The limited liability partnership (LLP) is one of two recent introductions to the list of corporate entities in India (the one-person company being the other). It was introduced through the LLP Act, 2008, and has since grown significantly in popularity. It has fewer compliance requirements, lacks the need for an auditor until the turnover of the business reaches Rs. 40 lakh and is cheaper to run. Relaxation of FDI rules with regard to LLPs has also led to an increased interest from foreign nationals and NRIs. This article explores the documents required for starting an LLP in India.
Essential Documents For LLP Incorporation
For Indian Nationals:
PAN card: A copy of the PAN cards of all partners.
Address Proof: Copies of any one of the following documents. The name in these proofs should match the PAN card. Utility bills, if submitted, should be no older than two months. The documents that can be submitted as address proof include:
Voter ID card
Ration card
Passport
Driving license
Utility bills (Gas, telephone or electricity bill)
Aaadhar card
Residence Proof: Proof of Residence can be a recent electricity or telephone bill (no older than two months) or bank statement.
For Foreign Nationals/NRIs
Passport: The passport is a mandatory identity proof for foreign nationals looking to be a partner in an Indian LLP. The passport needs to be notarised or apostilled by the relevant authorities in the country of origin or by an embassy for it to be valid. In case the passport is in a language other than English, a translated version in English, notarized or Apostilled, is to be submitted. Also, if the passport does not have the date of birth of the partner, an additional document proving the date of birth, with notarizations, needs to be submitted with the passport.
Proof of Address: A notarized or apostilled copy of address proof is to be submitted by the foreign nationals at the time of registration. The proof submitted should not be older than one year, and should carry the name, and the current address of the partner. The following documents are valid, as a proof of address for a foreign national:
Driving license
Bank Statement
Residence card
Any government issued identity proof, with the address
Again, if such documents are in a foreign language (other than English), it needs to be translated by an official translator, and notarized or apostilled.
Proof of Residence: LLP registration requires a proof of residence, in addition to the address proof. The following documents are valid as a proof of residence for foreign nationals (provided they are not older than one year):
Utility bills (Electricity bill, telephone or mobile bill)
Bank Statement
Proof of Registered Office
Providing a proof of registered office (an office or an address for all official communication) is a mandatory requirement of incorporation of an LLP. The Act decrees that the requisite documents should either be submitted during registration, or within 30 days of incorporation of an LLP. The below mentioned documents are valid as an address, proof of a registered office.
If the registered office is rented, an authorization (NOC) from the landlord (whose name appears on the water or electricity bills, or on the property tax receipt) that the premises is let for the company to use as its ‘registered office’.
Copy of utility bills, like gas, electricity or telephone bills, as proof of evidence, and which contains the address of the premises, owner’s name and all information. Such utility bills should be recent (no older than two months from the date of submission).