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Documents required for private limited company registration in India

3 min read

Most delays in company registration come from documents, not forms. A blurred PAN, an old electricity bill or a name spelt two different ways is enough for the Registrar to send your application back. Here is the full checklist, grouped by who provides what.

From each director and shareholder

Every proposed director and subscriber (first shareholder) provides identity and address proof. For Indian nationals:

DocumentNotes
PAN cardMandatory for Indian nationals. The name on PAN is treated as the master spelling.
Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licenceIdentity proof, in addition to PAN.
Address proofBank statement, utility bill or mobile bill in the person's name, not older than two months.
Passport-size photographRecent, clear, plain background.
Email and mobile numberEach person's own, for OTP verification. Do not reuse one number for everyone.
Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)Class 3, used to sign the forms. See DSC and DIN.

Foreign nationals and NRIs

Foreign directors and subscribers provide a passport as identity proof and a recent address proof such as a bank statement or utility bill. These documents must be notarised or apostilled in the country of residence, depending on that country's treaty status with India.

For the registered office

The company must have a registered office from the day it is incorporated. You need:

  • Proof of address: a recent electricity, water, gas or telephone bill for the premises, not older than two months.
  • No-objection certificate (NOC) from the owner, allowing the company to use the premises as its registered office.
  • Rent or lease agreement, if the premises are rented.
  • Ownership proof such as a sale deed or property tax receipt, if the premises are owned by a director or relative.

Read registered office proof and NOC for what the NOC must say and how to handle a home address.

Documents prepared for the filing

These are drafted for your company and filed with SPICe+:

DocumentPurpose
Memorandum of Association (MOA)The company's charter: name, registered state, objects, liability and capital. Filed as e-MOA (INC-33).
Articles of Association (AOA)Internal rules on shares, meetings and directors. Filed as e-AOA (INC-34).
DIR-2Each director's written consent to act as director. See DIR-2 consent.
INC-9Declaration by subscribers and directors that they are not disqualified. See INC-9.
Office NOCOwner's permission to use the premises.

FreeCompliance prepares all five of these for free from one form. You can start your application and download them in about ten minutes.

Format rules that trip people up

  • Upload scans in PDF, in colour, with all four corners of the card visible.
  • Keep each attachment under the MCA file-size limit; compress large scans rather than cropping them.
  • Bank statements used as address proof should show the bank's seal or be the official e-statement.
  • If the utility bill is in a landlord's name, the NOC must come from that same person.
  • Do not password-protect any PDF.

Frequently asked questions

PAN is mandatory for Indian directors and subscribers. Aadhaar is commonly used as identity proof, but a passport, voter ID or driving licence also works.

Address proofs such as bank statements and utility bills should not be older than two months on the date of filing.

Yes. Every subscriber signs the e-MOA and e-AOA digitally, so each needs a valid DSC.

Yes, if the provider gives a rent agreement, a recent utility bill and an NOC. The company must be able to receive post there.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Government fees and procedures change; confirm current figures before you file.

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