Starting a company

Starting a company

Starting a company online (incorporating) is as simple as reserving your company name (NZ$10.22), completing the incorporation application (NZ$153.33) and returning your signed consent forms.

Here we will take you through how to incorporate the most common type of company - the New Zealand limited company - but you can now incorporate or register all company types online.

Getting started

To incorporate or register a new company you will need to be logged on as a registered user of the website.

Reserving a company name

The Registrar of Companies is responsible for the approval and reservation of company names. This is the first step to incorporating your company with the Companies Office.

Applying to incorporate a company

You will need to have a number of details about your company on hand to successfully incorporate your company.

How we process your application

Applications to incorporate a company are processed automatically. We will then send you the director and shareholder consent forms.

Director and shareholder consents

Signed consent is required from directors and shareholders in order to complete the incorporation process. These must be returned to the Companies Office within 20 working days.

After incorporation, director's obligations to the Companies Office are few and simple to meet. Directors have a responsibility to file annual returns and update the Companies Office with changes to the company details.