The Company registrar office Nepal is the first official gateway for any foreign company planning to establish a legal presence in Nepal.
Whether you want to open a subsidiary, register a private limited company, or prepare for foreign direct investment, understanding the step-by-step process at the Company Registrar Office Nepal can save weeks of delays and costly rework.
This guide is written specifically for foreign founders, investors, and international businesses. It explains the exact workflow, documents, timelines, and compliance requirements you must follow. It also highlights common pitfalls and practical ways to accelerate approval.
By the end, you will know exactly how to move from name reservation to company incorporation with confidence.
The Company registrar office Nepal formally refers to the Office of Company Registrar (OCR).
It operates under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and is responsible for:
Company name approval
Incorporation and registration
Maintaining statutory records
Issuing registration certificates
Updating company changes
All companies in Nepal, domestic or foreign-owned, must register with OCR.
The Company Registrar Office Nepal works within a strict legal framework. Foreign companies should be familiar with these laws before applying:
Companies Act 2006
Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act 2019
Industrial Enterprises Act 2020
Income Tax Act 2002
Together, these laws determine who can register, what documents are required, and how foreign ownership is treated.
Many foreign applicants assume company registration is a single-step activity. In Nepal, it is not.
The Company Registrar Office Nepal follows a sequential approval model. Each step depends on the accuracy of the previous one. A single mismatch in shareholder details or object clauses can result in rejection.
Understanding the sequence is critical.
Before approaching the Company Registrar Office Nepal, decide your legal structure. Most foreign companies choose:
Private Limited Company (100 percent foreign-owned allowed in many sectors)
Subsidiary of a foreign parent
Joint venture with Nepali partners
This decision affects capital requirements, documentation, and approval timelines.
Name reservation is always the first formal interaction with the Company Registrar Office Nepal.
Key rules:
Name must be unique
Must not conflict with trademarks
Must reflect the business objective
The application is submitted online through the OCR portal.
Typical review time:
1 to 3 working days
Once the name is approved, you must prepare:
Memorandum of Association (MOA)
Articles of Association (AOA)
These documents define:
Business objectives
Shareholding structure
Director powers
Capital details
Foreign companies often fail here by using generic templates not aligned with Nepalese law.
Foreign shareholders must submit notarized and, in many cases, apostilled documents.
These typically include:
Passport copies
Certificate of incorporation of parent company
Board resolution approving Nepal investment
All documents must align exactly with OCR data fields.
The full application is submitted online through the OCR system.
This includes uploading all documents and entering statutory details.
Important:
OCR officers manually review submissions. Errors trigger resubmission, not partial approval.
The Company Registrar Office Nepal may raise clarification queries. These often relate to:
Business objectives wording
Share capital structure
Foreign director details
Responding promptly is crucial. Delays here extend timelines significantly.
After preliminary approval, OCR issues a payment slip.
Fees depend on authorized capital size.
| Authorized Capital (NPR) | OCR Registration Fee (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,000,000 | NPR 1,000 |
| 1,000,001–5,000,000 | NPR 4,500 |
| Above 10,000,000 | Scaled progressively |
Once payment is confirmed, the Company Registrar Office Nepal issues:
Certificate of Incorporation
Company Registration Number
Your company now legally exists in Nepal.
For foreign-owned companies, realistic timelines are:
Name reservation: 1–3 days
Document preparation: 3–7 days
OCR review and queries: 5–10 days
Certificate issuance: 1–2 days
Total:
Approximately 10–20 working days, assuming no major revisions.
Foreign applicants often face delays due to avoidable issues.
Incorrect object clauses
Mismatch between passport and application spelling
Unclear foreign parent resolutions
Missing apostille or notarization
These errors can double the approval time.
Registration at the Company Registrar Office Nepal is only the beginning.
After incorporation, you must complete:
PAN and VAT registration
Bank account opening
Foreign investment approval (if applicable)
Social Security Fund enrollment
OCR does not handle these steps, but errors at OCR affect all downstream approvals.
| Aspect | DIY Filing | Professional Support |
|---|---|---|
| OCR compliance accuracy | Medium | High |
| Risk of rejection | High | Low |
| Time to registration | Unpredictable | Controlled |
| Foreign law alignment | Weak | Strong |
| Cost efficiency | Short-term only | Long-term |
For foreign companies, professional oversight usually reduces overall cost and time.
Nepal has digitized many OCR processes. Online submission has improved transparency but increased scrutiny.
OCR now checks:
Automated name similarity
Object clause clarity
Shareholding consistency
Digital filing rewards precision, not speed.
Finalize all foreign documents before name reservation
Use Nepal-compliant MOA and AOA language
Avoid broad or vague business objectives
Appoint a local representative for OCR follow-ups
These steps significantly reduce back-and-forth.
Foreign ownership impacts:
Currency repatriation
Tax compliance
National investment policy
As a result, OCR applies higher scrutiny to foreign-owned entities. This is normal and manageable with proper preparation.
If your business involves capital injection from abroad, OCR registration must align with approval under the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act 2019.
Mismatch between OCR filings and FDI approvals leads to compliance risks.
Yes. Every company operating legally in Nepal must register with the Company Registrar Office Nepal, regardless of ownership.
Yes. Applications are submitted online, but physical verification and follow-ups are often required.
Typically 10–20 working days, depending on document accuracy and query resolution speed.
There is no OCR minimum, but FDI regulations often require a minimum threshold.
Yes. Applications with unclear objectives, missing documents, or legal inconsistencies are rejected.
The Company registrar office Nepal follows a structured, rule-driven process designed to protect investors and regulators alike. For foreign companies, success depends on understanding each step, aligning documents with Nepalese law, and responding promptly to OCR queries.
With the right preparation, registration is predictable and efficient. Without it, delays are almost guaranteed.
If you are planning to register a foreign-owned company in Nepal, the smartest next step is a pre-registration compliance review.
A structured approach ensures faster approval, lower risk, and smoother post-registration operations.
Talk to a Nepal incorporation specialist before you submit your OCR application.