the start.
What happens after the company is registered?
Incorporation is the beginning of an annual cycle rather than the end of a task. Filings fall due whether or not the company traded, and director or shareholding changes have to be notified. The ongoing services above cover that, and registration for tax is usually the immediate next step.
Start a registration
Send us the structure you have chosen and the names you would like, and we will tell you what is missing before anything is submitted. You can see who is on the team on our team page.
This page is general information, not legal or professional advice. Requirements, forms, government fees and procedures are set by law and change. Confirm the current position with the SECP, or with us, before acting. Fees shown are Esperta's own published service fees and exclude SECP and other official charges.
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