Loading
Form FC-1 registration, annual accounts (FC-3), annual return (FC-4), changes and authorised representative for foreign companies in India.
150+ Regular Clients · Chartered Accountants and Company Secretaries · Since 2016
A foreign company that sets up a project office in India must file Form FC-1 with the Registrar of Companies within 30 days, name an authorised representative resident in India, and then file its financial statements in Form FC-3 within six months and its annual return in Form FC-4 within 60 days of its year end, until the project office is closed. AU Corporate, a New Delhi firm of Company Secretaries and Chartered Accountants, runs all of this.
Written and reviewed by Abhishek Jaiin, Chartered Accountant (ICAI Membership No. 544646) · Last reviewed: 9 October 2026
A project office has no Indian board meetings or AGM, but it has a short list of fixed filings with the ROC, and missing them leads to fines. See the Project Office Registration guide for how ROC registration under Section 380 fits alongside the separate RBI/AD-bank approval.
AU Corporate prepares each form, keeps your records and tracks every date. Your directors abroad review and sign.
The ROC work a foreign company's project office needs through its life.
Charter documents, directors, Indian address and authorised representative.
Changes in directors, address or the authorised representative.
Accounts delivered within six months of the foreign company's year end.
Annual return filed within 60 days of the year end.
Registration of charges on project assets in India.
A check on whether CSR applies, with the filings if it does.
Final filings and intimation to the ROC.
Five items to begin. For an existing project office, we also review earlier filings.
Certificate of incorporation and constitutional documents, certified and translated if not in English.
Names, addresses and nationality of directors and secretary.
Project site or office address in India.
Name and details of the person resident in India.
The foreign company's audited accounts each year.
What is due, and when. Dates can change by notification, so we confirm those that apply to your project office.
| When | What | How AU Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Within 30 days of setting up | Form FC-1 registration | Prepared and filed |
| On change | Form FC-2 for changes in particulars | Prepared and filed |
| Within 6 months of year end | Form FC-3 financial statements | Prepared and filed |
| Within 60 days of year end | Form FC-4 annual return | Prepared and filed |
| At project end | Closure filings | Prepared and filed |
Reasonable fees, confirmed in writing before we start.
Not included: government filing fees, additional fees for earlier delays, notary and translation costs, and the authorised representative service, which is quoted separately where needed.
Your project office accounts, tax returns, RBI filings and ROC forms must agree with each other. The same team handles each of them.
Straight answers to the questions foreign finance teams ask most about a project office in India.
Written and reviewed by Abhishek Jaiin, Chartered Accountant (ICAI Membership No. 544646) · Last reviewed: 9 October 2026
This is general guidance based on Indian law and practice as at the date above. It is not advice for your specific case, and rules can change.
Tell us when your project office was set up and its financial year end, and our team will confirm the FC-1, FC-3 and FC-4 filing calendar for your situation.