How to Access the Business Entities Registry

Any person may view public information on this website including all of the Help sections. Additionally, non-registered users may conduct basic searches for free. However, to submit filings or to view detailed information held in the registry you will need to establish a client account. Client accounts are free, but you will need to provide a photo ID to open the account. You need a separate account to make business entity filings: a PPSR account will not work in the business entity registry.

Details provided via the free public Entity Search are limited to the following: entity name, status, type, registration number, date of registration, and registered office address. If you want additional details you will need to create an account and fund it via an accepted payment method . You may then view the entire record of the entity, including all filings submitted. Non-account visitors to the site can also see all of the “Help” information that is available.

To gain access to the additional features, select the Log In tab from the top navigation bar if you already have an account, or follow the guide below to create an account.

Note: data migration from the old system is not complete. Until that occurs only limited information will be available for each entity.

Viewing Details and Documents for a Business Entity

If you have filing authority over an entity then you always have full access to that entity’s entire information free of charge. If you wish to research other entities, clients of the registry have the ability to see full details for business entities, and then order documents relating to the entity. In order to see the entirety of an entity record a fee must be paid (there are various ways to pay, see How to Make a Payment section). Documents available for purchase can include: View Company Profile, Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Good Standing- Long Form and Certified Historical extract.

Create and Manage Alerts

This feature allows any third party with a client account to place an “alert” on a registered entity. If any filing is submitted against the entity, or if it undergoes a status change, then the registry system will send an alert to the third party. This feature could be used by a lender to keep track of its borrowers or a shareholder that wants to track actions of directors.

To access the Alerts feature, first log in to your client account. Once you are logged in, a bell icon displays next to your name in the navigation bar. Click on the bell and a drop down menu appears which will allow you to create and manage alerts for yourself and the account. Another bell icon can be found when you visit an account or entity profile. The bell will be grey and located below your name. It operates the same way as the bell in the navigation bar; however, notice there is an additional field that includes the account's or entity's name.

Upon opening the Alerts menu, you can navigate with the Current, Upcoming, and Completed tabs at the top. The Current tab shows the recent alerts that have activated and are waiting to be edited or marked as Completed. The Upcoming tab shows the alerts that are scheduled to occur in the future. The Completed tab shows all alerts that have been marked as Completed.

Create new alert:

1. Click the green + button in the upper right corner of the Alerts menu to open the form for creating a new alert.
2. Select a radio button to assign the alert to either yourself or all users on the account. The choices available will be your name or "Alert all users on account". This will tell the alert whether to notify only yourself or to notify everyone on your account.
3. Next, set the date and time you would like the user(s) to be notified.
4. Add a note to provide more context, a description, or special instructions for the user(s) who receives the alert.
5. Click the green disk button to save the alert. Or, click the red X button to delete the alert and exit the form.

Manage an alert:

When an alert has activated and you have completed what you need to do, you can move the alert to the Completed tab by clicking the checkbox labeled Complete. Please note, if an alert has passed its scheduled date and time, the assigned user(s) will receive a system generated email that will include the alert details. The email will only be sent once and no emails will be sent for alerts marked as Completed.

If you need to reassign, reschedule, and/or modify notes to an alert, you can click the green pencil button to edit the alert. After editing, make sure to click the green disk button to save the changes. (Note: The orange X button will exit the form and not make any changes to the current alert. The red trash button will delete the current alert. It will no longer appear on any of the tabs.)

Making a Payment

Transactions completed for the Business Entities Registry may use pre-funded amounts or payments made online at the time of purchase. All payments in the registry will be made in Papua New Guinea Kina. An account may be pre-funded with payments by credit card or BSP online, and cash or cheque at BSP

If a filing or search incurs a fee, on the bottom of the filing it will show the amount due and the balance available on the account. There are three option buttons: Pay By Credit Card, BSP Pay or Pay Remainder From Client Balance ($ available funds). Select either option.

To view your Account Balance and Transaction History, you can view your Client Account Statement by clicking on the Account Profile link on your account home page, then click the Financial tab.

Fund Account via Credit Card

1. Login and click on the Account tab in the top navigation menu.
2. From the Account Home Page, click the Fund Account/ Payment link.
3. This will open a page with the option for payment with Credit Card and BSP Pay.
4. Enter the amount to fund, and press Submit.
5. Enter the credit card or BSP details on the hosted payment gateway page and submit. No credit card/ BSP information is ever relayed over the registry server environment.
6. Once the payment is complete, a transaction receipt will display to confirm the payment.

