SECP eZfile Company Name Reservation: Step-by-Step Availability Guidelines

The Importance of SECP Company Name Clearance

Name reservation is the mandatory first milestone when incorporating a company with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). Under Section 10 of the Companies Act 2017 and the Companies (Incorporation) Regulations 2024, SECP enforces strict criteria to prevent misleading, identical, or deceptive corporate nomenclature.

1. SECP Name Availability Criteria & Prohibited Words

A proposed company name will be rejected by the Registrar if:

• Identical or Deceptively Similar: It closely resembles an existing registered company or limited liability partnership (LLP).
• State Affiliation: It suggests patronage or connection with the Federal Government, Provincial Governments, Armed Forces, or foreign states (e.g., "National", "Federal", "State", "Republic") without prior statutory clearance.
• Regulated Terminology: It contains words requiring special sector licensing (e.g., "Bank", "Investment", "Insurance", "Modaraba", "Chamber", "University") unless statutory pre-clearance has been secured.
• Deceptive Nature: The name implies commercial operations inconsistent with the objects in the Memorandum of Association.

2. Step-by-Step Online Reservation on eZfile

1. Access eZfile Portal: Log into the official SECP eZfile system using verified CNIC/Passport credentials.
2. Perform Pre-Filing Search: Utilize the SECP Search Company Name database to verify that no phonetic or exact matches exist.
3. Submit Name Application: Enter the primary proposed name and provide up to three alternate preferences in order of choice.
4. Specify Principal Line of Business: Select the corresponding business sector code and describe core activities.
5. Pay Statutory Fee Challan: Pay the official government challan online via 1Link or debit/credit card.

3. Validity of Reserved Names

Once approved, SECP issues an official Name Availability Letter valid for sixty (60) days. The company incorporation documents (MOA, AOA, subscriber list) must be submitted within this statutory validity window, or the reservation will lapse.