Before you apply for incorporation, it is best to have all necessary details and documents ready to prevent any delay.
This helpful list will guide you through all the details that need to be decided and the exact documents to prepare.
While the items are about the same for all 3 ways to incorporate, the SSM official reviewing your application may request additional documents.
1. Prepare Your Details (Director)
Gather the following details:
- Personal Details
- NRIC or Passport Number
- Full name according to ID
- Nationality
- Gender
- Race
- Resident Address
- Contact Info
- Mobile number (optional)
- Office number (optional)
- Fax number (optional)
2. Prepare Your Documents
- Prepare a scanned copy of the identification card or passport.
- (if applicable) A scanned copy of your qualification.
E.g.: A copy of Full Registration Certificate and Annual Practicing Certificate from Malaysian Medical Council are required to incorporate a company operating in general medical services.
SSM officers reviewing your application may or may not request for this. Nonetheless, it is recommended that you prepare it to as part of due diligence.
3. Prepare Details of Other Director(s)
Skip if you are the sole owner.
- Personal Details
- NRIC or Passport Number
- Full name according to ID
- Nationality
- Gender
- Race
- Resident Address
- Contact Info
- Mobile number (optional)
- Office number (optional)
- Fax number (optional)
4. Prepare ID Documents of Other Director(s)
Skip if you are the sole owner.
- Prepare a scanned copy of the identification card or passport for each director.
- (if applicable) A scanned copy of the director’s qualification.
E.g.: A copy of Full Registration Certificate and Annual Practising Certificate from Malaysian Medical Council are required to incorporate a company operating in general medical services.
SSM officers reviewing your application may or may not request for these. Nonetheless, it is recommended that you prepare it to avoid any delays.
5. For Foreign Directors, Prepare Proof of Residential Address
Skip if you are the sole owner.
- For each non-Malaysian director, prepare a proof of residential address.
E.g.: latest utility bills, tenancy agreement, or bank account statement header showing name and address.
SSM officers reviewing your application may or may not request for these. Nonetheless, it is recommended that you prepare it to avoid any delays.
6. Decide on Initial Paid-up Capital
Depending on the nature of your business, different minimum paid-up capital amounts are required by regulatory bodies and banks. Contact us with details on share structure and business nature, we will help you figure this out.
- Initial Paid-Up Capital
If you are the sole-owner of the company, a minimum of RM1 paid-up capital is required. Recommended minimum paid-up capital is RM2,500.
If all shareholders are Malaysian, the recommended minimum paid-up capital is RM2,500.
If the company has one or more non-Malaysian (foreign) shareholders, the recommended minimum paid-up capital is RM5,000. This amount meets the minimum requirement set by most banks for opening an account when foreign shareholders are involved.
Other factors to consider:
If you plan to apply for work permits for foreign employees and are a locally owned company, you must have a minimum paid-up capital of RM250,000. If you have questions about work permits, please contact us. Our payroll experts are experienced at handling work permit applications.
If you plan to submit project tenders, become a vendor, or apply for tenancy, certain minimum paid-up capital may be required to qualify. Do remember to check the specific requirements.
7. Prepare Details of Individual Shareholder(s)
A Sdn Bhd can have up to 50 shareholders. Skip if you are the sole owner.
- Personal Details
- NRIC or Passport Number
- Full name according to ID
- Nationality
- Gender
- Race
- Resident Address
- Contact Info
- Mobile number (optional)
- Office number (optional)
- Fax number (optional)
- Price per share (RM)
- Number of share
- Class of share
8. Prepare ID Documents of Individual Shareholder(s)
Skip if you are the sole owner.
- Prepare a scanned copy of the identification card or passport for each director.
SSM officers reviewing your application may or may not request for these. Nonetheless, it is recommended that you prepare it to avoid any delays.
9. Prepare Details of Corporate Shareholder(s)
Skip if you are the sole owner.
- Type of Entity
- Company Registration No.
