You can register a Limited Liability Partnership in India entirely online on the MCA portal, usually within a week of filing, by completing one integrated form called FiLLiP after reserving your name and getting digital signatures. This guide walks the full incorporation journey in the order you will actually do it, then breaks down the forms, the government fees, and the documents you need.
A Limited Liability Partnership is governed by the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008, administered by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) through its portal at mca.gov.in. The same law and the LLP Rules, 2009 set every step, fee and deadline below.
Follow these steps in order on the MCA V3 portal.
That is the entire journey: DSC, name, FiLLiP, certificate, then Form 3.
| Form / service | Purpose | When |
|---|---|---|
| DSC application | Class 3 digital signature for each signing designated partner | Before everything |
| RUN-LLP | Reserve a unique LLP name | Before or inside FiLLiP |
| FiLLiP | Incorporate the LLP, allot DPIN, reserve name if not done | Core incorporation step |
| Certificate of Incorporation | Proof of registration carrying LLPIN, PAN and TAN | Issued by Registrar |
| Form 3 | File the LLP agreement | Within 30 days of incorporation |
| Form 11 | Annual return | By 30 May each year |
| Form 8 | Statement of Account and Solvency | By 30 October each year |
FiLLiP does the heavy lifting. Where older processes needed a separate DIN application, name form and incorporation form, FiLLiP combines name reservation, DPIN allotment and incorporation into a single submission. Designated partners who do not already hold a DPIN can apply for one inside the form, up to the current cap allowed by MCA.
Government fees are set by the MCA fee schedule and scale with your total contribution. The figures below are the MCA slab structure for the main forms.
| Item | Contribution band | Government fee |
|---|---|---|
| FiLLiP incorporation | Up to Rs 1 lakh | Rs 500 |
| FiLLiP incorporation | Above Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh | Rs 2,000 |
| FiLLiP incorporation | Above Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh | Rs 4,000 |
| FiLLiP incorporation | Above Rs 10 lakh | Rs 5,000 |
| RUN-LLP name reservation | Any | Rs 200 |
| Form 3 (LLP agreement) | Up to Rs 1 lakh | Rs 50 |
| Form 3 (LLP agreement) | Above Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh | Rs 100 |
| Form 3 (LLP agreement) | Above Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh | Rs 150 |
| Form 3 (LLP agreement) | Above Rs 10 lakh | Rs 200 |
These are MCA government fees only. On top of them you will pay for each DSC (charged by the Certifying Authority) and stamp duty on the LLP agreement, which is levied by your state under the relevant State Stamp Act and varies by state and by contribution amount. There is no single all-India stamp duty figure, so check your own state schedule before printing the agreement.
Kashvi Pathak and a co-founder in Pune wanted to register a design-consultancy LLP with a contribution of Rs 3 lakh. They first bought two Class 3 DSCs, then reserved the name through RUN-LLP for Rs 200. They filed FiLLiP, where one partner who had no DPIN applied for it inside the form, paying the Rs 2,000 FiLLiP slab fee for their contribution band. The Registrar issued the Certificate of Incorporation with the LLPIN, PAN and TAN. Within 30 days they executed the LLP agreement on state stamp paper and filed it in Form 3 for Rs 100. Total MCA government fees came to about Rs 2,300, plus DSC charges and state stamp duty on the agreement.
At least two designated partners who are individuals, and at least one must be a resident in India, under Section 7 of the LLP Act, 2008. Partners can be individuals or bodies corporate.
No. You can reserve the name first through RUN-LLP, or propose it directly inside the FiLLiP form. If you reserve it separately, you link the approved name when you file FiLLiP, and the reservation lasts three months.
You must file the LLP agreement in Form 3 within 30 days of incorporation under Rule 21 of the LLP Rules, 2009. Late filing carries a penalty of Rs 100 per day with no upper limit.
Once your DSCs are ready and your documents are correct, the Registrar typically issues the Certificate of Incorporation within a few working days of FiLLiP approval. The full journey usually completes within a week.
Every LLP must file Form 11 (Annual Return) by 30 May and Form 8 (Statement of Account and Solvency) by 30 October each year, regardless of turnover or activity.
There is no stamp duty on the MCA incorporation e-forms, but the LLP agreement attracts state stamp duty under your State Stamp Act, varying by state and by contribution amount.
Building a business in India often means more government paperwork than you expect. For the wider skill of getting information out of public offices, see The RTI Playbook.
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