Most SPICe+ applications that get stuck at the Registrar of Companies (RoC) are not rejected because of the business idea — they get a resubmission query over a weak or mismatched document. This checklist covers exactly what every director, shareholder and the registered office needs for Private Limited Company registration in India, including the extra documents required for NRI and foreign national directors.
Quick Checklist (Every Pvt Ltd Registration)
- PAN card of every director and shareholder (mandatory for Indian nationals)
- Aadhaar card or passport, for identity and address verification
- Passport-size photograph of every director and subscriber
- Address proof of every director (not older than 2 months)
- Registered office address proof, plus NOC/rent agreement if it isn't owned by a director
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for all directors/subscribers signing the forms
- Proposed company name options and the main business activity
Documents for Indian Resident Directors & Shareholders
| Document | Purpose / Notes |
|---|---|
| PAN Card | Mandatory for every Indian director and shareholder. Name and date of birth must exactly match the Aadhaar card. |
| Aadhaar Card | Used for DIN (Director Identification Number) allotment and Aadhaar-based e-KYC/OTP verification in SPICe+. |
| Passport-size Photograph | Recent colour photograph, uploaded for each director and subscriber to the Memorandum of Association. |
| Address Proof | Bank statement, electricity bill, telephone bill or mobile bill in the director's own name, not older than 2 months. |
| Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) | Class 3 DSC for every director/subscriber who will sign the SPICe+ form electronically. Without it, the form can't be filed at all. |
Extra Documents for NRI & Foreign National Directors
If a director or shareholder is an NRI or a foreign national, the PAN and Aadhaar requirement is replaced, and a few documents need to be apostilled or notarised depending on the person's country of residence.
| Situation | Documents Required |
|---|---|
| NRI (Indian citizen, living abroad) | PAN card (if available) or passport, address proof of the foreign residence (bank statement, driving licence or utility bill, not older than 2 months), and a photograph. Documents should be notarised in the country of residence. |
| Foreign national (not an Indian citizen) | Passport is mandatory as identity proof. Address proof as above. Both documents must be apostilled (for Hague Convention countries) or consularised, and notarised where apostille is not available. |
Resident Director Requirement
Every Private Limited Company must have at least one director who stayed in India for a total of at least 120 days during the previous financial year. This person's documents (PAN, Aadhaar, address proof) should be in order first, since the rest of the incorporation depends on their DIN and DSC being ready.
Registered Office Address Proof — Which Document When
The rule is the same one GST and most MCA filings use: show the place exists, and show you have the right to use it if it isn't yours.
| Your Situation | Upload This |
|---|---|
| Owned by a director/promoter | Electricity bill, water bill, gas bill or property tax receipt in that person's name, not older than 2 months. |
| Rented or leased premises | Rent/lease agreement plus a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the landlord, along with one utility bill in the landlord's name. |
| Family member's home or shop, used free | NOC signed by the owner plus one utility bill or property tax receipt in the owner's name. |
This address proof is uploaded along with the SPICe+ (INC-32) form and, where PAN/TAN and bank account are also sought together, with AGILE-PRO-S. An address mismatch between the proof and what's typed in the form is one of the most common reasons SPICe+ gets sent back for resubmission.
Company-related Documents You'll Also Need
- Proposed company name — at least two options, checked against existing companies, LLPs and trademarks on the MCA/IP India portals.
- Main business activity / object clause, used to draft the Memorandum of Association (MOA).
- Articles of Association (AOA) — governs internal rules; a standard template is fine for most new companies.
- Declaration by first directors and subscribers (Form INC-9, auto-generated through SPICe+ for most applicants).
- Consent to act as director (Form DIR-2), signed by every proposed director.
Common Mistakes That Delay Document Approval
- Address proof older than 2 months at the time of filing.
- Name or date of birth spelled differently across PAN and Aadhaar.
- Rent agreement uploaded without the landlord's NOC or utility bill.
- Foreign national's passport/address proof not apostilled or notarised correctly.
- DSC not procured in time for all directors, stalling the SPICe+ filing.
- Blurred, cropped or password-protected document scans.
Related Guides
- Private Limited Company Registration — Process, Cost & Timeline
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) — Complete Guide
- LLP Registration — Process, Cost & Comparison with Pvt Ltd
- One Person Company (OPC) Registration — Process & Cost
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aadhaar card mandatory for all directors?
Yes, for Indian resident directors. Aadhaar is used for DIN allotment through SPICe+ and for Aadhaar-based e-KYC/OTP verification during filing. Foreign nationals and NRIs who don't have an Aadhaar use their passport and an apostilled/notarised address proof instead.
Can a company be registered on a residential address?
Yes. A residential address is accepted as the registered office if you submit a recent utility bill (electricity, water or gas bill, usually not older than 2 months) or property tax receipt as proof. If the property is not owned by a director or subscriber, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the actual owner is also required.
What documents does an NRI or foreign national director need?
Passport (mandatory, as identity proof), plus an address proof such as a bank statement, driving licence or utility bill — not older than 2 months, and in English or translated and notarised/apostilled as per the country of residence. If the person is a foreign national (not an Indian citizen), both the passport and address proof must be apostilled or consularised, and notarised where apostille isn't available.
Company registration ke liye kaun se documents chahiye?
Directors/shareholders ke PAN, Aadhaar, photo aur address proof; registered office ka utility bill aur (agar rented/family ki property hai to) rent agreement ya NOC; aur sabhi directors ka Digital Signature Certificate (DSC). Proposed company name aur business activity bhi pehle decide karni hoti hai.
Do shareholders need the same documents as directors?
Shareholders who are also directors need the full director document set. A shareholder who is only a subscriber to the Memorandum (not a director) needs just PAN, Aadhaar (or passport for foreign subscribers), a photograph and address proof — a DSC is required only if they are signing the incorporation forms as a subscriber.
How old can the address proof documents be?
Utility bills, bank statements and similar address proofs (for both directors and the registered office) should ideally not be older than 2 months at the time of filing. Older documents are a common reason for a resubmission query from the Registrar of Companies (RoC).
Not sure which documents will pass without a resubmission query? Send them to us before you file. Our Company Registration service checks every document first, drafts the MOA/AOA, and files SPICe+ end-to-end.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal or professional advice, based on the Companies Act, 2013 and MCA rules as of October 2026. Document requirements can be updated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs from time to time. Please confirm the current list before filing.