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Business registration in the Philippines

Business registration in the Philippines means working with multiple agencies, not making a single filing. A company first needs a registered address, then is incorporated with the SEC, registered as a taxpayer with the BIR, licensed to operate by its city, opens a bank account, and registers as an employer once it hires. One question shapes the path before any of that starts: who will own the company.

Start your incorporationTalk to an expert
Updated 10 October 2026
2
incorporators, at least
None
general minimum capital, with foreign-ownership exceptions
Online
SEC filing, signed electronically
30 days
to register with the BIR
January
business permit renewal, in most cities
6 stages
from registered address to employer registration
01 · Start here

Who will own it decides the path

One question shapes the path before any filing starts: who will own the company. Philippine law treats a company differently depending on who owns it. Foreigners can own up to 100% of most businesses, but some activities are closed to them or capped by the Foreign Investment Negative List.

Path A

Filipino founders

If every owner is Filipino, choose for the business you’ll have in two years: partners, investors, foreign shareholders.

1Sole proprietorship, partnership, OPC or corporation
Read the founder guide →Incorporation for Filipinos →
Path B

Foreign founders

If any shareholder is a foreign individual or company, start with three questions.

1Can foreigners own this activity?
2Will the company sell in the Philippines, or export?
3Who will sit on the board?
Sells in the Philippines · US$200,000 paid in

Above 40% foreign ownership, the company needs US$200,000 of paid-in capital. It can drop to US$100,000 under certain conditions.

Exports 60% or more · No minimum capital

Up to 100% foreign-owned, with no minimum capital, as long as the activity is off the Negative List.

Read the founder guide →Incorporation for foreigners →
02 · The journey

The six stages

Every corporation goes through the same stages, broadly in this order. Each has its own page in this guide.

01

Registered address

Principal office

The articles of incorporation must name a specific principal office in the Philippines. The address also decides which BIR office the company registers with, and the city hall looks at it for the business permit.

Principal office addressRead the guide →korp.ph service →
02

SEC incorporation

SEC

The SEC registers the company and issues a digital certificate of incorporation. The articles of incorporation and by-laws are filed online through eSPARC, and each incorporator signs electronically.

Certificate of incorporationRead the guide →korp.ph service →
03

BIR registration

BIR

The BIR registers the company as a taxpayer and issues its Certificate of Registration. The company registers online through ORUS, within 30 days of the SEC certificate or before its first sale.

Certificate of RegistrationRead the guide →korp.ph service →
04

Business permit

City hall

The city or municipal hall issues the mayor’s permit. It is required before the company operates, and renewed every year, in January in most cities.

Mayor’s permitRead the guide →korp.ph service →
05

Bank account

Your bank

A corporate account in the company’s own name. Many banks ask for the BIR certificate and the mayor’s permit first.

Corporate accountRead the guide →
06

Employer registration

SSS · PhilHealth · Pag-IBIG

Once it has its TIN, the company gets its SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG employer numbers, then finalizes registration with each agency. Coverage is mandatory for private-sector employees, and the employer remits the contributions.

Employer numbersRead the guide →
03 · Timeline

How long it takes

Through korp.ph, SEC incorporation takes about 10 working days when every shareholder is an individual. With a company as a shareholder it takes 4 to 6 weeks, mostly because a foreign parent’s documents must first be apostilled or authenticated abroad.

BIR registration, the business permit, the bank account and employer registration then take a further 4 to 6 weeks.

Indicative timeline through korp.ph
Every shareholder is an individualSEC: about 10 working days
SEC
BIR · permit · bank · employer
A company is a shareholderSEC: 4 to 6 weeks
SEC · apostille first
BIR · permit · bank · employer
Week 04812
SEC incorporationThen a further 4 to 6 weeks
04 · Before you file

Decide these before you file

The SEC filing itself is short. The time goes into deciding what goes into it.

Articles of incorporation · draft
5 decisions
01Name
e.g. Bayanihan Trading Corporation
The SEC verifies and reserves the company name before anything else is filed.
02Purposes
Primary purposeSecondary purposes
What the company will do, written into the articles of incorporation. The activity also decides whether foreigners can own it. See primary and secondary purposes.
03Capital
AuthorizedSubscribedPaid
The authorized capital, and how much of it is subscribed and paid at the start.
04People
2+ incorporators2+ directorsPresidentTreasurerCorporate secretary
Each director is a natural person holding at least one share. The president must be a director. The treasurer must live in the Philippines, and the corporate secretary must be a Filipino citizen who lives in the Philippines.
05Address
Street, barangay, city
A specific principal office in the Philippines, down to the street, barangay and city. See Registered address.
The SEC incorporation page takes each in turn.
05 · FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I register a company in the Philippines online?

The SEC and BIR stages, yes. SEC incorporation is filed through eSPARC, and incorporators sign remotely through the SEC’s eSECURE and eSAP systems. BIR registration is filed through ORUS. How much of the business permit can be done online depends on the city or municipal hall.

Is there a minimum capital?

Not for most companies. Above 40% foreign ownership, a company selling in the Philippines needs US$200,000 paid in, which can drop to US$100,000 under certain conditions. An exporter needs none. A foreign-owned retailer needs ₱25 million paid up.

Do I need a physical office?

The SEC accepts a specific virtual office address; the business permit depends on the city. The Registered address page covers the options.

What do I file after registration?

Every year, the General Information Sheet and the annual financial statements go to the SEC, BIR returns run monthly, quarterly and annually, and the business permit is renewed in January. See the annual compliance calendar.

Register with korp.ph

korp.ph incorporates your company with the SEC and can carry it through BIR registration, the business permit and employer registration after it, for companies registered at its Makati or Daet virtual office, or with their own registered office in Metro Manila or Cebu.
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