How to Register a Private Limited Company With SECP Online

You can register a private limited company with SECP online through eZfile at leap.secp.gov.pk. For the smallest company, SECP's fee table lists Rs 1,000 to reserve the name and Rs 6,655 to register it online. You need a valid CNIC and a mobile SIM registered in your own name.

Plenty of freelancers and small agencies in Pakistan reach the same point. A foreign client wants an invoice from a company, not a person. Or a bank, a payment platform or a tender asks for a certificate of incorporation. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) is the regulator that issues that certificate, and the whole process now runs online.

We read SECP's Seventh Schedule of fees (updated with effect from 20 April 2026), its incorporation and name reservation FAQs, and its annual return page on 3 October 2026. We did not register a company ourselves.

Pick the right type of company first

SECP lets one person form a single member company, two to 50 people form a private limited company, and three or more form a public company. Most freelancers and startups need one of the first two.

In a single member company, the nominee must be your spouse, father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter.

If you only want an NTN for your own trade, a company may be more than you need. Registering as a sole proprietor with FBR takes less paperwork. A company makes sense when clients, banks or investors ask for one.

SECP registration fees for a small company in 2026

For a company with authorised capital up to Rs 100,000, the Seventh Schedule lists Rs 6,655 online or Rs 12,100 on paper. Name reservation is Rs 1,000 online. Each extra Rs 100,000 of capital adds Rs 932, and the main fees rise 10 per cent each year.

There is no minimum capital. But SECP charges the minimum fee as if your capital were Rs 100,000, so a lower figure saves nothing. A company with Rs 1 million of authorised capital pays Rs 6,655 plus nine steps of Rs 932, which is Rs 15,043, before the name fee.

One conflict to know about. SECP's own name reservation FAQ still says Rs 200 online and Rs 500 on paper. The Seventh Schedule shows those figures were raised to Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 by SRO 1806(I)/2024 of 8 November 2024. The schedule is the law, so plan for Rs 1,000. eZfile shows the exact amount before you pay, and SECP's online fee calculator gives the capital part.

Register your company on eZfile in five steps

Sign up on eZfile, reserve a name, fill the incorporation form, attach CNIC copies and pay. SECP generates the memorandum and articles for you, and emails a digitally signed certificate of incorporation once the registrar approves. You can file name and incorporation as one combined application.

1. Sign up at leap.secp.gov.pk as a national, a NICOP holder or a foreigner. Your CNIC must be valid and the mobile number must be registered against it.
2. Check your name idea on SECP's name search, then apply for name reservation. You can propose up to three names and pay for one.
3. Fill the incorporation form: principal line of business, capital, members, directors and chief executive. The memorandum and articles are auto generated.
4. Attach a copy of each promoter's CNIC or passport, then submit.
5. Pay by debit or credit card, or by 1Bill through mobile banking, Easypaisa, an ATM or a bank counter.

Foreign directors or shareholders need extra papers, such as an undertaking certified in their home country and signed by a Pakistani diplomat. Security and matrimonial service companies also need Ministry of Interior clearance first.

Company names SECP will refuse

SECP rejects names that are the same as an existing company once you ignore word order, "the", city names, numbers or translation. Words like Pakistan, National, Group and Holding need proof. The name search result is only a guide, and the registrar makes the final call.

The FAQ gives real examples. Bluetech and Techblue count as the same name. So do Green Energy and Sabz Tawanayi, because one translates the other. Adding "Islamabad" or "One" to a taken name does not make it new.

• Pakistan or Pak at the start: needs documentary proof of a government connection.
• National: allowed for a company with government patronage.
• Group: only when you already have related companies, with evidence.
• Holding: only if the company qualifies as a holding company under the Companies Act, 2017.
• Finance, Investment, Leasing, Venture Capital: need prior approval, because they suggest a regulated business.

A coined word with a plain business word after it usually clears. If you also want to protect the brand itself, company registration is not enough. Trademark registration in Pakistan is a separate filing with IPO Pakistan.

What happens after SECP registers your company

SECP passes your details to FBR for an NTN, and can register you with EOBI and provincial social security at the same time. You must give a registered office address within 30 days. After that, an annual return is due each year unless your company qualifies for SECP's exemption.

• NTN: SECP's data is integrated with FBR. FBR issues the NTN if your details are complete and correct. You can then verify the NTN online before you give it to a bank.
• EOBI, PESSI, SESSI: optional at incorporation. A combined certificate appears on the eServices portal.
• Registered office: you can start with a correspondence address, but a registered office address is mandatory within 30 days.
• Annual return (Form A): due within 30 days of the annual general meeting.
• Form 29: report any new or departing director or officer within 15 days.

The annual return has a useful exemption. A single member company, or a private company with paid up capital of Rs 3 million or less, does not need to file Form A in a year when nothing changed. Bigger companies with no change still have to tell the registrar on a specified return.

A company also brings tax filing of its own. If you export IT services, look at PSEB registration and the 0.25% export tax rate next, because the reduced rate depends on it.

Common questions

How much does it cost to register a company with SECP in 2026?

For a company with capital up to Rs 100,000, about Rs 7,755 online: Rs 1,000 for the name, Rs 6,655 for registration and Rs 100 for filing the application, according to the Seventh Schedule.

Can one person register a company in Pakistan?

Yes. One person can form a single member company. You must name a nominee, who has to be a close relative such as a spouse, parent, sibling or child.

Is there a minimum capital to register a company?

No. SECP has no minimum authorised capital, but the minimum fee is charged as if capital were Rs 100,000.

How long does SECP keep a reserved company name?

60 days for a company and 30 days for an LLP. SECP's FAQ says the period cannot be extended.

Do I get an NTN automatically when SECP registers my company?

Usually. SECP sends your incorporation data to FBR, and FBR issues the NTN if the information you entered is complete and accurate.

Can an overseas Pakistani register a company with SECP?

Yes. eZfile has a separate sign up for NICOP holders. Foreign nationals sign up with a notarised or attested passport copy and a photograph.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 3 October 2026. The registration fees of Rs 6,655 online and Rs 12,100 on paper, the Rs 932 per extra Rs 100,000 of capital, the Rs 100 application filing fee, the 10 per cent yearly rise, the fast track fees and the Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 name reservation fees are read in SECP's Seventh Schedule to the Companies Act, 2017, updated with effect from 20 April 2026, including the footnote on SRO 1806(I)/2024. The company types, nominee rule, no minimum capital, online documents, payment methods, digital certificate, NTN and social security integration and the 30 day registered office rule are read in SECP's FAQs on incorporation. The 60 day name validity, three name rule, name search and restricted words are read in SECP's FAQs on name reservation, which still state the older Rs 200 fee. The annual return, its exemption and Form 29 are read on SECP's annual returns page. We did not open an eZfile account or register a company.