Company registration in Pakistan through SECP

Which company type should you register?

Most new businesses in Pakistan choose between two structures. The right one depends on how many people own the business and whether outside investment is coming.

If you are unsure, the practical question is whether anyone else will ever hold equity. Converting later is possible but adds cost and paperwork, so it is usually worth registering the structure you expect to need in two years rather than the one you need today.

What the registration process involves

1. Name reservation. We check availability in real time on the SECP portal and reserve a compliant name. This usually resolves within a day.
2. Document preparation. Memorandum and Articles of Association, director and shareholder CNICs, and the registered office address are compiled and checked before submission.
3. Incorporation filing. The application is filed through SECP's eZfile system. Straightforward incorporations are typically processed in one to three working days.
4. Integrated registrations. Incorporation data flows automatically to FBR for your NTN, to EOBI and Social Security for employee benefits, and to the provincial labour department.
5. Certificate delivery. You receive the digital incorporation certificate, which banks and regulatory bodies accept for account opening and licensing.

Ongoing corporate compliance

Registration is the beginning of the obligation, not the end of it. A registered company in Pakistan carries continuing filing duties, and the penalties for missing them are cheaper to avoid than to fix.

• Annual returns filed with SECP each year
• Audited financial statements where the company's size or structure requires them
• Form A-29 whenever directors or officers change
• Charge registration and vacation when the company takes or clears secured borrowing
• Certified true copies of corporate documents, commonly requested by banks and counterparties

Most clients keep incorporation and annual compliance under one engagement so nothing is missed in year two, which is when lapses usually happen.

Other SECP services

Beyond incorporation, A&A Verity handles the corporate filings that come up as a business grows: search reports on other companies before you enter a contract with them, amendments to the memorandum or articles, charge registration when you take a secured loan, and certified true copies for banks, tenders and due diligence.

Registering from overseas

Overseas Pakistanis and foreign investors can register a company in Pakistan without travelling, provided identity documents are properly attested and a local registered office address is available. We handle the filing, correspondence and follow-up locally, and coordinate the document attestation your jurisdiction requires. Time zone differences are managed by keeping all correspondence written rather than requiring live calls.