Company Registration Process in Nepal 2026: Step-by-Step CAMIS Guide

Registering a company in Nepal used to mean multiple trips to the Office of Company Registrar (OCR) in Tripureshwor, stacks of physical paperwork, and weeks of waiting. That's changed. Since Shrawan 2081, the entire process runs through CAMIS — the Company Administration and Management Information System — an online portal that lets you reserve a name, upload documents, pay government fees, and download your Certificate of Incorporation without ever visiting a government office in person.

Nepal registered over 42,000 new companies in fiscal year 2082/83 alone, a record driven largely by this digital shift. Whether you're a Nepali entrepreneur starting your first Pvt. Ltd. company or a foreign investor entering the South Asian market, this guide walks you through every step of the process under the Companies Act, 2063 (2006) — from choosing a company type to getting your PAN and VAT registration sorted after incorporation.

The six-step company registration process in Nepal, from name reservation through to PAN/VAT registration.

Legal Framework & Governing Authority

Company registration in Nepal is governed by the Companies Act, 2063 (2006), and for companies with foreign shareholders, the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act, 2075 (2019) also applies. The Office of Company Registrar (OCR), operating under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, is the sole government authority empowered to incorporate companies in Nepal. Once registered, a company becomes a separate legal entity — it can own property, sign contracts, sue or be sued, and open bank accounts entirely in its own name, distinct from its shareholders and directors.

Types of Companies You Can Register

The Companies Act recognizes several structures, each suited to different business needs:

• Private Limited Company — the most common structure for small and medium businesses; shares cannot be offered to the general public, and liability is limited.
• Public Limited Company — suited to larger businesses that want to raise capital from the public via shares, bonds, or debentures; requires a minimum of 7 shareholders with no upper limit.
• Non-Profit Distributing Company — for organizations pursuing social, charitable, or non-commercial objectives.
• Single Shareholder Company — allows one individual to incorporate and own a private company alone.
• Foreign Company (Branch or Liaison Office) — a branch office can conduct commercial activities and generate revenue in Nepal, while a liaison office is restricted to non-commercial functions like market research and coordination.
• Holding & Subsidiary Company — for corporate groups structuring ownership across multiple entities.

This guide focuses primarily on registering a Private Limited Company, since it's the structure most entrepreneurs and small business owners in Nepal choose.

Step-by-Step Registration Process

Step 1: Create a CAMIS Account & Reserve Your Company Name

Visit camis.ocr.gov.np and create a user account using a valid email address and a Nepali mobile number for OTP verification — one account can manage multiple company applications. Once logged in, use the Name Reservation feature to search and propose your company name, ideally with three alternatives in case your first choice is unavailable. Provide both English and Nepali versions where relevant, and avoid restricted, offensive, or duplicate terms under the Companies Act.

Name approval typically comes within 2–3 business days, and once approved, you generally need to complete registration within about 35 days (validity periods have varied over recent OCR notices, so it's worth double-checking the exact window shown on your CAMIS dashboard before you proceed). Common causes of rejection include duplicate names, single-word names, and names resembling existing registered companies — download your Name Approval certificate once granted, since you'll need it for the next step.

Step 2: Draft the Memorandum & Articles of Association

The Memorandum of Association (MOA) defines your company's name, registered office, business objectives, authorized capital, and share structure — it forms the constitutional foundation of the company. The Articles of Association (AOA) set out internal management rules: how directors are appointed, how meetings are conducted, and how decisions get made. Both documents must be printed on the correct stamp paper and signed by all initial shareholders along with witnesses, in accordance with the Companies Act, 2063.

Step 3: Gather Your Supporting Documents

Before you can submit your application, have the following ready as clear scanned copies:

• Completed OCR application form, MOA, and AOA
• Citizenship certificate and National ID (NID) number of each promoter/shareholder
• Citizenship copies of witnesses to the shareholders
• Registered office proof — a lease agreement or ownership document for your business address
• Bank deposit slip confirming deposit of the declared authorized capital
• Authority/power of attorney letter, if someone is filing on your behalf
• For foreign or NRN investors: notarized home-country incorporation documents, passport copies, and Department of Industry (DOI) foreign investment approval where the sector requires it

Missing or poorly scanned documents are the single most common reason applications get delayed, so double-check legibility and completeness before uploading.

Step 4: Submit the Online Application & Pay Government Fees

Log back into your CAMIS account and select "New Company Registration." Fill in the approved company name, registered address, business objectives, authorized share capital, and full details of promoters, directors, and shareholders. Upload all your scanned documents, including director consent letters and photographs, then carefully verify everything before hitting submit — the system will automatically calculate your government fee based on the authorized capital you've declared.

