All four registrations
SEC incorporation, the local business permit, BIR registration and employer registrations, handled as one project.
Business setup & company support
Business Incorporation (SEC)
We set up Philippine companies for foreign and local founders, including founders who are still abroad. Structure advice, SEC incorporation, the mayor's permit, BIR and employer registrations, handled as one project.
4.9 across 100+ Google reviews Offices in Cebu and Manila
Manila Cebu Work with us from anywhere
120+ businesses registered since 2019
- Registrations
- SEC, LGU, BIR and social agencies
- SEC timeline
- 4 to 6 weeks
- Total timeline
- 2 to 4 months
- Foreign ownership
- Up to 100% in open industries
Service overview
What our incorporation service covers
A company in the Philippines needs four registrations before it can operate: the SEC, a mayor's permit from your city, the BIR and, if you hire staff, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG. We take care of all four, so you don't have to deal with each agency yourself.
Advice on structure
Guidance on the entity type and ownership split that suits your plans and the foreign ownership rules for your industry.
Foreign founders welcome
You can complete the SEC's identity check online, even if you live abroad.
Less back and forth
We prepare the forms, secretary's certificates and notarized documents and deal with each agency.
Filed on time, in the right order
Each registration is filed when it's due, including employee start dates with the social agencies.
Support afterwards
Annual permit renewals, work visas for foreign staff and ongoing compliance when you need them.
Requirements and details
Who we register
We work with founders in many situations, including:
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Foreign nationals and overseas companies investing or expanding in the Philippines.
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Filipino entrepreneurs incorporating a new business.
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Joint ventures between Filipino and foreign stockholders.
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Sole founders who want limited liability through a One Person Corporation.
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Foreign corporations opening a representative office or regional headquarters.
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Investors who need a corporation for an SIRV or SVEG visa application.
How it works
Registration Process
The exact requirements and timing depend on your circumstances, but most applications follow these stages.
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Planning and structure
We confirm the business activity, ownership, capital and office address, and advise on the entity type that fits. -
SEC incorporation
Each stockholder is verified with the SEC online, the company details are filed and the certificate of incorporation, articles and by-laws are issued. Allow four to six weeks. -
Local business permit
We secure the barangay clearance and the mayor's permit from the city where your office is located, including the fire, sanitary and occupancy clearances that go with it. -
BIR registration
The company is registered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, its books of accounts are registered and its invoices are authorized. This takes about a week. -
Employer registrations
If you will hire staff, the company is registered with SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG, which takes one to two weeks depending on appointments. -
Handover
You receive the complete set of registrations, ready to open a bank account, sign contracts and start trading.
What the C&G Business Registration Service Includes
Since 2019 we have registered more than 120 businesses for local and foreign founders. Our service fee covers everything below, from the first document to the final approval.
- SEC, BIR and LGU in one serviceWe register your company with the SEC, the BIR and your local government, so one team handles every registration.
- Documents prepared and notarizedWe prepare every document your application needs, and our in-house attorneys notarize them.
- With you at government officesOur staff assist you on site at your government appointments, so you never face an agency alone.
- We deal with the agenciesWe coordinate with the agencies, follow up on your application and keep you updated at every step.
- Accredited with DOLE and BIC&G is accredited with the Department of Labor and the Bureau of Immigration.
- An experienced teamOur team, including two attorneys, has more than 10 years of experience in business and immigration consulting.
- No hidden feesYour quote shows our service cost and the government fees separately, so you know the full cost before we begin.
- Manila, Cebu or remoteMeet us at our Manila or Cebu office, or work with us remotely from anywhere.
In detail
Choosing a business structure
Domestic corporation
The standard structure for a company with two or more stockholders. It can be fully Filipino-owned or have up to 40% foreign ownership, which keeps it open to activities that are restricted for foreign-owned companies.
100% foreign-owned corporation
A domestic corporation whose stockholders are all foreign nationals or foreign companies. It is available in industries that are open to full foreign ownership.
One Person Corporation (OPC)
A corporation with a single stockholder, with a nominee and alternate nominee named in its registration. For a fully foreign-owned OPC, the nominee should also be a foreign national.
Representative office
An extension of a foreign parent company that promotes the parent's business and liaises with clients, without earning income in the Philippines. The parent provides a board resolution, audited financial statements and articles of incorporation, appoints a resident agent and remits $30,000 as initial capital.
