Company Registration Process: Step-by-Step Guide

Launch your Sri Lankan company with confidence

Incorporation is no longer just paperwork. Investors, banks, and regulators expect founders to present a compliance-ready business from day one. This playbook walks you through the statutory tasks, timelines, and documentation investors will scrutinise during due diligence.

Key hurdles founders encounter

• Delays from incomplete ROC submissions or missing notarised affidavits for overseas directors.
• Waiting on tax registrations (TIN, VAT) before onboarding staff or receiving investor funds.
• Regulators requesting compliance proof (EPF/ETF, payroll setup) before granting operating licences.

Four-phase incorporation roadmap

1. Concept & naming: run conflict searches, obtain name approval, align domain and trademark availability.
2. Documentation: prepare AoA/MoA, director/shareholder KYC, BOI letters (if applicable), and shareholders' resolutions.
3. Filing & approval: submit digital incorporation via ROC eROC portal, schedule physical verification if required, and secure your BRN.
4. Compliance launch: register for TIN, VAT, EPF/ETF; open bank accounts; implement payroll and accounting systems.

Banking and treasury readiness

Engage with preferred banks early to understand KYC expectations, minimum balances, and treasury services. Prepare board resolutions, business plans, and cash-flow forecasts to accelerate approval. If you operate cross-border, confirm foreign currency account requirements and FX controls.

Establish internal payment authority matrices before the first account is active. This prevents delays when settling vendor invoices or paying staff during the initial trading weeks.

Investor-ready compliance toolkit

Build a digital data room with ROC certificates, AoA, board resolutions, EPF/ETF registrations, and payroll policies. This is the first request from venture investors, BOI officers, and enterprise clients.

Use the company registration checklist alongside WinCore's company secretary team to keep statutory filings on schedule.

After incorporation, schedule a 180-day compliance review covering tax registrations, board meeting cadence, policy adoption, and statutory returns. Document the review outcomes so investors and regulators see a confident governance culture.

Suggested next steps

• Schedule a company launch consultation to map governance, payroll, and finance pods from day one.
• Explore bookkeeping best practices to keep investors informed post-launch.