Company registration in India is done online on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) V3 portal using one integrated form, SPICe+, for a Private Limited company or One Person Company, and the FiLLiP form for an LLP. A clean Private Limited filing takes about 7 to 15 working days and costs roughly ₹5,000 to ₹9,000 if you prepare it yourself, or ₹8,000 to ₹20,000 through a CA, CS or online filing service. This guide, updated November 2026, covers the fees for each business type, the documents checklist, the SPICe+ steps in order, the timeline, and the filings due in the first 180 days.
For background on what the MCA and SPICe+ are, read our overview of company registration in India; this post is the exact sequence and the numbers.
Company registration fees in India by business type (November 2026)
Approximate all-in costs for a small, low-capital setup. Government fees come from the MCA fee rules; stamp duty is set by the state of the registered office and the portal shows the exact amount before you pay. Treat every figure as a ballpark and confirm on the MCA portal before budgeting.
| Business type | Form and authority | Government and stamp costs (approx.) | Typical total, self-filed | Typical total, through a professional | Time to register |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietorship | No central registration; GST, Udyam and Shops and Establishment as needed | Nil for GST and Udyam; small state fee for Shops and Establishment | ₹0 to ₹2,000 | ₹1,500 to ₹5,000 | 1 to 7 days |
| One Person Company (OPC) | SPICe+ on MCA | Name ₹1,000; filing fee nil up to ₹15 lakh capital; state stamp duty | ₹4,000 to ₹8,000 | ₹7,000 to ₹15,000 | 7 to 15 working days |
| Private Limited company | SPICe+ on MCA | Name ₹1,000; filing fee nil up to ₹15 lakh capital; state stamp duty | ₹5,000 to ₹9,000 | ₹8,000 to ₹20,000 | 7 to 15 working days |
| LLP | RUN-LLP and FiLLiP on MCA, then Form 3 | Name ₹200; FiLLiP ₹500 up to ₹1 lakh contribution; Form 3 ₹50; stamp duty on the LLP agreement | ₹4,000 to ₹8,000 | ₹6,000 to ₹15,000 | 10 to 20 working days |
The totals include Class 3 Digital Signature Certificates (DSCs) at roughly ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 per person and, for companies, the CA, CS or CMA certification that SPICe+ requires. Higher authorised capital (above ₹15 lakh) or a higher LLP contribution moves you into a higher fee slab, and high stamp duty states can add several thousand rupees.
Step 0: Pick the structure before you touch the form
SPICe+ handles companies only (Private Limited, One Person Company, Section 8, Public). An LLP uses FiLLiP, and a sole proprietorship has no central registration at all. Choosing wrong here costs weeks.
- Sole proprietorship: no MCA filing, near-zero cost, unlimited personal liability. Right for freelancers, single-owner shops, and anyone testing an idea. Our post on freelancer vs registered business covers when to move beyond it.
- One Person Company (OPC): a Private Limited with one shareholder plus a nominee, filed through SPICe+. Limited liability, but no co-founder equity without converting. Right for solo founders.
- LLP: two or more partners, limited liability, lighter compliance (no board meetings, audit only above ₹40 lakh turnover or ₹25 lakh contribution). Filed through FiLLiP. Cannot issue shares, so investors avoid it. Right for agencies, professional firms, and family businesses.
- Private Limited company: two to two hundred shareholders, at least two directors (one resident in India for 182 days or more in the year), can issue shares and ESOPs. Heaviest compliance. Right for anything that will hire, raise money, or sell to large companies.
Our comparison of business structures in India covers the tax and compliance differences. The rest of this post follows the Private Limited path, with notes where OPC and LLP differ.
Step 1: Documents checklist for company registration
| Who or what | Documents needed |
|---|---|
| Each director and shareholder (Indian) | PAN (name must match Aadhaar exactly), Aadhaar, passport-size photo, one ID proof (passport, voter ID or driving licence), one address proof under two months old in their own name (bank statement, electricity or mobile bill), personal email and mobile for OTPs |
| Each foreign director or shareholder | Notarised and apostilled passport and address proof in place of Aadhaar |
| Registered office | Utility bill for the premises under two months old; No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the owner; rent agreement if rented |
| The company itself | Two proposed names in order of preference, main activity with its NIC code, authorised and paid-up capital, shareholding split |
| OPC only | Nominee's consent in form INC-3 with their PAN and Aadhaar |
| LLP only | Designated partners' details, contribution of each partner, and a draft LLP agreement to file in Form 3 within 30 days |
A home address or a coworking virtual office works as the registered office if you can produce the bill and NOC. ₹1 lakh authorised and ₹10,000 paid-up capital is a common minimum-cost choice; there is no statutory minimum.
Check the name against the MCA database, the Trade Marks registry, and domain availability before filing; an MCA-approved name can still be a trademark conflict or a domain nobody can buy. The business name generator gives you options and the domain checker confirms the matching domain is free.
Step 2: Digital Signature Certificates (Day 1)
Every proposed director and subscriber needs a Class 3 DSC because SPICe+, the e-MoA, and the e-AoA are signed digitally. Get a two-year certificate from a licensed certifying authority (eMudhra, Sify, and others) with same-day video KYC. Cost: approx. ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 per person including the USB token.
