Incorporation is fully online in the UK, Singapore, France and India, notarial in Germany and licence-driven in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Some registries issue tax and social security registrations in the same filing, which shortens the path to trading. Official fees are modest where stated, but professional, notarial and licence costs can be much higher.
Online registries with bundled registrations
India's SPICe+ web form covers name reservation and incorporation and also issues director identification numbers, PAN and TAN, provident fund and state insurance registrations and GST, and starts a bank account. In Saudi Arabia, incorporating an LLC through the Saudi Business Center opens the company's file with the labour ministry and registers it with the tax authority, social insurance, the national address service and the chamber of commerce.
In the UK, registering a private limited company costs GBP 100 online, and every company must have an appropriate registered office address (not a PO box) and a registered email address. Singapore charges a registration fee of S$315, a company can start with S$1 of share capital, and every foreign business must use a registered corporate service provider. In France all formalities go through the online Guichet des formalités des entreprises.12345678
Notary and licence-led systems
A German GmbH needs share capital of at least EUR 25,000 and comes into existence only on entry in the commercial register, with the application filed electronically through a notary. In the UAE, the mainland steps run from choosing the activity and legal form, through trade name registration and initial approval, to signing the memorandum of association, securing a physical address and collecting the licence from the emirate's economic authority, for example the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai. The fee must be paid within 30 days of the payment voucher.
In the United States, companies are formed under state law. Delaware, for example, requires every business entity to keep a registered agent with a physical street address in the state.910111213
| Market | Registry or licensing body | Route | Stated fee or capital | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Ministry of Corporate Affairs | SPICe+ web form with bundled tax and social registrations | Not stated here | MCA |
| UAE mainland | Emirate economic department (for example Dubai DET) | Trade name, initial approval, MoA, address, licence | Fee payable within 30 days of voucher | u.ae |
| Saudi Arabia | Ministry of Commerce (Saudi Business Center) | Online LLC incorporation with automatic registrations | See market guide | Ministry of Commerce |
| Singapore | ACRA | Online through a registered corporate service provider | S$315 fee; S$1 minimum capital | ACRA |
| United Kingdom | Companies House | Online | GBP 100 | GOV.UK |
| Germany | Commercial register (local court) | Electronic filing through a notary | EUR 25,000 minimum capital (GmbH) | GmbHG |
| France | Guichet des formalités des entreprises (INPI) | Online | See market guide | Service-Public |
| United States (Delaware) | Division of Corporations | Certificate filed under state law; registered agent required | See market guide | Delaware Division of Corporations |
Decisions to make
- Which registrations come with incorporation, and which must be made separately?12India and Saudi Arabia bundle tax and social security registrations; elsewhere they are separate steps before hiring or invoicing.
- Do we have a physical address that meets the registry's rules?411The UK bars PO boxes as registered offices and the UAE requires a physical address, registered with Ejari in Dubai.
- How much capital must be paid in before registration?96A German GmbH needs EUR 25,000 share capital, while a Singapore company can start with S$1.
- Do we need a local agent or provider to file?713Singapore requires a registered corporate service provider for foreign businesses and Delaware a registered agent.
Documents usually needed
- Proposed company name and activity description
- Constitution or articles (notarised in Germany)
- Identity documents and addresses for directors, shareholders and beneficial owners
- Registered office lease or address evidence (Ejari in Dubai)
- Parent company documents legalised or apostilled for corporate shareholders
Common mistakes
- Treating UAE initial approval as permission to trade
- Missing the 30-day payment window for a UAE licence fee
- Using a PO box or virtual address that the registry does not accept
- Planning German incorporation without allowing for notary scheduling and capital payment
Questions businesses ask
Can a foreign business incorporate in Singapore without a local provider?
No. ACRA requires every foreign business to engage a registered corporate service provider to register in Singapore.7
Does incorporating in India also register the company for tax?
Yes. The SPICe+ form issues PAN and TAN and covers provident fund, state insurance and GST registration, with professional tax registration in some states.1
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional before you rely on them.
- UAE mainland and free zone government fees were not confirmed on an official page.
- Official incorporation fees for India, Germany (notary and court fees) and Saudi investment registration were not compiled here.
- Timelines for incorporation were not stated on the official pages opened and are not given.
