Foreign Company Registration
Enter the Indian market with the right structure: subsidiary, branch office, liaison office or project office, supported by FEMA compliance, FDI planning, RBI/ROC documentation, tax setup, bank coordination and ongoing statutory compliance.
Choose the right India entry structure before investment, contracts, hiring or revenue operations begin.
Foreign company registration requires careful review of business activity, FDI route, sector restrictions, ownership, director residency, RBI reporting, ROC filings, tax registrations, banking, transfer pricing and operational compliance.
What we review before India registration
Foreign company setup depends on proposed activity, parent company documents, shareholder structure, FDI route, resident director availability, Indian office address, funding plan, sector conditions, tax exposure and RBI/ROC compliance requirements.
Enter India with the right legal, tax and FEMA structure.
A foreign business entering India must align entity structure, investment route, activities, banking, contracts and compliance from the beginning. A wrong entry route can create FEMA issues, tax exposure, banking delays and future restructuring cost.
India Entry Clarity
Choose between subsidiary, branch, liaison, project office or LLP based on activity and control needs.
FDI Structuring
Review automatic route, approval route, sector restrictions, pricing, share issue and investment reporting.
ROC & RBI Coordination
Prepare incorporation forms, foreign documents, FEMA reporting and statutory registrations cleanly.
Tax Setup
Plan PAN, TAN, GST, withholding tax, transfer pricing and permanent establishment exposure.
Bank Account Readiness
Organise KYC, apostilled documents, board resolutions and authorised signatory support for banks.
Compliance Discipline
Track annual filings, FLA, FC-GPR, financials, audit, tax returns and business licences.
Documents needed for foreign company registration.
The exact document list depends on whether the foreign company is setting up an Indian subsidiary, branch office, liaison office, project office or other structure.
Foreign Parent Documents
- Certificate of incorporation of foreign company
- Charter documents / MOA / AOA equivalent
- Board resolution for India entry
- Authorised representative details
- Apostilled or notarised parent documents where required
Shareholder & Director Records
- Passport and address proof of foreign directors
- PAN, DSC and DIN details where applicable
- Resident director details for Indian company
- Shareholding and ultimate beneficial ownership details
- KYC and declarations of subscribers
India Setup Inputs
- Proposed entity name and business activity
- Registered office proof and NOC
- FDI sector and investment route details
- Capital contribution and bank remittance plan
- Tax, GST and commercial contract details if available
How CompanyJi prepares foreign company registration.
We focus on structure selection, document legalisation, incorporation, FEMA reporting, tax registrations and long-term compliance setup.
Entry Review
We review activity, country, FDI route, sector, ownership, tax risk and suitable India structure.
Document Planning
We prepare parent company, shareholder, director, office and legalised document checklist.
Registration Filing
We support incorporation or office registration, DSC, DIN, PAN/TAN and ROC filing.
FEMA Setup
We map FDI reporting, banking documents, remittance proof and RBI/FEMA requirements.
Compliance Handover
We create ROC, tax, GST, FEMA and annual compliance calendar for ongoing operations.
Subsidiary vs Branch Office vs Liaison Office vs Project Office.
Each India entry route has a different legal purpose. The right option depends on revenue activity, liability, control, tax exposure, approvals and long-term India plans.
Foreign Company Registration FAQs
Category-wise answers covering India entry basics, eligibility, documents, registration process, entity structures, FDI, FEMA, taxation, banking and common mistakes foreign companies should avoid.
Basics
Important foreign company registration guidance.
It refers to setting up a legally recognised India presence through a subsidiary, branch office, liaison office, project office or other permitted route.
Yes. A foreign company can operate in India through permitted structures subject to company law, FEMA, FDI, tax and sector-specific rules.
For full commercial operations, an Indian subsidiary is commonly preferred. Branch, liaison and project offices are more activity-specific.
It may be possible in many sectors under the automatic route, subject to sector caps, prohibited activities and FEMA rules.
Not always. Many subsidiary investments are under automatic route, but branch, liaison, project office or restricted sectors may need approval or reporting.
Eligibility
Who can register an India presence.
Foreign companies, overseas founders, foreign investors and global groups can register if the activity is permitted and documents are available.
Yes. Indian company law requires compliance with resident director requirements, so board planning is important.