- Name of Representative
- NRIC or Passport Number
- Designation
- Price per share (RM)
- Number of share
- Class of share
10. Prepare Consent Letters From Corporate Shareholder(s)
Skip if you are the sole owner. For each corporate shareholder, prepare the following:
- Identification documents of the corporate shareholder
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Latest annual return
- Register of members
- NRIC, Passport Number or declaration of the beneficial owner
- Letter or resolution to apply for share subscription in the proposed new company.
- Letter or resolution to appoint a corporate representative to represent the corporate shareholder in executing documents.
11. Decide on a Company Name
- Prepare up to 3 company names to propose.
This is recommended in case your proposed company name is already taken.
Make sure your company name complies with SSM guidelines.
Use Altomate’s Free Name Check to find out if your desired company name is available.
12. Prepare an Explanation for Your Company Name
- If your company name contains single letters, write an explanation of what each letter stands for.
E.g.: ACS stands for Altomate Corporate Services.
- If your company name contains words not in Bahasa Malaysia or English, write an explanation of what those words mean.
E.g.: ‘Mei Wei’ stands for delicious in Mandarin.
- If your company name contains the name of an individual who is not a director and is a director’s family member, write an explanation of the relationship of that individual and prepare proof of relationship.
E.g.: If the proposed name is ‘Ali Technology’, explain that Ali is the director’s son and prepare a copy of Ali’s birth certificate as proof of relationship.
13. Prepare Consent Letters for Company Name
- If your company name contains words similar to a related or associated corporation, prepare a consent letter or resolution from the said corporation.
- If your company name contains words that are trademarked, prepare a consent letter from the owner.
- If your company name contains controlled words, prepare a letter of permission from the relevant authority.
14. Decide on Which Business Codes Best Represent Your Business
- Select up to 3 business codes from MSIC Codes.
E.g.: Altomate’s business codes are,
62099 Other information technology service activities n.e.c.
69200 Accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities; tax consultancy
70209 Other management consultancy activities n.e.c.
You can use Altomate’s convenient form feature to get business code suggestions. To access this feature, create your Altomate account here.
15. Write a Business Description
- Write a detailed description of your business (maximum 200 words).
Make sure to include in your business description details that are not covered by MSIC code.
E.g.: Altomate’s business description is “To carry on the business of providing digital company secretarial services and other related corporate services, to offer comprehensive bookkeeping, tax compliance, and consultancy services, to deliver payroll management solutions, to facilitate POS & e-commerce integration with accounting software, and to provide other information technology service activities. Additionally, to act as a digital business assistant and enabler, supporting startups, SMBs, and SMEs in their growth and compliance efforts, and to offer management consultancy services and other related business support services.”
16. Prepare a Registered Address
The registered address is used for legal correspondence between your company and government authorities. You can skip this if you are hiring an external or digital company secretary, they will use their own office address.
- Registered Address
If you are hiring an in-house company secretary, it is recommended to use the address of your company secretary’s office.
17. Prepare a Business Address
The business address is where your business operates. You can skip this if you do not have a physical office or shop yet.
- Business Address
18. Decide on Mailing Address
The mailing address is used for correspondence between your company and your company secretary.
- Mailing Address
19. Decide on Fiscal Year-End Date
Select a date for your company’s Fiscal Year-End.
- Fiscal Year-End Date
It is recommended to choose the last day of the month, e.g., December 31st or January 31st.
20. Prepare a Company Constitution
This is optional for companies limited by share. But we highly recommend preparing one to define rules and decision-making processes among shareholders and to ensure good governance.
- Company Constitution
If you need help preparing a constitution, our licensed company secretaries are ready to craft one for your company. Contact us here.
Next Step
Once you have completed your pre-incorporation preparation, you can use one of these methods to incorporate:
- Digital Company Secretary method. Follow the tutorial here: How To Incorporate a Sdn Bhd Using Altomate – Digital Company Secretary Method
- SSM MyCoID method. Follow the tutorial here: How To Incorporate Using SSM MyCoID – Register, Verify & Activate Your Account – Part 1/2
Unsure which method suits you best? Check our comparison of the 3 Ways to Incorporate Your Company in Malaysia: From Least to Most Practical.