Fund Account via Bank Receipt or Cheque

1. You can add funds to your account by making a payment at IPA

Managing your Registered Business Entity

You will manage your business entity via the online system as most paper filings will no longer be accepted by IPA. The only paper filings that will be accepted are the initial Application to Incorporate a Company, and the Application for Registration of a Business Name, and a Notice of Intent to Incorporate an Association. Once you log in to your online account you will land on a client account dashboard. There you will see the entities over which your account has the authority to manage, meaning, submit filings. The person who registered the entity automatically has authority to submit future filings for that entity. Most filings, including amendments and annual returns, can only be filed by users that have authority to manage the company. If you don't already have authority, please see the How to Obtain Authority to Manage an Existing Company guide. This feature would be used where, for example, one director of a company forms the company and then another director also wants the ability to submit filings. All persons with authority over an entity can view all details about the entity.

Obtaining Authority to Manage a Business Entity

You must have authority over a registered entity in order to submit change filings against it. Having authority also allows you free access to view all the information regarding the entity that is not available for free to the public. For a newly created business entity the person submitting the application is automatically granted authority. That person, the applicant, can then give out authority to other persons. For example, an applicant might be a director. Other directors can request authority from the original director with authority. The requestor will search for the entity, open the entity profile, select the Request Entity Authority button, and then submit the reason that authority should be granted to them.

For existing entities, if someone previously obtained authority over them then they should still have authority. However, authority has not yet been migrated from the old system. This will be available once migration is complete. If you need to submit a filing before authority is migrated, you must submit a request to the Registrar. The Registrar will review the request and either grant authority or else ask for additional information to make certain the grant of authority is made to a proper person.

The registrar and the person first granted authority over an entity may revoke authority for any other person, and other users may revoke their own authority. When the authority is revoked, the user with the revoked account can no longer manage the entity.

The authority of a client account over an entity can be obtained and revoked.

1. Steps for Obtaining Authority

   1. Begin on the Business Entities home page.
   2. Under the Searches menu, click the Entity Search link.
   3. Enter the entity name or registration number and press the search icon.
   4. Select the name for the business entity.
   5. Click the Request Entity Authority button.
   6. Enter a reason as to why the request for authority is being made and any additional information (such as, "I am a director").
   7. Upload identification
   8. Click on the Request button.
   9. Wait for approval of the request.
      • If the requesting user has the same email address as a director (or equivalent) on the entity, the user will be granted authority automatically by the system. 
      • Otherwise, the current authorities on the entity will be sent an email notification advising them of the request for authority. In the "My Tasks" list, a pending task will be created for them to approve or reject the request.
      • For entities that have no person with authority over them, the request will be sent to the Registrar.

2. Revoking Authority

   This removes a client account's authority over an entity.

   1. Begin on the Business Entities home page.
   2. Click the My Entities tab.
   3. Enter the search criteria to find the Entity.
   4. Select the Registration Number.
   5. Click on the Entity Authority tab.
   6. Click on the Revoke button.

Registering an Association

To start the online process to incorporate an association, you must first have an account. To set up a new account, please see the Business Entity Registry guide or click the Create Account link.

Once you have created your account, you can begin the process of incorporating an association. After logging into the registry, select Business Entities from the top navigation bar. The first step to incorporate an association is to file the Notice of Intent to Incorporate an Association. The Notice of Intent starts a long incorporation process that is outlined as follows: i) once the Notice of Intent is accepted/approved by the Registrar the applicant will undertake a public notice of the Intent; ii) any person may object to the proposed incorporation, with objections being filed with the Registrar; iii) if no objections are received within 6 months from the date of this Notice, the incorporation may proceed; iv) if an objection(s) is received, the registry will send an email to the applicant and a different process must then be followed, with the applicant being given a chance to respond to the objection. The Registrar will consider the grounds on which the objection(s) was raised and the applicant’s response and make a determination on whether the incorporation may proceed. The decision of the Registrar may be appealed to the Minister.

After all information is collected, then you will be able to review your work before it is submitted to the Registrar for review.

