Company Registration in India from Europe

Planning to register a company in India from the UK, Germany, France or elsewhere in Europe? This guide covers why European businesses are entering India now, what the Apostille process means for your paperwork, the entry structures available to you, and the practical steps involved in incorporation.

Why European businesses are entering India

On 27 January 2026, the European Commission and India concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement — a deal 20 years in the making, covering a combined market of around two billion consumers and expected to double EU exports to India by 2032. The agreement is politically concluded but not yet legally binding, with formal signing, ratification and implementation still to follow. Alongside India's scale, talent pool and expanding industrial base, this developing trade relationship is a strong signal for European businesses considering direct incorporation rather than working through intermediaries alone.

Apostille, not embassy legalisation

India and the great majority of European countries, including the UK, Germany and France, are members of the Hague Apostille Convention. In practice, this means documents executed in Europe for Indian company registration — identity documents, board resolutions, powers of attorney — generally only need an apostille from the relevant national authority, rather than the more time-consuming embassy legalisation process required for non-member countries. We confirm the specific requirement for your country as part of your incorporation plan.

Choosing your entry structure

Most European companies choose a wholly owned subsidiary — a separate Indian company that gives you full operational control and can trade, hire and generate revenue directly. A Branch Office extends your existing European company into India for permitted activities such as consultancy, export/import or technical support, without incorporating a new entity. A Liaison Office suits businesses that only need a representative presence, for market research or coordinating with Indian partners, without conducting commercial activity. We help you work through which structure actually fits your plans, rather than defaulting to one.

One requirement that catches many European boards by surprise: under Section 149(3) of the Companies Act, 2013, every Indian company — including a wholly owned subsidiary with 100% European shareholding — needs at least one director who is resident in India for 182 days or more in the financial year, even if the rest of the board is entirely based in Europe. If your directors will only visit occasionally, this is usually addressed with a professional resident director alongside your own board.

The registration process, step by step

For a subsidiary, incorporation typically involves obtaining a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) and Director Identification Number (DIN) for your directors, reserving your company name with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, preparing and apostilling the required director and shareholder documents, filing incorporation documents, and completing post-incorporation steps such as PAN, TAN, a bank account and any applicable GST registration. Branch, Liaison and Project Offices instead go through an RBI-authorised bank rather than the MCA.

Common questions from European businesses

Do I need to travel to India to incorporate? No — incorporation can be completed remotely, with documents apostilled in your home country and filings handled by your India-based team.

Can profits be repatriated back to Europe? Yes. Dividends are freely repatriable once withholding tax is deducted, and India's tax treaty with your country can reduce the applicable rate.