Short answer: you need PAN and Aadhaar for every director and shareholder, one photo ID and one address proof each, a recent utility bill for the registered office, an NOC from the property owner, and passport-size photographs. Foreign nationals need notarised and apostilled documents instead. The full checklist is below.
Most registrations do not fail. They get delayed — usually by a document that was blurry, expired, or carried a name spelled differently than on PAN. Getting this right at the start is the difference between a filing that clears and one that comes back twice.
For every director and shareholder
Each individual — whether they are a director, a shareholder, or both — needs the following.
Identity
- PAN card. Mandatory for Indian nationals. No exceptions.
- Aadhaar card. Used for e-signing and verification.
- One photo ID, any of: passport, voter ID, or driving licence.
Address proof — must be recent
Any one of: bank statement, electricity bill, telephone bill, or mobile bill.
The critical bit founders miss: this must be dated within the last two months. A three-month-old electricity bill is the single most common cause of resubmission we see. Check the date before you send it.
Also required
- Passport-size photograph, recent, plain background.
- Email address and mobile number — these must be personally accessible to that individual, because OTPs go to them directly. Do not use a shared office email.
For foreign nationals or NRI directors
The requirement is higher and the timing is longer, so start early.
- Passport — mandatory, in place of PAN.
- Address proof: driving licence, bank statement, or a government-issued residence document.
- All documents must be notarised and apostilled in the country of origin. If that country is not a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention, they must be consularised at the Indian embassy instead.
- Documents not in English must carry a certified translation.
Apostille takes weeks in some jurisdictions. If a foreign director is involved, begin this before anything else in the process.
For the registered office
Your registered office is the address the ROC and every government department will use to reach you. It does not have to be a commercial property — a residential address is perfectly acceptable.
- Recent utility bill for the premises — electricity, gas, water or telephone — again dated within the last two months.
- Proof of ownership or a rent agreement.
- No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the owner of the property, permitting the company to use it as its registered office. If you own it yourself, you provide the NOC in your own name.
If you have not finalised an address, you can incorporate using a correspondence address and file Form INC-22 within 30 days to notify the permanent registered office.
What we prepare for you
You do not draft these — they are prepared as part of the incorporation and signed by you digitally.
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for each director. Required before anything can be filed.
- DIN (Director Identification Number), allotted through the incorporation form for first-time directors.
- Memorandum of Association (MOA) — states what the company is permitted to do.
- Articles of Association (AOA) — the internal rulebook: how shares move, how decisions are made.
- Declarations and consents — INC-9 and DIR-2, from each proposed director.
The four mistakes that cause most resubmissions
1. The name. Your proposed name must not be identical or deceptively similar to an existing company or a registered trademark, and it must comply with the naming rules. Always submit with a second choice. A rejected name application means paying again to reapply — and it is the most common avoidable cost in the whole process.
2. Name mismatches across documents. If your PAN says “Rajesh Kumar Singh” and your bank statement says “Rajesh K. Singh”, expect an objection. Check that the name is spelled identically everywhere before submitting.
3. Stale address proof. Two months. It is worth saying a third time, because it is genuinely the most frequent cause of delay.
4. Poor scans. Full page, all four corners visible, in colour, legible. A photograph of a document taken at an angle will come back.
After incorporation — the part nobody warns you about
Getting the certificate of incorporation is not the finish line. Three obligations start immediately, and the first one has teeth.
- Form INC-20A — declaration of commencement of business, within 180 days of incorporation under section 10A. Until it is filed you cannot legally begin operations or borrow money. Non-filing carries ₹50,000 on the company plus ₹1,000 per day on each officer in default, capped at ₹1,00,000.
- First auditor — appointed by the Board within 30 days of incorporation (section 139(6)).
- First board meeting — within 30 days of incorporation (section 173(1)).
Plenty of low-cost registration packages quietly stop at the certificate. Ask what happens after it, before you pay.
Not sure where your company stands? Our free compliance deadline check turns your incorporation date into your full filing schedule and shows what is already overdue.
Not sure your documents are in order?
Send us what you have. We will tell you what is missing or out of date before you pay anything — most delays are a stale address proof, and that is a two-minute check.
Message us on WhatsApp — or book a call.
Frequently asked questions
How many directors and shareholders do I need?
A private limited company needs a minimum of two directors and two shareholders. The same two people can hold both roles, so two people is enough to start.
Can I use my home address as the registered office?
Yes. A residential address is acceptable. You will need the recent utility bill and an NOC from whoever owns the property.
Do I need a rent agreement if the property is my own?
No. Provide ownership proof and an NOC in your own name.
How long does registration take?
Typically 7 to 15 working days once every document is in order. MCA processing times vary, and a rejected name adds to it — which is why the second name choice matters.
Is a Digital Signature Certificate required for shareholders too?
A DSC is required for directors and for subscribers to the memorandum. In most small companies these are the same people.
Written by CS Anchal Rai, Partner at Vittara Global Advisory LLP. General information, not professional advice. Rules change — confirm for your specific case before acting.
Ready to start? See private limited company registration, or send us your documents and we will tell you what is missing before you pay anything.