- US states other than Delaware were not researched.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
SPICe+ is the Ministry of Corporate Affairs' integrated web form for incorporating a company, with Part A for name reservation and Part B covering incorporation, director identification numbers, PAN and TAN, EPFO and ESIC registration, GSTIN and opening a bank account, filed with linked eMoA, eAoA and AGILE-PRO-S forms. Professional tax registration through the form applies to new companies in Maharashtra and Karnataka only (a state-level registration). Central filing.
Reused from market guide claim in-establish-009.
On incorporation through the Saudi Business Center, the company's file is opened with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the company is registered with ZATCA, social insurance, the Saudi Post national address service and the chamber of commerce. Outputs of the Ministry of Commerce LLC incorporation service.
Reused from market guide claim sa-establish-016.
Registering a private limited company with Companies House costs £100 online or through software and £124 on paper. Private companies limited by shares or guarantee; fees as listed on the Companies House fees page on the check date.
The page does not give the date from which these fees apply; it was updated 25 September 2026. Reused from market guide claim gb-establish-001.
Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 every company must have an appropriate address as its registered office (a PO Box is not allowed), give Companies House a registered email address, and confirm it is formed for a lawful purpose. Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 measures. Existing companies supply the registered email address with their next confirmation statement.
The blog post was written in advance and described 4 March 2024 as a target date dependent on secondary legislation; actual commencement was not confirmed on a separate opened page. Reused from market guide claim gb-establish-010.
ACRA lists a registration fee of S$315 for a company. Fee for incorporating a local company as shown on ACRA's business structure page; corporate service provider charges are separate.
Reused from market guide claim sg-establish-006.
A company with share capital needs at least S$1 in share capital to start, and may issue shares in multiple currencies as its constitution allows. No higher general minimum; sector regulators (for example in financial services) may require more.
Reused from market guide claim sg-establish-005.
Every foreign business must engage a registered corporate service provider to register in Singapore. Applies to all four set-up routes ACRA lists for existing foreign businesses (representative office, subsidiary, branch, re-domiciliation).
Reused from market guide claim sg-establish-007.
Since 1 January 2023 all company creation, modification and cessation formalities must be completed online through the Guichet des formalités des entreprises, which replaced the former business formalities centres (CFE). All companies, whatever their legal form or activity. The portal is operated by INPI (formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr).
The service page does not name the operator in text; the portal formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr carries the INPI logo and the page links to INPI e-procédures accounts. Reused from market guide claim fr-establish-009.
A GmbH must have share capital of at least EUR 25,000. Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH); the UG (haftungsbeschränkt) variant may be formed with less (see de-establish-005).
Reused from market guide claim de-establish-001.
A GmbH comes into existence and gains full legal capacity only on entry in the commercial register, and the registration application is filed electronically through a notary. GmbH and UG; the service description lists required documents including the articles, shareholder list, managing directors' declarations and a domestic business address. Fees depend on the work involved and are not stated.
Official federal service-catalogue entry contributed by a state administration; the legal requirements are federal. Reused from market guide claim de-establish-007.
The UAE Government portal lists the mainland set-up steps as choosing the activity and legal form, registering a trade name with the local economic department, obtaining initial approval, signing the memorandum of association and, where needed, a local service agent agreement, securing a physical address, obtaining any sector approvals and collecting the licence. Mainland businesses. Initial approval confirms the government has no objection but does not authorise trading. The licence fee must be paid within 30 days of the payment voucher or the application is cancelled. Dubai requires lease registration with Ejari.
The page also states that businesses wholly owned by non-GCC residents need a UAE local service agent. This sits uneasily with the 100% foreign ownership rule for commercial companies and probably concerns particular forms such as professional licences or branches; confirm with the emirate's economic department.
Mainland licences are issued by each emirate's economic authority: the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah, the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, the Economic Development Department in Sharjah and Fujairah Municipality. Mainland only; free zone entities are licensed by their free zone authority.
Delaware law requires every business entity to have and maintain a registered agent in Delaware with a physical street address in the state. State rule (Delaware). The agent may be a Delaware-resident individual or a business entity authorised to do business in Delaware; other states set their own registered agent rules.
Reused from market guide claim us-establish-005.
Questions on this topic
13 statements on incorporation steps and company registries
