The Step-by-Step Guide to Company Registration in Pakistan

This article is helpful for those who want to register their businesses on SECP, which costs 50% less than offline. Most people spend hefty amounts of fees on professionals to register their business due to a lack of awareness. Hence this article explains the process of registering a company with SECP. The SECP is the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan where the registration process is handled. So to register any business or a company in Pakistan, we will provide step by step guide to you.

Why start a business in Pakistan?

There are a lot of reasons to start a business in Pakistan. Some of its key advantages include low competition, a huge population, and a rapidly growing economy.

SECP E-Services Portal

For the entire incorporation process, you shall be using the SECP eServices Portal.

Note: eServices Portal is only compatible with Internet Explorer. Refer to this eServices Guide by SECP for more information.

Step-By-Step Process

Here are the steps to reserve the company name and incorporation of the company.

Step 1: Name Reservation

The first step of company registration in Pakistan is choosing the company’s name.

Firstly use SECP’s Company Name Search to check if your recommended name is available or not.
Log on to the e-services page on the SECP website. The only process available for you on this page is Company Name Reservation.
Start the process and fill out the details. To complete this process you will need to make a payment of Rs. 200 either online through your credit/debit card, or you can take a printout of the challan. The amount can be deposited in any of the selected branches of MCB or UBL.

Refer to this Company Name Reservation Guide by SECP for more information. You will receive an email about two to three days if your name reservation is successful. If there is any objection then you may require to repeat the first step.

Your company name will be reserved for 90 days. You can either pick up the Company Name Reservation Certificate from the concerned Company Registration Office (CRO) on the next working day or it will be delivered to your address in 2 – 4 days.

NOTE: You have to devise a unique company name that would set you apart from the rest in the industry and not use the Prohibited terms. Any deceptive or inappropriate words will not be approved by the SECP.

Step 2: Submission of Documents

Once the company name gets approval, you need to submit the incorporation documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

Copies of

the Memorandum and Articles of Association with each member’s signature. Where,

Memorandum of Association explains your business sector of the company e.g. Trading or manufacturing, Supply or chain of stores, Institution, Travel agency, etc. MOA simply tells about the relationship of your company with the outside world.

Articles of Association tells about how the company will run. Simply it is about the day-to-day proceedings within the company i.e. what role the CEO and directors would play, business concerning meetings, and the appointments of employees. In short, it tells about how the company will run.

Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association. Their samples are available on the SECP website.

A scanned version of CNICs Directors, CEO, Nominee (for the single-member company) or copies of passport in case of a foreigner.
NOC or letter of intent/ license from concerned authorities if you want to register some specialized business.
Scanned Receipt of Bank Deposit (In case of Offline Payment)

Note: When using eServices you only need to upload the following documents in PDF format.

Step 3: Fee of Incorporation/Filing

After the registration, shareholders must deposit their corresponding amount of shares to the company’s bank account, you can calculate it online using the Incorporation Fee Calculator. For more details, see the Schedule of Fees.

OFFLINE PAYMENT: You will have to upload the deposit receipt before you can submit the process.

ONLINE PAYMENT: After completing the previous steps, you will have to submit the process, and then it will appear in the online payment section of eServices from where you can make the online payment.

NOTE: Please keep the offline payment receipt in a safe place or print the online receipt. You will need it for step

Step 4: Certificate of Incorporation

After submitting the documents, the SECP evaluates them. They check their validity. A digital signature is granted by National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NIFT) and can be obtained using E-services of SECP. After the certificate of incorporation is issued, you may be required to present a company seal, this depends on where the business started.

Click here to Download NIFT Application Form

Instructions for obtaining and installing digital certificates are available here. In case of any difficulty contact the NIFT helpline.

Sign the documents using the eServices portal and proceed to the next steps.