Alternatives to Company registration in Pakistan

Branch Office

A branch office is a suitable alternative to company registration if your company wants to have a presence in Pakistan without setting up a separate legal entity.

Branches carrying out a contract in Pakistan can be established. However, a branch office cannot take part in any commercial or trading activities of whatever nature. Therefore, your activities depend on the contract you signed. The contract restricts your activities.

The parent company owns 100% of the branch office in the country of origin. Since it is not a limited liability company, it does not require any minimum capital either.

Process time for the registration takes up seven weeks. The permit can be valid for 1 to 5 years if it has an approval from the Board of Investment (BOI).

Liaison Office

If you want to promote your products in Pakistan, you can set up a 100% foreign-owned liaison office here.

Besides product promotion, you can also provide technical advice and assistance, explore the various possibilities of joint collaboration, and export promotion in Pakistan.

However, this type cannot engage in commercial or trading activities and it is not subject to any minimum capital either

A liaison office can only function according to the provisions of the contract or the assignment.

While part of the contract states that you can only provide technical assistance and product promotion, you cannot engage in export promotion and other activities.

Hence, it is similar to the branch office. Therefore, there will be no shareholding since it’s going to be in the country of origin only.

The standard time for establishing a liaison office in Pakistan is seven (7) weeks. Therefore, once granted your permit will have a validity period of 1 to 5 years. Also, the Board of Investment (BOI) needs to approve it.

How to start with company registration in Pakistan?

If you are planning on investing in Pakistan, get in touch with DPBCouncil and we will handle the process of company registration on your behalf.

All you need to send us to get started is:

• Name, addresses, and shareholding of each of the shareholders
• The amount of share capital
• Passport copies of the shareholders
• Proposed name of the company

Contact us via our email and our consultants will gladly assist you with your company registration in Pakistan.