1. Required Information for the Notice of Intent includes the following:
   • Proposed Association Name: Enter the proposed name. Note: this cannot be the same or nearly the same as a name already in use by another registered entity.
   • Name and address of applicant.
   • Initial Committee Members: Name and address for the initial committee members.
   • Public Officers: Name and address for each officer.
   • Addresses: Registered office and other relevant addresses.
   • Rules: A copy (PDF) of the proposed rules governing the association.
   • Other Information: the online form collects other information, such as the qualifications for membership, a statement of objectives, primary business activity.
   • Declarations: Tick the boxes affirming that the information you have submitted is true.
2. Once the Notice of Intent is complete and the public objection period ends you may complete the online Application to Incorporate
   • Each page contains instructions for properly completing each section listed below.
   • The online form will display the information that you entered on the Notice of Intent. You may not change any significant information on the Application to Incorporate from what was previously submitted on the Notice of Intent.
   • Click the Save Draft button if you need to stop.
   • When finished, click on the Complete button.
3. Receive Your Certificate of Incorporation
   • After your application has been submitted, it will be sent to the Registrar for review. Upon approval of your application, a Certificate of Incorporation will be emailed to you. If there are any questions about your application the Registrar will contact you via email.

How to Register a Business Group

A Business Group is an incorporated entity that acts on behalf of certain customary and other groups (such as extended families). If the proposed entity does not represent a true customary group, then it should incorporate as a regular company.

You may complete an application to incorporate a business group online or visit any IPA Office where the application may be made orally to a deputy registrar. The deputy registrar will assist you by completing the online form on your behalf.

To file an online application, you must have a client account. To set up a new account, please see the How to Access the Business Entities Registry guide or click the Create Account link. Once you have created a client account you can login in to the system to begin the application.

Collect Required Information

To complete an application, you will need to provide the information required to incorporate a business group under the law. This includes:

• Applicants. There must be at least 3 applicants, and you will need to provide their full names and postal address.
• Addresses. Registered office, postal and principal place of business addresses for the business group.
• Qualifications for membership. Here you will explain why your members constitute a customary group. If the group qualifications are not truly a customary group, incorporation can be denied.
• Identification of custom. You must state how you identify members of the group or the custom under which the group is to operate.
• Committee or controlling body. Provide details around how the members of the controlling body are determined, the number of members, how it acts, etc.
• Initial members of the committee. Provide the details of the persons serving as the initial members of the controlling body. There must be a minimum of 3 at all times.
• How the group acts. Provide a statement about the manner in which the group acts and how its acts are shown (such as by written resolutions of the committee).
• Limitations on actions. State if there are any limits on what the business group can do.
• Business activity. Indicate the primary activity of the business group.
• Dispute settlement authority. All business groups must have a designated dispute settlement authority. This is a 3rd party (or parties) that are called upon if the group is unable to resolve internal disputes. The application must identify the person(s) that is to serve in this role. If the authority is to be the person that is the holder of an office, then the office must be identified.
• Additional rules: Tick a box indicating if the business group has additional customised rules that govern its activities and, if Yes, the attach a copy of those rules to the application.
• General matters. You may include any other matters that are important to the business group.

Registering a Business Name

To start the online process to register a business name, you must first have an account. To set up a new account, please see the Business Entity Registry guide or click the Create Account link.

Once you have created your account, you can complete your online application to register the business name. After logging into the registry, select Business Entities from the top navigation bar and proceed to the business name registration link. After all information is collected, then you will be able to review your work before it is submitted to the Registrar for review.

1. Collect Required Information
   • Proposed Business Name: Enter the proposed name. Note: this cannot be the same or nearly the same as a name already in use by another registered entity. You may enter up to 3 potential names so that if the first is rejected your application may still proceed using the second name.
   • Name and address of applicant.
   • Owners: Name and address for each individual person that is an owner. If the owner is an entity already registered with IPA (like a company) you only need to enter its registration number.
   • Addresses: Principal place of business, additional places of business, and a postal address must all be provided.
   • Primary Business Activity: Tick the appropriate box.
   • Foreign Investor: If an owner is a foreign investor, you must indicate this on the Application. They will need to seek a foreign investor certification.
   • Declarations: Tick the box affirming that the information you have submitted is true.
2. Complete The Online Application
   • Click the Save Draft button if you need to stop.
   • When finished, click on the Complete button.
3. Receive Your Certificate of Registration
   • After your application has been submitted, it will be sent to the Registrar for review. The Registrar may determine that additional information is required. If this is the case, your application will be placed in “pending” status until the information is received. If the information is satisfactory to the Registrar, then your application will be approved and a Certificate of Registration of a Business Name will be emailed to you. If there are any questions about your application the Registrar will contact you via email.

