How to Report a Director or CEO Change to SECP on Form 29 in 15 Days
A director joins, quits or moves house? SECP wants Form 29 within 15 days. See what counts as a change, how to file and how it differs from the annual return.
If your company appoints or loses a director, CEO, secretary, auditor or legal adviser, you must tell SECP on Form 29 within 15 days. The same form covers a change in an officer's details, such as a name or a home address.
This is the filing small companies forget. A director resigns on a Friday, the family moves on, and nobody tells the registrar. Months later a bank asks for a current record and the public file still shows the old name. We read SECP's own pages on 8 October 2026 for the rules below.
Form 29 covers three kinds of change
SECP says Form 29 is filed under Section 197 of the Companies Act, 2017. It reports a new appointment after incorporation, an officer leaving, and any change in an officer's particulars. Officers include directors, the chief executive, company secretary, chief financial officer, auditors and legal adviser.
| Event | Example | Form 29 needed |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment | A new director joins the board | Yes |
| Ceasing | Resignation, removal or death of an officer | Yes |
| Change of particulars | An officer changes name or residential address | Yes |
| Change at the annual meeting | Elected directors at the AGM | Check the rule for your company |
The last row is our caution. SECP's page does not say how an election at the annual meeting is reported, so ask your company secretary rather than guess.
The 15 days start on the day of the change
SECP's page says Form 29 must be filed within 15 days from the date of the appointment or the change. Count from the day the director is appointed, resigns or changes address, not from the day you notice. A board meeting date is a good starting point.
Take a real case. A director resigns by letter dated 1 October 2026. Fifteen days later is 16 October 2026. If the company waits until the annual return in November, the Form 29 is already late.
- Write down the date of the change, with the board resolution or resignation letter.
- Collect the officer's CNIC copy and current address.
- Log in to your company's account on SECP's eZfile portal.
- Choose Form 29 and fill in the new or changed particulars.
- Submit before day 15 and save the receipt.
Gather the documents before you log in
SECP's page does not publish a document checklist for Form 29, so we cannot give you an official one. In practice you will want the board resolution, the person's signed consent to act, the CNIC and the address. Confirm the list with your company secretary.
Keep your own file too. A signed resignation letter, dated, protects the director who left. It also protects the company, since the date of the change decides whether the filing was on time.
Use the same spelling of names as the CNIC. A small mismatch is the usual reason a filing is queried.
Form 29 is not the annual return
People mix the two. Form 29 reports a change as it happens, within 15 days. The annual return, Form A or B, is a yearly snapshot filed within 30 days of the annual general meeting. A company can need both in the same month.
The annual return lists the directors as they stand on the meeting date. If you filed Form 29 on time, the annual return should match. If you did not, the mismatch can show up when you file.
Foreign companies are different. Under Section 437 they file a list of Pakistani members and the places of business in Pakistan on Form 45, along with annual accounts.
Where this fits for a new company
A new company starts with the directors named at incorporation. Form 29 begins after that. Our guide to registering a private limited company with SECP online shows who has to be named on day one.
If your plan is to run a business with a single owner or small group first, the overview of how to register a company in SECP helps you pick the right type. Both come before the filings on this page.
Common questions
What is the time limit for Form 29?
SECP's page says 15 days from the date of the appointment or the change. Count from the day it happened, not the day you found out.
Does a new address for a director need Form 29?
Yes. SECP lists any change in the particulars of an officer, for example a change of name or new residential address, as a reason to file.
Who files Form 29, the company or the director?
The company files it, through its own account on SECP's online portal. The director should give the company the documents and keep a copy of the receipt.
Is there a fee for Form 29?
We did not find a fee on the SECP page we read, so we do not quote one. Check the schedule of fees on the SECP website before you file.
What if I file late?
SECP's page does not state a penalty, so we do not give one. File as soon as you can and ask a company secretary what applies.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 8 October 2026. We read the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan page on Annual Returns (Form A/B and Form 29), which sets out Section 197, the three kinds of change that Form 29 reports, the 15 day limit and the separate rule for foreign companies under Section 437. We also read SECP's home page for the eZfile link. We did not log in to eZfile because that needs a company account. We found no fee, penalty or document checklist for Form 29, and we do not state any. The resignation example is our own illustration, not an SECP case. Confirm all steps at secp.gov.pk before you file.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
