To register a private limited company in India, every director and shareholder needs PAN and Aadhaar (or a passport for foreign nationals), an address proof no older than two months, and a registered office document with a signed NOC from the property owner. On top of that, the company itself needs a few statutory filings — MOA, AOA, and DSC/DIN applications — submitted together through the SPICe+ form on the MCA portal. Get these right on day one and incorporation usually wraps up in 7 to 15 working days. Get them wrong, and you’re looking at resubmissions that can stretch the timeline to six weeks or more.
Here’s the full breakdown, organised by who needs to submit what.
Quick-Glance Checklist
| Category | Documents Needed |
|---|---|
| Director/Shareholder Identity | PAN card, Aadhaar, passport (for foreign nationals/NRIs) |
| Director/Shareholder Address | Bank statement, electricity bill, or telephone bill (under 2 months old) |
| Photograph | Recent passport-size photo, white background |
| Registered Office | Rent agreement or ownership proof + NOC from the owner |
| Company Filings | e-MOA (INC-33), e-AOA (INC-34), INC-9 declaration, DIR-2 consent |
| Signing Authority | Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for every director |
Who Needs to Submit Documents
A private limited company needs a minimum of two directors and two shareholders — the same two people can hold both roles, so a founder and a co-founder (or even a founder and a spouse) can technically start one on their own. At least one director has to be an Indian resident, meaning they’ve spent 182 days or more in India during the previous calendar year. There’s no minimum capital requirement, so you don’t need to prove any specific bank balance to get started.
Because directors and shareholders often overlap, most founders end up submitting the same set of KYC documents just once — but if your shareholder list includes someone who isn’t a director (an investor, say), their documents are still mandatory.
Identity and Address Proof for Directors and Shareholders
Identity Documents
Address Proof Documents
Pick one, and make sure it’s dated within the last two months:
A mismatch between the name on your address proof and your PAN is one of the most common reasons applications get sent back — it’s worth double-checking before you upload anything.
Photograph and Contact Information
Every director and shareholder needs a recent passport-size photograph, ideally with a white background, plus a personal email ID and mobile number. These get used for DSC issuance and for any communication the MCA sends during processing, so use details you actually check.
Additional Documents for Foreign Nationals and NRIs
If a director or shareholder is based outside India, the process adds a layer of authentication:
- Passport — mandatory, no substitutes accepted
- Address proof from the country of residence — a utility bill or bank statement works, but it must be notarised or apostilled
- Notarisation by the Indian Embassy or Consulate — self-attested foreign documents get rejected outright; this step isn’t optional
If the plan involves a foreign company as a shareholder, add a board resolution authorising the investment and a certificate of incorporation for that entity, both apostilled in the country of origin.
Documents for the Registered Office
Every company needs a registered office address from the date of incorporation, and the MCA accepts residential, commercial, or even virtual addresses. What you submit depends on whether the property is rented or owned.
If the Office Is Rented
- A valid rent or lease agreement, in the name of a director or the company, stating the full address, rent amount, and lease duration
- A No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the property owner, explicitly stating they’re fine with the address being used for company registration
- A recent utility bill in the owner’s name to confirm the address
If the Office Is Self-Owned
- Proof of ownership — a sale deed, property tax receipt, or similar
- A recent utility bill matching the address
Whichever route you take, the address on this document has to match, word for word, what you enter into the SPICe+ form. Small discrepancies (a missing “Road” or a swapped pin code) are enough to trigger an objection from the Registrar of Companies.
Company-Level Documents Filed Through SPICe+
SPICe+ is the single web form that bundles ten services into one incorporation application: name reservation, DIN allotment, PAN, TAN, GSTIN, EPFO, ESIC, professional tax, and bank account opening. Within it, you’ll file:
- e-MOA (INC-33) — the Memorandum of Association, setting out the company’s objectives and scope
- e-AOA (INC-34) — the Articles of Association, covering internal rules and management structure
- INC-9 — a declaration from directors and subscribers confirming compliance with the Companies Act
- DIR-2 — consent from each proposed director to act in that role
- INC-8 — a professional declaration from a practising CA, CS, or CMA certifying that requirements have been met (mandatory before filing)
Before any of this, you’ll need Part A of SPICe+ approved — reserving your company name. You can propose up to two names, and once approved, the name stays valid for 20 days. Part B, which carries all the documents above, has to be filed within that window, or you’ll need to reapply.
Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) and DIN Requirements
Every proposed director needs a Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate before SPICe+ can even be submitted — it’s what lets them sign the form, the MOA, the AOA, and every declaration electronically. DSCs come from MCA-authorised certifying authorities like eMudhra, Sify, or NSDL, and getting one typically takes a day or two once identity documents are in order.
The Director Identification Number (DIN) itself is no longer a separate application — it gets allotted directly through SPICe+ for anyone who doesn’t already have one.
Documents Needed After Incorporation
Getting the Certificate of Incorporation isn’t the finish line. A few document-heavy steps follow almost immediately:
- Form INC-20A (Declaration of Commencement of Business) — due within 180 days, and the company can’t transact business without it
- Bank account opening — the bank will ask for the same KYC set again, plus the Certificate of Incorporation and board resolution
Keeping digital copies of everything organised at this stage saves a lot of scrambling later, since GST registration, Udyam registration, and PF registration all draw on the same documents.
Common Reasons Applications Get Rejected
Most delays trace back to a handful of avoidable issues:
- Name mismatches between PAN, Aadhaar, and the address proof
- Address proof older than two months
- Self-attested (rather than notarised) documents from foreign nationals
- A registered office address that doesn’t exactly match across all filed documents
- Missing or expired DSC at the time of filing
Running through this list before submission catches most of what would otherwise come back as an RoC objection.
Final Checklist Before You File
- Address proof under two months old, matching PAN exactly
- Registered office proof with owner’s NOC
- Class 3 DSC obtained for all directors
- Company name checked on MCA and IP India before reservation
- e-MOA, e-AOA, INC-9, and DIR-2 drafted and ready for signature
- Notarised/apostilled documents ready for any foreign national or NRI director
Getting this list right before you open the SPICe+ form is the single biggest lever you have over how fast — and how smoothly — your company gets incorporated.
FAQs
A minimum of two directors and two shareholders, up to a maximum of 15 directors and 200 shareholders. The same individuals can serve as both directors and shareholders.
Yes. Every company needs a registered office address in India from the date of incorporation, along with proof of address and an NOC if the property is rented.
Yes, but at least one director must be an Indian resident who has stayed in India for 182 days or more in the previous year. Foreign nationals need notarised or apostilled identity and address documents.
20 days. Part B of SPICe+, which carries all supporting documents, has to be filed within that window or the name lapses.
Typically 7 to 15 working days when documents are complete and accurate on the first submission.
No. The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2015 removed the mandatory minimum paid-up capital requirement.