Step 3: SPICe+ Part A, name reservation (Days 1 to 3)
Register as a business user on the MCA V3 portal and file Part A with up to two names, company type, and main activity. The Central Registration Centre approves one name, asks for a single resubmission, or rejects. Cost: approx. ₹1,000, and a rejected application is paid for again. Timeline: one to three working days. An approved name is held for 20 days, which is why the documents should be ready before you file Part A; if it lapses you pay again. For an LLP, the equivalent is RUN-LLP at approx. ₹200.
Step 4: SPICe+ Part B and the linked forms (Days 3 to 5)
Part B is the incorporation itself and bundles several applications:
- SPICe+ Part B: director and subscriber details, registered office, capital, and DIN allotment for up to three directors who do not already have one (free within incorporation).
- e-MoA (INC-33) and e-AoA (INC-34): Memorandum and Articles filled in online. Write the object clause carefully: what the business will actually do plus reasonable adjacent activities.
- AGILE-PRO-S (INC-35): applies for GSTIN (optional), EPFO and ESIC registration, Profession Tax in states that levy it (Maharashtra, Karnataka, and others), a current account with a partner bank, and Shops and Establishment registration in some states.
- INC-9: the auto-generated declaration by subscribers and first directors.
Attach the documents, sign with the DSCs, and pay. A practising CA, CS, or CMA must certify the form; if you have prepared everything else yourself, certification alone typically costs approx. ₹2,000 to ₹5,000.
Step 5: What you pay, and why stamp duty is the wild card
Under current MCA fee rules the government filing fee for SPICe+, e-MoA, and e-AoA is nil for authorised capital up to ₹15 lakh. What you still pay:
- Stamp duty on the MoA, AoA, and SPICe+ form: set by the state of the registered office and collected through the portal. For a ₹1 lakh capital company it runs from a few hundred rupees in Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh to several thousand in higher-duty states such as Kerala, Punjab and Gujarat. The portal shows the exact figure before payment.
- Name reservation: approx. ₹1,000.
- DSCs: approx. ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 per person.
- DIN: free for up to three directors within SPICe+.
- PAN and TAN: allotted with the Certificate of Incorporation; any charge is nominal.
Two directors, ₹1 lakh capital, low-duty state, self-filed with professional certification: approx. ₹5,000 to ₹9,000 all in. End to end through a CA, CS, or online service: approx. ₹8,000 to ₹20,000.
Step 6: Certificate of Incorporation (Days 5 to 12)
The Registrar approves, asks for resubmission (usually a document mismatch or an over-broad object clause), or rejects. Clean filings are typically approved in three to seven working days. You receive the Certificate of Incorporation with the CIN, plus the company PAN and TAN, by email. Anything longer than about 15 working days almost always traces to a name resubmission or a registered office document.
Company registration timeline at a glance
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 1 to 2 | DSCs issued after video KYC; documents collected |
| Day 1 to 3 | SPICe+ Part A name approved (RUN-LLP for an LLP) |
| Day 3 to 5 | SPICe+ Part B, e-MoA, e-AoA, AGILE-PRO-S and INC-9 filed and certified |
| Day 5 to 12 | Registrar review; Certificate of Incorporation, CIN, PAN and TAN issued |
| Week 2 to 3 | Current account opened; subscribers deposit capital |
| Within 30 days | First auditor appointed (ADT-1); for an LLP, LLP agreement filed in Form 3 |
| Within 180 days | INC-20A, Declaration of Commencement of Business |
Four ways to register a company, compared
| Route | What you do | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fully DIY plus certification | Prepare every form yourself; pay a CA, CS or CMA only to certify SPICe+ | Lowest, about ₹5,000 to ₹9,000 for a Pvt Ltd | Founders comfortable with forms and the MCA portal |
| Local CA or CS firm | Hand over documents; the firm files and handles queries | About ₹8,000 to ₹20,000 | Anyone who wants ongoing compliance from the same person |
| Online filing service | Upload documents to a platform; its professionals file | Similar to a CA firm, often bundled with GST or trademark | Founders who want a fixed package and online tracking |
| Sole proprietorship route | Skip MCA; register GST, Udyam or Shops and Establishment only | Nil to a few thousand rupees | Freelancers and small shops testing an idea |
Whichever route you choose, ask what the quoted price includes (DSCs, stamp duty, certification, bank account help) because the headline package price often excludes stamp duty.
Step 7: The first 30 to 180 days, in order
- Open the current account (week 1) via the AGILE-PRO-S application or any bank, with the certificate, MoA, AoA, PAN, and a board resolution.
- Deposit the subscribed capital: each shareholder transfers their share of the paid-up capital from their own account into the company account.
- File INC-20A, Declaration of Commencement of Business, within 180 days, attaching the bank proof of capital. Without it the company cannot commence business or borrow, the company faces a ₹50,000 penalty and each officer in default ₹1,000 a day up to ₹1 lakh, and the Registrar can strike it off. File it the week the money lands.
- Appoint the first auditor within 30 days by board resolution and file ADT-1. Every Private Limited is audited from year one regardless of turnover.
- Register for GST if turnover will cross the threshold (₹40 lakh for goods and ₹20 lakh for services in most states, lower in special category states), if you sell inter-state, or if you sell through online marketplaces. Many companies register on day one to claim input credit and look invoice-ready to B2B clients.
- Register on Udyam. Free, about 20 minutes, and it unlocks MSME benefits including delayed-payment protection. Our Udyam registration guide walks through it.
- Get the domain and website live. The Companies Act requires your company name, CIN, and registered address on letterheads, invoices, and your website. Register the matching domain the same week the certificate arrives, before a squatter spots the new CIN in the public MCA database, and put the site up with the same details in the footer.