SECP Company Registration in Gujranwala
Incorporation takes days. The filing relationship it starts does not end.
A company is registered with SECP through its eServices portal — a name reservation, then an incorporation filing, then a certificate and a CUIN. The filing itself is not the difficult part. Choosing the right structure, writing an object clause that matches what the business will actually do, and understanding what incorporation obliges you to file afterwards are what the decision turns on.
Which Structure Fits
The choice is made before anything is filed, because changing it later means filing again.
Single Member Company
One shareholder, limited liability, and a nominee named at incorporation. Suited to a sole owner who wants the company form without a second shareholder on paper.
Private Limited Company
Two or more shareholders. The usual choice where there are partners, outside investment is expected, or customers require a company to deal with.
Limited Liability Partnership
Registered with SECP under the LLP Act, 2017. A partnership structure with limited liability, used mainly by professional and service practices.
Sole proprietorships and ordinary partnerships are not registered with SECP at all. If that is what you have, what you need is an NTN registration, not incorporation.
What the File Needs
SECP’s requirements are unforgiving about detail. Most rejections are spelling and address problems, not legal ones.
- Three proposed names in order of priority, none identical or deceptively similar to an existing company, and none using restricted words or implying government patronage
- Memorandum of Association with an object clause that matches the real business activity
- Articles of Association, worth tailoring where there is more than one shareholder
- CNICs of every subscriber and director, with names spelled exactly as they appear on the CNIC
- Passport copies for any foreign national subscriber or director
- A registered office address that genuinely exists and that you control
- A digital signature or PIN for each subscriber, to sign electronically
- The SECP fee, calculated on authorised capital
Name applications submitted before 10:00 a.m. are dealt with the same working day; later ones move to the next.
Incorporation Is the Start of the Obligations, Not the End
A certificate gives the company legal existence. It does not make it able to trade or compliant with anything.
- An NTN in the company’s name, obtained separately from FBR after incorporation
- A bank account in the company’s name — not a director’s personal account
- An assessment of whether sales tax registration is required federally, or with the Punjab Revenue Authority for services
- Books and records in place before the first transaction, not reconstructed afterwards
- Annual filings with SECP, and notification of changes in directors, address or capital
- An annual income tax return — for a 30 June year end, due by 31 December
Penalties for company defaults accumulate while the default continues rather than landing once, which is why a dormant company nobody files for becomes expensive quietly.
- IncorporationName reserved, documents filed, certificate issued by SECP.
- Company NTNThe company is its own taxpayer, separate from you.
- Bank accountOpened in the company name, which the NTN is needed for.
- Sales tax or PRAOnly if what the company sells brings it inside either regime.
- Annual filings, both sidesA return to FBR and statutory returns to SECP, every year, regardless of trading.
A dormant company still files. The commonest and most expensive mistake we see is a company incorporated years ago, never traded, never filed — and the penalties accrued on both sides in the meantime.
How We Handle It
Settle the Structure
We establish who owns what, who is outside Pakistan, and what the business will do, then recommend the form rather than defaulting to private limited.
Reserve the Name
Three names in priority order, checked against SECP’s restrictions before submission so the application is not returned.
File the Incorporation
Memorandum, articles and subscriber particulars prepared and filed on eServices, with the object clause written for the actual activity.
Set up What Follows
NTN, bank account documentation, the sales tax position and a filing calendar — so the company is usable, not just registered.
Common Questions
How long does incorporation take?
Name reservation is generally dealt with the same working day when submitted before 10:00 a.m. Incorporation follows once the file is complete. The realistic constraint is how quickly subscriber documents and digital signatures come together, not SECP.
Can one person own a company?
Yes — a single member company has one shareholder, with a nominee named at incorporation to take over in the event of the member’s death.
Can a foreign national be a director or shareholder?
Yes, with passport particulars in place of a CNIC. Additional requirements can apply depending on nationality and shareholding, so this is worth settling before names are reserved.
Does registering a company remove my personal filing obligation?
No. The company files its own return, and you continue to file yours. Two separate obligations, two separate ATL positions.
What does it cost?
SECP’s fee depends on authorised capital and is set by their current fee schedule, so it is quoted at the time of filing rather than published here. Tell us the capital you have in mind and we will give you the figure.
Tell Us What the Business Actually Does
Tell us who the owners are, what the business will do and whether anyone is outside Pakistan. We will tell you which structure fits, what the file needs and what it will cost at current SECP rates.
Procedure above follows SECP’s published name reservation and incorporation material and the Companies Act, 2017, checked September 2026. SECP fees depend on authorised capital and are quoted from the current fee schedule at the time of filing rather than from this page. This page is general information, not advice on your particular circumstances.
Official sources: Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan