Company · Incorporation
Documents Required For Private Limited Company (India, 2026)
Registering a private limited company is largely a documents exercise. Get the identity, address and office proofs right and the filing goes smoothly; get them wrong and the application comes back for resubmission. The list is the same whether you register the company yourself or through a professional. This guide sets out exactly what documents are required for the directors and shareholders, for the registered office, and for the incorporation forms themselves.
- Minimum structure: two directors (one resident in India), two shareholders, a registered office and an available name.
- For each person: PAN (Indian nationals), Aadhaar, a photo ID, a recent address proof and a photograph.
- Foreign nationals: passport mandatory, with documents usually notarised or apostilled.
- Registered office: recent utility bill, rent or lease agreement, and an NOC from the owner.
- Before filing: a Digital Signature Certificate for each signatory; DIN can be applied within SPICe+.
- Forms: SPICe+ (INC-32), eMOA (INC-33), eAOA (INC-34) and AGILE-PRO-S on mca.gov.in.
01The basic requirements first
Before the documents, a private limited company needs a minimum structure:
- At least two directors, of whom at least one must be resident in India.
- At least two shareholders (they can be the same people as the directors).
- A registered office address in India.
- A proposed company name that is available and not too similar to an existing one or trademark.
Once the structure is set, the documents fall into three groups: for the people, for the office, and for the forms.
Keep proofs recent
Address proofs such as bank statements and utility bills are usually required to be recent, often not older than two months. Old proofs are a common reason for resubmission.
02Documents for directors and shareholders
Each director and shareholder provides identity and address proof. For Indian nationals:
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| PAN card | Mandatory identity proof for Indian nationals |
| Aadhaar card | Identity and address proof |
| Passport, voter ID or driving licence | Additional government photo identity |
| Bank statement or utility bill (recent) | Address proof, usually not older than two months |
| Passport-size photograph | For the KYC and forms |
For foreign nationals, a passport is mandatory as identity proof, and the identity and address documents usually need to be notarised or apostilled, depending on the country. A foreign director will also need the documents in English or officially translated.
03Documents for the registered office
The company must prove it has a registered office address. You need:
- Proof of the premises: a recent utility bill (electricity, telephone, gas or water) in the name of the owner, usually not older than two months.
- Rent or lease agreement if the premises are rented.
- No objection certificate (NOC) from the owner of the premises, allowing the company to use the address as its registered office.
The registered office can be a residential or commercial address; what matters is that the proof and NOC are in order. The office details can be filed at incorporation or within the permitted period afterwards.
04Digital signature and DIN
Company filings are electronic, so you need:
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC): each proposed director and subscriber needs a DSC to sign the forms. It is obtained from a licensed certifying authority using KYC documents.
- Director Identification Number (DIN): a unique number for each director. For a new company, DIN can be applied for within the SPICe+ form itself for the first directors, so a separate prior application is often not needed.
Getting the DSC ready early helps, because nothing can be filed until the signatures are in place.
05The incorporation forms
Incorporation is filed on the MCA portal through an integrated form:
- SPICe+ (INC-32): the main application, in two parts, Part A for name reservation and Part B for incorporation.
- eMOA (INC-33): the electronic Memorandum of Association, stating the company objects.
- eAOA (INC-34): the electronic Articles of Association, the internal rules.
- AGILE-PRO-S: a linked form for GST, EPFO, ESIC, a bank account and professional tax where applicable.
The forms are filed at mca.gov.in along with the proofs above. On approval, the Registrar issues the Certificate of Incorporation with the company CIN and PAN and TAN. The service fee for help is separate from the statutory charges; see government fees for company registration. For a not-for-profit route, see Section 8 microfinance company registration fees.
06How Claw Tax helps
Claw Tax and Accounts is an online tax, GST and accounting service for India that connects you with a verified chartered accountant at a fixed, published price, with a Claw reviewer checking every filing before it is submitted.
You can file the SPICe+ forms yourself on the MCA portal, and the government fees are the same whoever submits them. The parts that cost people time are the ones that bounce back: an address proof that is too old, a missing NOC, a name that clashes with an existing company or trademark, or a foreign document that is not properly notarised. With Claw Tax and Accounts, a verified chartered accountant handles the private limited company incorporation at a fixed, published price plus government fees, a Claw reviewer checks the documents and forms before filing, and reminders cover the post-incorporation compliance.
This is an online service, and it is not legal or tax advice; a verified professional handles your specifics.
07Frequently asked questions
What documents are required to register a private limited company?
For each director and shareholder you need PAN (for Indian nationals), Aadhaar, a government photo ID such as passport, voter ID or driving licence, a recent address proof like a bank statement or utility bill, and a photograph. For the registered office you need a recent utility bill, a rent or lease agreement if rented, and an NOC from the owner. You also need a Digital Signature Certificate for each signatory.
How recent must the address proofs be?
Address proofs such as bank statements and utility bills are usually required to be recent, often not older than two months, both for the directors and shareholders and for the registered office. Submitting an older proof is one of the most common reasons an incorporation application is sent back for resubmission, so download fresh copies just before filing.
What documents do foreign nationals need to be directors?
A foreign national needs a passport as mandatory identity proof, along with address proof. These documents usually need to be notarised or apostilled depending on the country, and must be in English or officially translated. A foreign director still needs a Digital Signature Certificate and a DIN. At least one director of the company must be resident in India.
What is SPICe+ and what forms go with it?
SPICe+ (INC-32) is the integrated incorporation application on the MCA portal, with Part A for name reservation and Part B for incorporation. It is filed with eMOA (INC-33), the electronic Memorandum of Association, eAOA (INC-34), the electronic Articles of Association, and AGILE-PRO-S for GST, EPFO, ESIC, a bank account and professional tax where applicable. On approval the Registrar issues the Certificate of Incorporation.
Do I need a commercial address for the registered office?
No. The registered office can be a residential or a commercial address. What matters is that you can provide a recent utility bill for the premises, a rent or lease agreement if it is rented, and a no objection certificate from the owner allowing the company to use the address. Many small companies start with a residential registered office.
Do I need a DIN before applying?
Not usually. A Director Identification Number is required for each director, but for a new company the DIN for the first directors can be applied for within the SPICe+ form itself, so a separate prior application is often unnecessary. What you do need ready before filing is a Digital Signature Certificate for each proposed director and subscriber, since the forms are signed electronically.