Incorporate a New Company or Register an Overseas Company

To file an online application to register a new company you must first have a client account with the registry. To set up a new account, please see the How to Access the Business Entity Registry guide or click the Create Account link.

Once you have created your account, you can complete your online application to register a new company. After logging into the registry, select Business Entities from the top navigation bar. Under the Company section, click the link to reserve a name for the type of entity you want to register. For example, you would select either Reserve a PNG Company Name or Reserve an Overseas Company Name depending on which one you seek to register. Once the name reservation is submitted and approved you may proceed to the Register a PNG Company link or Register an Overseas Company link.

Selecting the entity type will cause the correct application form to appear for you. The entity registration forms have tabs for the types of information that you must provide. After all information is collected, you will be able to review your work before it is submitted for the Registrar for approval.

1. For all companies, you will need to provide basic information

   • Proposed Company Name: The proposed name of the company in English. Note: this cannot be the same or nearly the same as a name already in use by another registered entity. For overseas companies, enter the name from its home jurisdiction. If that name is not available in PNG you will be required to use another name for your local operations.
   • Contact Details: Contact information for the company, including various addresses (such as a registered office address) and principal place of business.
   • Directors: Enter relevant details for each director.
   • Shareholders: Enter relevant details for each shareholder.
   • Company Constitution: If you are forming a company you will be required to upload a copy of the company’s constitution.

2. Complete the Online Application for a PNG Company

   • Application for incorporation of a PNG Company (Form A-1):

     • Each page contains instructions for properly completing each section listed below.
     • Click the Save Draft button if you need to stop.
       1. Enter information for all of the required fields:
          • Company name
          • Directors
          • Shares (if multiple classes will need to provide details)
          • If you are a "foreign enterprise" you will be required to obtain a Foreign Investor Certification
          • Relevant Addresses
          • Constitution
          • Primary Business Activity
          • Declaration
          • Payment
       2. When all of the categories are filled in, click the Complete button.

   • Application for registration of an overseas company (Form A-2):

     • Each page contains instructions for properly completing each section listed below.
     • Click the Save Draft button if you need to stop.
       1. Enter information for all of the required fields:
          • Company name and registration number in home jurisdiction
          • Directors
          • Addresses
          • Primary Business Activity
          • Other Documentation (evidence of incorporation from home jurisdiction)
          • You will be required to obtain a Foreign Investor Certification
          • Declaration
          • Payment
       2. When all of the categories are filled in, click the Complete button.

3. Receive Your Certificate of Incorporation

   • After your application has been submitted, it will be sent to the Registrar for review. Upon approval of your application, a Certificate of Incorporation (or of Overseas Company Registration) will be emailed to you. If there are any questions about your application the Registrar will contact you via email.

Application for Foreign Investor Certification

All “foreign enterprises” must obtain a Foreign Investor Certification in order to transact business in Papua New Guinea. Generally, there are three types of business entities that are considered foreign enterprises. First, any entity that is formed in another jurisdiction (like an overseas company) is by definition a foreign enterprise. Second, a local PNG business entity can also be a foreign enterprise if more than 50% of it is owned by non-PNG citizens. Third, individual investors who are not PNG citizens must also obtain a Foreign Investor Certification.

To file an online application to obtain a foreign investor certification, you must first have an account. To set up a new account, please see the Business Entity Registry guide or click the Create Account link.

Once you have created your account, you can complete your online Application to obtain the necessary certification. . After logging into the registry, select Business Entities from the top navigation bar and then navigate to Foreign Certification. After all information is collected, then you will be able to review your work before it is submitted to the Registrar for review.

1. Collect Required Information

• Identification of investor: The initial information that must be provided on the Application varies somewhat based upon the type of foreign enterprise that is in question.
• Local company that qualifies as a foreign enterprise: Just as with an overseas company, this company will already be registered in the PNG company registry, so there is no need to repeat information already in that registry.
• Individual investors: There will be no prior registration of individual investors in the PNG company registry, therefore, full biographical details of individual investors must be provided.
• Information about the proposed investment:

  Once the foreign investor has been identified, information about the proposed investment must be provided. This information is the same for all types of foreign investors and includes such things as:

  • Identification of a local representative;
  • Nature of investment (business activity);
  • Proposed operating locations;
  • Anticipated investment levels; and
  • Anticipated employment levels.
   