Regional headquarters (RHQ)
A foreign company's regional base for supervising and coordinating its affiliates in the region. An RHQ needs an endorsement from the Board of Investments before it is registered with the SEC.
In detail
What you will need to provide
For the SEC
Company details: proposed names, business activity, capital and share split
Passport bio-pages of all foreign stockholders
Two government-issued IDs for each Filipino stockholder
For an OPC, the passport or ID of the nominee and alternate nominee
Completion of the SEC's online identity verification by each stockholder
For the local business permit
Lease contract or proof of ownership of the office
Certificate of occupancy for the premises
Photographs and video of the office, inside and outside
List of employees with ID photographs
A fire extinguisher receipted in the company's name
For the BIR
SEC certificate of registration and articles of incorporation
Lease contract showing the monthly rent, address and floor area
Any franchise, PEZA or BOI registration that applies to the business
We prepare the application forms, secretary's certificates and notarized documents for each agency.
In detail
Fees and timelines
Government fees
Most incorporation costs scale with the capital you choose for the company.
SEC filing fee: 0.10% of the subscribed capital, plus a legal research fee of 1% of the filing fee
SEC registration extras, including the stock and transfer book and documentary stamps: approximately PHP 3,000
BIR documentary stamp tax on shares: subscribed capital divided by 200
BIR documentary stamp tax on the office lease: based on the annual rent
BIR one-time registration costs, including books of accounts and invoice printing: approximately PHP 10,000
Local business tax: approximately 1% of the subscribed capital
Local clearances, including health, environmental, fire and occupancy fees: approximately PHP 10,000
Board of Investments filing fee, for a regional headquarters: PHP 5,050
These are estimates. Each agency assesses the final amount at filing and local fees vary from city to city. Our service fee is separate and is quoted during your consultation.
Timelines
SEC: four to six weeks
Local business permit: four to six weeks, and up to two to three months in some cities
BIR: about one week
SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG: one to two weeks, by appointment
FAQs
Business Registration Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in industries that are open to full foreign ownership. Some activities are limited to 40% foreign ownership or reserved for Filipinos, so the right structure depends on what the company will do.
A 100% foreign-owned company serving the domestic market needs a minimum capital of $200,000. That minimum does not apply to export enterprises, where we recommend capital that is reasonable for the business you are starting. Restricted industries have their own thresholds, such as PHP 25 million for retail, and a representative office requires an initial inward remittance of $30,000. Capital is assessed per industry and per structure, so we confirm it with you in a consultation.
A corporation with a single stockholder. You appoint a nominee and an alternate nominee who would take over management if you were unable to act.
A Philippine company can sponsor a 9G working visa. Founders may also qualify for the SIRV or, once the business employs ten Filipinos, the SVEG.
Plan for roughly two to four months in total. The SEC takes four to six weeks, the local business permit between four weeks and three months depending on the city, the BIR about a week and the social agencies one to two weeks.
Most scale with the capital you choose. The SEC filing fee is 0.10% of subscribed capital plus a 1% legal research fee, documentary stamp tax is the subscribed capital divided by 200, and local business tax is about 1% of capital. Allow roughly PHP 10,000 each for one-time BIR costs and local clearances.
Four. The SEC creates the corporation, the local government issues the mayor's permit, the BIR issues its Certificate of Registration and, if you will hire employees, the company registers with SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG.
Not necessarily. Stockholders living abroad can be verified with the SEC online, and we file on the company's behalf.
Yes. The local permit and BIR registration are tied to a business address, and you will need a lease contract or proof of ownership for it.
Once the BIR has issued its Certificate of Registration and the authority to print the company's invoices. BIR registration itself takes about a week.
A board resolution from the parent company authorizing the office and naming a resident agent, the parent's articles of incorporation and latest audited financial statements, authenticated abroad, and proof of an inward remittance of $30,000 as initial capital.
The person a foreign corporation appoints to receive summons and legal notices in the Philippines. It can be a Philippine resident, including a foreign national who lives here.
Yes. A regional headquarters starts with an endorsement from the Board of Investments, which has a PHP 5,050 filing fee, followed by the SEC, local permit and BIR registrations.
Written and reviewed by the C&G business services team. Last updated . Government requirements and fees change, so confirm the details for your case before filing.
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