A company name in Nepal is checked and reserved in 4 steps on CAMIS, the portal of the Office of the Company Registrar (OCR):
- Step 1: Log in to the OCR CAMIS portal.
- Step 2: Check name availability against identical or similar registered names.
- Step 3: Apply with one to three proposed names.
- Step 4: Receive the name approval, which reserves the name.
Under the company name rules, a valid name is unique, free of restricted words, ends in "Private Limited" or "Limited" and does not mislead. The reservation lasts three months, and the OCR rejects names for 5 faults, led by similarity to a registered name.
The company name check is the opening step of company registration in Nepal. The approved name then carries into every later filing in how to register a company.
How Do You Check Company Name Availability in Nepal?
To check company name availability in Nepal, search the proposed name on OCR CAMIS and confirm no registered company holds an identical or similar name. The check runs online in 3 steps before any reservation application.
The Office of the Company Registrar (OCR) is the government office that registers companies under the Companies Act 2063. CAMIS, the Company Administration Management Information System, is the OCR online portal for every company application.
A name availability search on CAMIS follows 3 steps:
- Step 1: Create a CAMIS user account at camis.ocr.gov.np and log in with it.
- Step 2: Search the proposed company name in the CAMIS name search.
- Step 3: Read the result and note any registered name that is identical or similar to the proposal.
An OCR CAMIS name check with no identical or similar match leaves the proposal available for the reservation application in the same account.
The OCR website adds a company-details search (Company Search), which returns registered companies that match a typed name. An OCR company name search in Nepal on this public tool catches near matches, such as the same name with "New" or "Shree" added.
A name check, or availability search, therefore uses 2 OCR tools: the CAMIS name search and the company-details search. That pair is how to check company name in OCR records before the founder chooses a final name.
How Do You Reserve a Company Name on OCR CAMIS?
To reserve a company name on OCR CAMIS, log in, submit a name-reservation application with one to three proposed names, and receive the OCR name approval. The Companies Act 2063 requires this approval before the registration documents reach the Office.
Company name reservation, known as name approval or name booking, takes 4 steps on CAMIS:
- Step 1: Create/login to the OCR CAMIS account. The same account later carries the company registration application and its documents.
- Step 2: Enter one to three proposed names (with alternatives). Each alternative gives the OCR another name to approve when the preferred choice clashes with a registered company.
- Step 3: Submit the name-reservation application. CAMIS sends the application online to the OCR, where staff verify each name against the register and the naming rules.
- Step 4: Receive the name approval / reservation. The approved name, or reserved name, appears in the CAMIS account and goes on the incorporation file.
Online company name registration in Nepal ends at this approval, and the company itself exists only after the OCR registers the full incorporation file. After a company name reservation, Nepal's OCR holds the approved name for that applicant's registration application.
What Are the Company Name Rules in Nepal?
Under the Companies Act 2063 and the OCR Company Directive 2072, a company name in Nepal is unique, free of prohibited words, properly suffixed and truthful. The OCR applies these 4 rules at name approval, and a name that breaks one of them is refused.
The Company Directive 2072 is the OCR's own rulebook for company filings, including name approval. The 4 company name rules work as follows:
- Unique company name: the name is not identical or deceptively similar to a registered company's name. Adding "The", "New" or "Shree", punctuation or a spelling change leaves a name similar, not unique.
- Lawful words: restricted words need written consent. A name linked to the Government of Nepal, a public body or a local body needs that body's consent. A famous person's or institution's name needs their written consent.
- Proper suffix: a private company ends its name with "Private Limited" (Pvt. Ltd.), and a public company ends it with "Limited" (Ltd.). The Pvt Ltd suffix tells the register and the public that the company is private.
- Honest name: the name gives no false picture of the objective and does not copy a registered trademark. A company outside insurance business, for example, cannot use "insurance" in its name.
The OCR checks restricted words, company name suffix and similarity together, so a name that meets all 4 rules is ready for the reservation application.
How Long Is a Reserved Company Name Valid?
Under the OCR Company Directive 2072, a reserved company name is valid for three months from the date of name approval. The applicant files the registration documents on CAMIS within that window, or the Registrar may cancel the approved name.
Reserved name validity counts from the approval date, not from the application date. Founders therefore draft the memorandum of association (MOA), the articles of association (AOA) and shareholder IDs early. The filing then lands inside the three months.
Why Do Company Names Get Rejected in Nepal?
Company names get rejected in Nepal for 5 common faults: a similar registered name, restricted or sensitive words, a missing suffix, a misleading objective and a trademark conflict. The OCR rejects the name at the approval stage, before any incorporation file exists.
Each name rejection traces to one of these 5 causes:
- Names close to an existing name: the Company Directive 2072 treats "New Sagarmatha Dairy Pvt. Ltd." as too similar to a registered "Sagarmatha Dairy Ltd."
- Words that are restricted or sensitive: a Government of Nepal link without written consent, or wording contrary to law, public interest, morality or decency.
- Errors in the suffix: a private company name without "Private Limited", or a public company name without "Limited".
- Words that mislead about the objective: a name that points to a business the company does not run, such as "insurance" for a trading company.
- Trademark conflict: a name identical or similar to a registered trademark owned by another party.
A rejected name sends the applicant back to the name search. The alternatives listed in the same application give the OCR a second name to approve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reserve a name before deciding the company type?
Yes, a founder can check and reserve a name while the company structure is still being finalised. The registration filing then matches the chosen type, and the suffix follows it: "Private Limited" for a private company or "Limited" for a public company.
Can two companies have similar names in Nepal?
No, the OCR refuses a name that is identical or confusingly similar to a registered company's name under the Companies Act 2063. That refusal is why the name search comes before the reservation application.
Can a reserved name be transferred or sold to another person?
No, a name reservation stays tied to the applicant and is not a tradable asset. Another person who wants the name reserves it through their own application, after the existing reservation ends.
Does reserving a name give me trademark rights over it?
No, a company-name reservation is separate from trademark protection and gives no rights over a brand. A company name gains brand protection through trademark registration at the Department of Industry (DOI).
The DOI registers trademarks under the Patent, Design and Trade-mark Act 2022 (1965), in a register apart from the OCR company register.
Can I extend a name reservation if it expires before registration?
No, the OCR Company Directive 2072 sets no extension for a reserved name. An applicant whose reservation lapses returns to CAMIS to apply for the name again, and the OCR approves it only when it is still available.
How many alternative name options should I submit?
A CAMIS name application carries one to three proposed names, so an applicant submits the preferred name plus up to 2 alternatives. Extra options raise the chance of a quick approval when the preferred name clashes with a registered company.