Legal Help · Published July 21, 2026
How to Register a Company in Pakistan
The whole process now runs through one portal — here's the actual sequence, and where people lose time unnecessarily.
Quick answer
Company registration in Pakistan runs through SECP's eZfile portal: create an account, reserve your name on STARR, get a Digital Signature Certificate for each director, draft your Memorandum and Articles of Association, and submit with the government fee. The full process typically takes 3–7 working days, with total costs commonly in the PKR 25,000–60,000 range.
Four steps, in order
Step 1 — Create an eZfile account and reserve a name
Register on SECP's eZfile portal with your CNIC (or passport for foreigners), then search and reserve your company name on the STARR portal — it needs to be unique and not offensive or misleading.
Step 2 — Get a Digital Signature Certificate
Apply for a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) from an SECP-authorised provider — every director and subscriber generally needs one to digitally sign the incorporation forms, and it can take up to a week to issue, so apply early.
Step 3 — Prepare the Memorandum and Articles of Association
Draft the MOA and AOA, and gather CNIC copies of all directors and shareholders — these documents define your company's purpose, structure, and internal rules.
Step 4 — Submit and pay the SECP fee
Submit the incorporation application with all documents through eZfile, pay the government fee, and receive your digital incorporation certificate — the full process typically takes 3–7 working days, sometimes as fast as 1–3 days once documents are in order.
The step people skip, and then wait a week for
Step-by-step registration guides, including Global Advisory Experts' walkthrough of the eZfile process, consistently flag the Digital Signature Certificate as the single most underestimated step. People often start the eZfile application first, assuming the DSC is a quick add-on, then discover it can take up to seven working days to issue — turning what should be a same-week registration into a two-week wait. Applying for the DSC in parallel with, or even before, the rest of the paperwork is the single easiest way to avoid that delay.
It's also worth deciding your business structure — sole proprietorship, partnership, or private limited company — before starting registration, since only the latter goes through this SECP process at all; the other two follow entirely different paths.
What Wakeel.org can help with
Explaining the registration steps and what documents you'll need, in plain English or Urdu.
What it cannot do
It cannot create your eZfile account, submit your application, or draft your MOA/AOA — that requires the SECP portal or a consultant/advocate.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to register a company in Pakistan?
The full SECP registration process typically takes 3 to 7 working days, though incorporation itself can be as fast as 1 to 3 days once your documents are submitted — the Digital Signature Certificate step can add its own separate delay of up to a week if applied for late.
What documents do I need to register a company with SECP?
CNIC (or passport for foreign nationals) for every director and subscriber, a Digital Signature Certificate for each, a reserved company name from the STARR portal, and a drafted Memorandum and Articles of Association.
How much does it cost to register a company in Pakistan?
Total costs, including SECP fees, document preparation, FBR NTN registration, and any professional consultant fee, are commonly estimated in the range of PKR 25,000 to 60,000, depending on your capital structure and whether you use outside help.
Do I need a lawyer or consultant to register a company?
Not strictly — the eZfile portal is designed for self-service registration. That said, drafting a proper Memorandum and Articles of Association, and navigating the DSC process correctly the first time, is often where people use a consultant or lawyer to avoid delays.
Can Wakeel.org register my company with SECP?
Wakeel.org can explain the registration steps and what documents you'll need. It cannot create your eZfile account, submit your application, or draft your MOA/AOA — that requires the SECP portal directly, or a consultant/advocate for the drafting.
General educational information, not legal advice. See our full disclaimer.
Sources — check these directly to verify
Starting a company in Pakistan?
Ask Wakeel to walk you through the registration steps — then confirm the details on SECP's own portal.