Yes, subject to FEMA, FDI, KYC, sector and banking rules. Documents may require notarisation or apostille.
Yes. Foreign corporate shareholders can invest, subject to legalised entity documents, beneficial ownership details and FDI compliance.
No. Some sectors are prohibited, restricted or subject to caps and approval conditions. Sector review is required before setup.
Documents
Records commonly required.
Parent company incorporation proof, charter documents, board resolution, shareholder KYC, director documents, office proof and activity details are commonly required.
Many foreign documents need notarisation, apostille or consular attestation depending on country and filing requirement.
Yes. Directors or authorised signatories signing Indian electronic filings usually need Digital Signature Certificates.
Yes. A registered office or approved office address is required depending on the selected structure.
Yes. Ultimate beneficial ownership, control and shareholding details may be needed for ROC, banks and compliance checks.
Process
How registration moves.
CompanyJi reviews the foreign parent, activity, FDI route, preferred structure, documents, banking path and compliance requirements.
Timeline depends on document legalisation, name approval, structure, government portal response, bank KYC and sector review.
Many steps can be handled remotely, but notarisation, apostille, bank KYC and local address documentation must be completed properly.
After incorporation, PAN/TAN, bank account, capital remittance, FEMA reporting, GST and compliance setup may follow.
CompanyJi can help prepare bank KYC and documentation, while account approval depends on the bank’s internal policy.
Structures
India entry route comparison.
An Indian subsidiary is an Indian company owned by foreign shareholders and used for full business operations in India.
A branch office is an extension of a foreign company allowed for specified activities, generally subject to RBI/FEMA conditions.
A liaison office is used for representation, communication and market research, and generally cannot conduct revenue-generating business in India.
A project office is used for executing a specific project in India based on permitted contracts and conditions.
Foreign investment in LLPs may be possible subject to FDI and sector conditions, but structure suitability should be checked carefully.
FDI
Foreign investment and capital.
FDI refers to foreign investment into an Indian entity. It must follow sector caps, pricing, reporting and other FEMA conditions.
Automatic route means foreign investment can be made without prior government approval, subject to applicable sector conditions and post-transaction reporting.
Approval route means prior government or regulatory approval is required before foreign investment can be made.
Valuation may be required for share issue or transfer involving non-residents, depending on transaction and FEMA pricing rules.
FC-GPR is a FEMA reporting form used when an Indian company issues shares to foreign investors after receiving foreign investment.
FEMA
Foreign exchange compliance.
FEMA governs foreign investment, remittances, reporting, pricing and foreign exchange transactions connected with India operations.
Filings may include FC-GPR, FLA return, share transfer reporting and other forms depending on transaction facts.
Delayed filings may require late submission fee, compounding or corrective steps depending on the nature and period of delay.
Indian companies with foreign investment may need to file annual FLA return, subject to applicable RBI requirements.
Yes. Royalty, service fees, dividends, reimbursements and other cross-border payments require tax and FEMA review.
Tax
Tax registration and reporting.
Indian entities receive PAN/TAN during incorporation, and foreign companies may also need PAN for tax or transaction purposes.
GST is required based on turnover, nature of supply, ecommerce, import/export, interstate supply and other GST rules.
Transfer pricing may apply to related-party international transactions between Indian entity and foreign group companies.
Permanent establishment risk arises when a foreign company’s India activities create taxable business presence under tax law or treaty rules.
Yes. Cross-border payments such as royalty, technical fees, interest or dividends may require withholding tax review.
Mistakes
Common India entry mistakes.
The biggest mistake is choosing an entity route without reviewing activity, FDI route, tax exposure, banking and long-term compliance.
Yes. Wrong structure may create permanent establishment, transfer pricing, withholding tax or double taxation issues.
Yes. Foreign documents without proper notarisation, apostille or attestation may be rejected or delay filings.
Yes. Delayed FEMA reporting can lead to late fees, compounding, bank issues and regulatory cleanup requirements.
Commercial activity should begin only after the appropriate entity, approvals, tax registrations and bank arrangements are in place.
Make your India entry FDI-ready and compliance-ready.
Before documentation gaps, banking delays, FEMA reporting issues or tax exposure slow your India expansion, prepare a clean foreign company registration file with CompanyJi’s structured India-entry support.