How to Register a Company in Pakistan with SECP: eZfile Step by Step

You can register a company in Pakistan online through the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan’s (SECP) eZfile portal, which handles name reservation and incorporation and links to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for your tax number. This guide walks through each step as of 8 November 2026, using SECP’s own pages and the Companies Regulations 2024. Where SECP does not publish a figure on its pages, we say so instead of guessing.

Why register a company with SECP?

Registering a company gives your business a separate legal identity and limits the owners’ liability to their shares. It is also usually needed to raise investment, open a corporate bank account and sign larger contracts. Many founders start as sole traders and incorporate once they take on a co-founder or investor. If you plan to sell online, our guide to accepting online payments in Pakistan explains which payment providers accept companies and which accept sole proprietors.

SMC vs private limited: which company type should you choose?

SECP lists three main types of company on its “Start your company” page:

	Single member company (SMC)	Private limited company	Public company
Minimum members	1	2	3
Who it suits	Solo founders and freelancers	Co-founders, small teams, startups raising angel or seed money	Larger businesses with many shareholders
Special requirement	Must name a nominee, and give the nominee’s CNIC or passport	Standard incorporation documents	Must file a declaration (Form-22) before starting business
Limited liability	Yes	Yes	Yes

SMC pros: you keep full control and do not need a second shareholder. SMC cons: to bring in a partner or investor later, you will have to change the company’s structure.

Private limited pros: the usual choice for startups with co-founders, and simpler for adding shareholders. Private limited cons: you need at least two members from the start.

Under Regulation 17 of the Companies Regulations 2024, an SMC must meet all the normal incorporation requirements. Its nominee must also meet the criteria in section 79(3) of the Companies Act 2017.

What is eZfile and LEAP?

eZfile is SECP’s online corporate registry. It was built under LEAP (Leading Efficiency through Automation Prowess), SECP’s digital transformation programme. SECP announced in February 2024 that eZfile would replace its older eServices filing system. It also said the number of filing forms had been cut from 75 to 28 and its rules merged into the Companies Regulations 2024. In March 2025, SECP said some regulatory processes could now be started only on eZfile. SECP’s company registration page says you can apply for name reservation and incorporation “either through eZfile or in physical form”.

What documents do you need?

Regulation 8(2) of the Companies Regulations 2024 lists what goes with the incorporation application (Form-1). For a typical online filing, prepare:

• Memorandum of association. Online filers can upload a PDF or use a memorandum generated by the system, except for specialised businesses.
• Articles of association, where required.
• CNIC or NICOP of every subscriber, director, chief executive and other officer, or a passport for foreign nationals.
• For an SMC, the nominee’s CNIC or NICOP, or a passport for a foreigner.
• Any NOC, licence or approval if your business is a specialised activity that needs one.
• For a company subscriber, the authorised person’s CNIC or passport and a board resolution.

Physical filings also need a witness’s CNIC copy, a notarised authority letter and the original paid challan.

How to register a company in Pakistan: step by step

1. Create your eZfile account. Each promoter registers as a user. SECP’s guidance says users create a PIN, which they use to sign forms electronically. SECP publishes an eZfile user registration video and a full user manual on its registration page.
2. Search for your company name. Use SECP’s company name search before you apply. Under section 10 of the Companies Act, SECP will not accept a name that is identical or too similar to an existing company’s name. It also rejects names that are misleading, use a registered trademark, contain a prohibited word or are designed to exploit religious sensitivities.
3. Choose a combined or separate application. You can reserve the name first, or file one combined online application for name reservation and incorporation. The combined route is not available for businesses that need a licence or approval (Regulation 8(3)). You can propose up to three names in order of priority, and the registrar approves one in that order.
4. Fill in Form-1. Enter the company’s details, registered office address, line of business, first directors and chief executive, and the subscribers’ shareholdings. Attach the documents listed above.
5. Pay the fee. SECP’s pages list payment by card, by mobile, internet or ATM banking through 1Link member banks, or over the counter. Under Regulation 32(3), online filers do not need a paid challan.
6. Sign and submit. Sign with your PIN and submit to SECP.
7. Fix any objections quickly. If the registrar finds a discrepancy, you have seven days from the written communication to fix it (Regulation 15(2)).
8. Receive your certificate of incorporation. On registration, the registrar issues a certificate of incorporation. SECP says certificates have been emailed on incorporation since 5 March 2019.

If you reserve a name separately, Regulation 3(4) keeps it for 60 days from the date of the name availability letter. If you do not file for incorporation in that time, the name becomes available to others again.

How much does SECP company registration cost?

As of 8 November 2026, SECP’s pages do not list the incorporation fee as a single figure. The fee is set by the Seventh Schedule to the Companies Act 2017 and depends on your company’s nominal (authorised) share capital. SECP’s incorporation fee calculator works out the registration part of the fee from that capital. SECP notes that the calculator does not include other charges, such as the name availability fee. In eZfile, the challan fills in the fee automatically. Use the calculator, or check the challan before paying, rather than relying on figures quoted elsewhere online.

If you are in a hurry, SECP offers a Fast Track Registration Service, which it says processes applications within four hours for an additional fee.

How long does company registration take?

SECP’s name reservation page says a complete application with the short memorandum and articles, submitted before 10:00 a.m. on a working day, is processed the same day. Applications submitted later are processed the next working day. In practice, a rejected name or missing document is the most common cause of delay, so check names and documents before you submit.

What happens after incorporation: NTN and FBR

You do not need to apply for a company National Tax Number (NTN) separately. SECP says the NTN has been issued through an integrated SECP–FBR system since 15 March 2018, and no visit to an FBR office is needed for it. According to FBR, the NTN is sent automatically to the company’s email address after registration on the SECP portal.

After that, most new companies:

• Open a corporate bank account in the company’s name.
• Register for sales tax (STRN) with FBR if the business needs it. SECP notes that biometric verification applies to STRN, not to the NTN.
• Consider provincial and employee registrations. Companies in Punjab or Sindh can opt into registrations such as social security (PESSI or SESSI), labour department and excise and taxation during SECP incorporation. EOBI registration has been available through SECP since January 2019.
• Keep up with SECP filings. For example, Regulation 39 requires a return of allotment within 45 days of allotting shares.

Once registered, your company joins a growing pool of new firms. For a sense of Pakistan’s wider investment scene, see our report on the record number of PSX investors.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing a name too close to an existing company. Propose three distinct names.
• Letting a reserved name lapse. File for incorporation within 60 days.
• Ignoring licensing needs. Specialised businesses need an NOC or licence first and cannot use the combined application.
• Skipping the nominee for an SMC. The nominee’s identity document is a required attachment.