If you are a foreign investor planning market entry, one of the first questions you will ask is simple: how long does it take to register a company in Nepal? The answer depends on how efficiently you navigate the Company registrar office Nepal, officially known as the Office of the Company Registrar.
Processing time at the Company Registrar Office Nepal is not fixed. It varies based on company type, document quality, sector sensitivity, and whether foreign investment approval is required. This guide gives you the most authoritative, practical, and current explanation of timelines, bottlenecks, and acceleration strategies—written specifically for foreign companies.
By the end, you will know what timelines to expect, how to avoid delays, and how to structure your registration for speed and compliance.
The Company Registrar Office (OCR) is the statutory authority responsible for incorporating and regulating companies in Nepal. It operates under the Companies Act, 2006, and all private limited companies, public companies, and foreign subsidiaries must register here before commencing operations.
For foreign companies, the OCR is only one part of the process. Approvals from investment and sector regulators often run in parallel, directly affecting processing time.
The OCR handles:
Company name approval
Incorporation of companies
Issuance of registration certificates
Amendments to company records
Share structure and director filings
Compliance monitoring and annual returns
Understanding this scope helps explain why timelines vary.
At a high level, company registration at the Company Registrar Office Nepal typically takes 3 to 15 working days after all compliant documents are submitted.
However, this headline figure can be misleading. Foreign companies often experience longer end-to-end timelines due to pre-registration approvals.
Nepali-owned private company: 3–7 working days
Foreign-invested private company: 10–30+ working days
Sector-regulated businesses: 20–45 working days
These ranges assume accurate documentation and no regulatory objections.
To understand processing time accurately, you must break registration into stages.
Processing time: 1–3 working days
You submit 2–3 proposed names via the OCR’s online system. Names are checked for:
Similarity to existing companies
Prohibited or sensitive terms
Trademark conflicts
Delay risk: Generic names or restricted words increase rejection rates.
Processing time: Same day submission; review in 2–5 working days
Documents typically include:
Memorandum of Association (MOA)
Articles of Association (AOA)
Shareholder and director details
Passport copies for foreign nationals
Board resolutions and power of attorney
Foreign documents must often be notarised and, in some cases, apostilled.
Processing time: 2–7 working days
OCR officers review:
Capital structure compliance
Director eligibility
Shareholding thresholds
Alignment with the Companies Act, 2006
Clarifications or corrections pause the clock.
Processing time: 1 working day after approval
Once approved, the OCR issues the Certificate of Incorporation, officially creating the company.
At this point, the company legally exists—but foreign investors are not finished yet.
Foreign companies face additional steps beyond the Company Registrar Office Nepal.
Before or alongside OCR registration, foreign investors usually require:
Approval under the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act (FITTA), 2019
Clearance from the Department of Industry (DOI) or Investment Board Nepal
Sector-specific licenses, if applicable
These approvals can take 7–21 working days, depending on sector sensitivity.
| Company Type | OCR Processing Time | External Approvals | Total Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local private company | 3–7 days | None | 3–7 days |
| Foreign-owned IT company | 5–10 days | 7–14 days | 12–24 days |
| Manufacturing with FDI | 7–15 days | 14–30 days | 21–45 days |
| Regulated sector (finance, energy) | 10–20 days | 30–60 days | 40–80 days |
This table reflects real-world averages, not optimistic marketing claims.
Understanding delay triggers is essential for timeline control.
Incomplete or inconsistent documents
Poorly drafted MOA and AOA
Name conflicts with existing companies
Missing foreign investment approvals
Incorrect share capital declarations
Passport or identity mismatches
High application volume at OCR
Public holidays and strikes
Officer queries requiring re-submission
Manual verification for foreign shareholders
While you cannot bypass legal steps, you can optimise processing.
Conduct a pre-name availability check
Use sector-appropriate MOA language
Align capital structure with FITTA thresholds
Submit notarised documents upfront
Appoint a local authorised representative
File digitally and track daily
These steps routinely reduce timelines by 30–40%.
The OCR has digitised many processes, but not all.
Faster submission
Digital tracking
Fewer physical visits
Reduced clerical errors
Foreign shareholder verification
Capital structure clarifications
Officer-requested explanations
Foreign companies should expect a hybrid process, even in 2026.
Registration is not the end of the journey.
PAN and VAT registration
Bank account opening
Capital injection reporting
Share certificate issuance
Industry-specific licenses
Delays at OCR can cascade into these steps, making speed critical.
Incorrect assumptions about Company Registrar Office Nepal timelines can:
Delay hiring plans
Violate visa timelines
Postpone capital repatriation
Increase compliance risk
A realistic timeline protects budgets, contracts, and investor confidence.
For foreign companies, processing usually takes 10–30 working days, including approvals. OCR-only processing may finish in 5–10 days if documents are correct.
No. While filing starts online, foreign-owned companies typically require physical verification or officer clarification before approval.
Yes. Foreign investment approvals under FITTA and DOI significantly extend timelines compared to local companies.
Prepare notarised documents in advance, choose a compliant name, and align capital structure with foreign investment rules before filing.
No. The Companies Act, 2006 sets procedures, not fixed timelines. Processing time depends on compliance quality and regulator workload.
The Company registrar office Nepal is efficient by regional standards, but foreign investors must plan realistically. While OCR processing itself may take under two weeks, total registration timelines often extend to a month or more once investment approvals are included.
Foreign companies that prepare strategically, understand regulatory sequencing, and work with experienced advisors can register faster, reduce compliance risk, and enter the Nepali market with confidence.
Planning to register a company in Nepal?
Speak with a local incorporation specialist to get a precise timeline, document checklist, and compliance roadmap tailored to your sector and ownership structure.