Private limited company registration is rarely rejected because of what a founder wants to do. It is rejected because a name on one document does not match the name on another, or an address proof is three months too old.
This is the complete list, grouped by who it belongs to, with the matching rules that decide whether your application clears or comes back.
Documents for each director and shareholder
| Document | Requirement |
|---|---|
| PAN card | Mandatory for every Indian director and shareholder |
| Aadhaar card | Mandatory; mobile number must be linked for OTP verification |
| Identity proof | Passport, Voter ID or Driving Licence, any one |
| Address proof | Bank statement, electricity, telephone or mobile bill |
| Photograph | Recent passport-size, clear, plain background |
| Email and mobile | Personal to the individual, not shared between directors |
The address proof must be dated within the last two months. This single rule causes more resubmissions than any other item on the list.
Every director also needs a Digital Signature Certificate. If any proposed director already holds a DIN from a previous company, supply it, a person may hold only one DIN for life, and applying for a second one creates a problem that takes weeks to unwind.
Documents for the registered office
Every company needs a registered office address in India from the date of incorporation. It does not have to be commercial premises, and it can be a residential address.
| Document | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Proof of address | Electricity, gas, telephone or water bill, dated within two months |
| Ownership or tenancy proof | Sale deed if owned; registered rent agreement if leased |
| No Objection Certificate | From the owner, on plain paper, permitting use as registered office |
If the premises are rented, the rent agreement must be in the name of the person giving the NOC, and the utility bill must match that name. A bill in a previous tenant's name will not pass.
Documents where a director or shareholder is a foreign national or NRI
- Passport, mandatory, and notarised or apostilled in the country of issue
- Address proof, driving licence, bank statement or utility bill, also notarised or apostilled
- Where the person is resident in India, documents may be notarised in India instead
- Business visa, where applicable
Apostille or consular attestation is the step most often missed, and it cannot be done after the fact from India. Start it before anything else in the process, because it is the longest lead time on the list.
At least one director must be resident in India, a person who has stayed in India for at least 182 days in the previous financial year. A company of entirely non-resident directors cannot be incorporated.
Documents where a shareholder is a company or LLP
- Certificate of incorporation of the holding entity
- PAN of that entity
- Board resolution authorising the subscription and naming an authorised signatory
- Identity and address proof of the authorised signatory
What each document has to match
This is where applications fail. The registry is matching strings, not intentions.
- Name spelling must be identical across PAN, Aadhaar and every other proof, including initials and their placement
- Date of birth must match between PAN and Aadhaar
- The applicant's father's name on PAN must match what is entered in the form
- Registered office address must match the utility bill exactly, including flat and floor numbers
- The mobile number on Aadhaar must be active, because verification runs by OTP
Documents the system generates for you
You do not draft or supply these, they are produced as part of the SPICe+ filing:
- Memorandum of Association, in form INC-33
- Articles of Association, in form INC-34
- Declaration by directors and subscribers, in form INC-9, generated automatically
- Professional declaration, signed by the practising professional certifying the application
Where a company adopts articles different from the standard set, for share transfer restrictions, board composition or investor rights, those are drafted rather than generated. Most first companies do not need this on day one.
Before you submit: the name
Two searches, both free, both done before you spend anything:
- The MCA name database, for existing companies and LLPs with similar names
- The trademark register, because a name free at MCA can still infringe a registered mark
Keep two or three alternatives ready in order of preference. A name that clears MCA but collides with a trademark is a rebrand deferred, not avoided, and a rebrand after you have printed stationery, built a website and signed contracts costs many multiples of the search.
What you do not need
Stated plainly, because it is routinely asked for:
- No minimum paid-up capital, and no proof of funds at incorporation
- No physical office lease, a residential address with an NOC is acceptable
- No commercial property, no signage, no separate business premises
- No GST registration before incorporation; it comes after, and only if your activity requires it
- No company seal, which has not been mandatory for years
The checklist, in the order we will ask for it
From every director and subscriber
- PAN card, mandatory for Indian nationals
- Aadhaar card, and a passport for foreign nationals
- Identity proof: passport, voter ID or driving licence
- Address proof dated within the last two months: bank statement, electricity, telephone or mobile bill
- Passport-size photograph
- Email address and mobile number linked to Aadhaar for OTP verification
For the registered office
- Utility bill for the premises, dated within the last two months
- Rent agreement, where the premises are leased
- No-objection certificate from the owner of the premises
Prepared by us
- Memorandum and Articles of Association, drafted to your object clause
- Form INC-9, declaration by subscribers and first directors
- DIR-2, consent to act as director
Questions About Private Limited Company Documents
Statutory figures on this page verified 4 August 2026.