Pay the fee online through eSewa, Khalti, or direct bank transfer. Government fees generally start around NPR 1,000 for authorized capital up to NPR 100,000, and scale up to roughly NPR 30,000 for larger companies — the CAMIS portal calculates the exact figure automatically once you enter your capital amount, so always confirm the live figure on the portal rather than relying on older published tables. For a standard private limited company, a realistic all-in budget — including government fees, stamp duty, and notarization — typically falls between NPR 15,000 and NPR 25,000, excluding any legal consultancy fees.

Save your payment receipt; the application is then automatically routed to the OCR for review.

Step 5: OCR Review & Certificate of Incorporation

The OCR conducts a review to check the coherence of your stated business objectives, verify shareholder signatures, and confirm conformity with the Companies Act. If they spot a significant error or discrepancy, you'll be contacted and asked to correct it — so it's worth monitoring your application status on CAMIS regularly. Once verification is complete, the OCR issues a digital Certificate of Incorporation, which you can download immediately; a physical certificate can also be collected if you need one. Carefully verify every detail on the certificate — company name, registration number, capital, and registered office — since correcting errors after issuance takes additional time.

For most local companies, the entire registration — from document submission to certificate issuance — takes about 7 to 10 business days. Foreign or NRN-owned companies that require DOI or Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) clearance should plan for roughly 10 to 20 business days.

Step 6: Register for PAN and VAT at the Inland Revenue Department

Company registration alone doesn't let you start trading — you also need a Permanent Account Number (PAN) from the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), which must be displayed on all invoices, tax returns, and official correspondence. Visit the IRD portal, complete the PAN registration form with your company details, and upload your Certificate of Incorporation, MOA/AOA, directors' citizenship/NID documents, and proof of your registered office. If your business activities fall under VATable categories, or your annual turnover crosses the mandatory registration threshold (commonly cited around NPR 20 lakh for service businesses and NPR 50 lakh for goods, though thresholds are periodically revised through the annual Finance Act), you must also register for VAT at this stage.

Post-Registration Compliance

Getting your certificate isn't the finish line. A few compliance steps follow soon after:

• Local ward registration — register your business address with the local ward office, which is required for ongoing operation.
• Sector-specific licenses — certain industries (banking, education, health, hospitality, etc.) require additional approval from the relevant government department before you can begin operations.
• 3-month compliance filing — companies must submit a compliance document to the OCR within three months of incorporation.
• NRB recording of investment — for companies with foreign direct investment (FDI), the investment amount must be recorded with Nepal Rastra Bank.
• Annual filing — every registered company must update its details with the OCR each year to stay in good standing.
• Bank account & Labor Act compliance — open a company bank account and, once you hire staff, ensure ongoing compliance with the Labor Act and relevant social security contributions.

Quick Reference: Costs & Timelines

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CAMIS?

CAMIS (Company Administration and Management Information System) is the OCR's online portal at camis.ocr.gov.np. It handles the entire registration process — name reservation, document upload, fee payment via eSewa or Khalti, and digital certificate issuance.

Can foreign nationals register a company in Nepal?

Yes, with Department of Industry (DOI) foreign investment approval and compliance with the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act, 2075.

Do I need a physical office address to register a company?

Yes. A registered office address with proof of ownership or a lease agreement is required both for the OCR application and for local ward registration.

How can I check if a company is already registered in Nepal?

Visit the OCR's official website at ocr.gov.np and use its company search tool to check registration status by name or registration number.

Is VAT registration mandatory for every new company?

No — only if your business activities fall within VATable categories or your annual turnover crosses the mandatory registration threshold, which is periodically revised through the annual Finance Act.

Final Word

Company registration in Nepal has genuinely become faster and more transparent since the move to CAMIS — most local entrepreneurs can go from name reservation to a downloadable Certificate of Incorporation in about a week and a half. The parts that still trip people up are almost never the online steps themselves; they're incomplete documentation, mismatched capital figures between the MOA and the application form, and missing NID numbers for promoters. Get your paperwork right the first time, budget for PAN and VAT registration right after incorporation, and you'll have a fully compliant company ready to open a bank account and start operating within two to three weeks.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Government fees, thresholds, and processing timelines are periodically revised by the Office of Company Registrar and through the annual Finance Act — always verify current figures on camis.ocr.gov.np or consult a licensed legal professional before filing.