  Additionally, numerous documents must also be provided via an upload into the registry. These include:

• For Overseas companies:
  • Copy of passport page from each director
  • Copy of passport page from each shareholder (n/a publicly traded company)
  • Evidence of incorporation and good standing in home jurisdiction
  • Copy of projected budget and cash flow for initial year
  • Copies of latest balance sheet or bank statement for each shareholder or director or related entity
  • C/V - resume of each shareholder and director
• For individuals:
  • Copy of passport page
  • Copy of projected budget and cash flow for initial year
  • Copies of latest balance sheet or bank statement for each shareholder or director or related entity
  • C/V - Resume

2. Complete The Online Application

• Click the Save Draft button if you need to stop
• When finished, click on the Complete button.

3. Receive your Certificate of Registration

• o After your application has been submitted, it will be sent to the Registrar for review. Upon approval of your application, the Foreign Enterprise Certification will be emailed to you. If there are any questions about your application the Registrar will contact you via email.

Foreign Enterprises that are nonprofit organizations

Prior to commencing operations in PNG, an overseas nonprofit organization must first register with the PNG companies registry. The nonprofit must then obtain a foreign enterprise certification. 

Re-Registering an Existing Company

Recent amendments to the Companies Act give all local and overseas companies one year to re-register under the new law. Re-registration is free. Failure to re-register will cause your company to be removed from the register. You will not be able to submit any filings until you first re-register your company. Filing the re-registration takes the place of filing an annual return in the year of the re-registration.

Important Note. The data migration from the old legacy system is still in progress. If you search for an existing company, you will see only a skeleton record in the database. Because you have a full year to re-register, IPA requests that you wait until data migration is complete to undertake the re-registration. This will be much easier for you as you will not have to re-type all your company's details if you wait for the migration to finish. The information below provides instructions for once the data migration is complete.

If you have a business need to re-register you may do so, but you will have to retype all of the current information (like all director and shareholder names and addresses) for the company.

To file an online application to re-register an existing company you must have a client account. If you previously had a client account and have been managing your company online, then you should be able to directly access the re-registration filing. If you do not have a client account, please see the Business Entities Registry guide or click the Create Account link. You must also have authority to submit filings for the company. If you don't already have authority, please see the How to Obtain Authority to Manage and Existing Business Entity guide.

1. Collect Required Information

   To complete a re-registration you will need to provide the information required to incorporate a company. This includes

   • Directors: Provide the name, residential address, postal address, and nationality of each director.
   • Shares: Total number of shares issued and if there is more than one class of shares upload a page describing the different classes.
   • Shareholders: Number of shareholders, identification, and number of shares issued.
   • Addresses: Registered office in the Papua New Guinea and postal address.
   • Constitution: Tick a box indicating if the company has a constitution. If it does, it must be uploaded to the registry.
   • Primary Business Activity: Principal activity of the company.

2. Complete the Online Application

   • Click the Save Draft button if you need to stop.
   • When all of the categories are filled in, click the Complete button.

3. Back due Annual Returns

   If your company has not filed all required annual returns over the year, you will be required to upload copies of all missing returns. You will also have to pay a late penalty fee, with the amount of the penalty tied to the number of annual returns that have been missed.

4. Overseas companies

   All overseas companies must also re-register, following the same general approach as noted above.

Restoring an Association that has been Struck Off

Restoring a Company that has been Struck Off

Searching the Business Entity Registry

The Business Entity Search feature allows a user to search the Registry for information on active as well as inactive entities. The basic entity search feature is free to all users, and you can find entity name, registration number, type of entity, status, and registered office address. If you have a client account, the search features are expanded to include the Entity Name Availability Search , Director and Officer Search , and Banned Person Search.

If you have an account, you may also view details of any entity, such as director or shareholder details and past filings. There is a fee for this detailed search. Once you pay the search fee then all of the information for that entity will be available to you for 24 hours. You may download filings and obtain certificates during this time. If you have filing authority over a given entity (such as being a director of a company) then you always have total access to your entity.

Note: data migration from the old system is not complete. Until that occurs only limited information will be available for each entity.