Company Registration in Pakistan: SECP Steps, Documents and Timeline
By the AlimcoSoft team, Islamabad
Registering a company in Pakistan is done online through the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). The process itself is short. The decisions before it, and the tax and bank steps after it, are what take time.
AlimcoSoft is itself a single member private limited company, so we have been through this. The details below come from SECP and from the registration FAQs published by the Pakistan Software Export Board, read on 2 November 2026. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Which type of company do you need?
SECP's main options for a new business are:
- Single member company (SMC): a private company owned by one person, with simplified governance
- Private limited company: at least two members
- Public company: at least three members
- Section 42 company: a non-profit, which needs a licence from SECP before incorporation
Do you need a company at all?
Not always. A sole owner can register with FBR and trade under an NTN, and two or more people can form a partnership, known as an association of persons (AOP). A company usually makes more sense when you want a separate legal entity, shareholders, or the paperwork larger clients and platforms ask for. Apple's organisation account, for example, needs a legal entity.
How to register a company with SECP
The online route follows this order:
- Create an account on SECP's eServices portal at eservices.secp.gov.pk
- Reserve your company name and pay its fee
- Prepare the Memorandum and Articles of Association; SECP provides templates
- Submit the incorporation forms and documents
- Pay the registration fee by challan
- Receive your Certificate of Incorporation, which shows your company name, registration number and date of incorporation
Documents required for company registration
PSEB's FAQ lists these for SECP registration:
- CNICs of all directors and subscribers
- Memorandum and Articles of Association
- Form I, II and III, the basic incorporation forms
- Registered office address
- Payment challan for the registration fee
- Letter of authorisation, if a consultant files for you
Company registration fee in Pakistan
There is no single fee. SECP calculates it on your company's authorised capital, and it has an online calculator for this. The calculator does not include extras such as the name availability fee, so add those. The full list of fees is in the Seventh Schedule on SECP's website, last updated on 20 April 2026.
PSEB's FAQ says there is no minimum capital requirement for private companies.
How long company registration takes
PSEB's FAQ says online registration with correct documents may take 1 to 3 working days for most companies, and that no physical presence is needed. SECP also offers Fast Track Registration Services for urgent processing in 4 hours, at a separate fee.
What to do after incorporation
Your Certificate of Incorporation is not the last step:
- Register with FBR through the IRIS portal to get your company's NTN; PSEB's FAQ says there is no fee
- Open a business bank account
- Register for sales tax if your business needs it
- File your annual return with SECP (Form A) and tell SECP about changes to directors or the CEO (Form 29)
- File your income tax return each year
- For a single member company, appoint a company secretary; SECP's promoter guide gives 15 days from incorporation, so confirm the current rule
Starting a software house or IT company
Once you have a company, NTN and bank account, you have what PSEB asks for. Registering with PSEB gives IT companies access to its incentives, including a lower tax rate on export income.
If you plan to take payments online, keep your NTN and company papers ready, because payment gateways check them. Apple also asks organisations for a D-U-N-S Number, a website on your own domain and a work email on that domain.