Form 25 is the prescribed application under Rule 18(3) of the LLP Rules 2009 through which a Foreign Limited Liability Partnership (FLLP) or a Foreign Company can reserve or renew its name in India before establishing a place of business. This is a pre-entry compliance step that secures the brand against subsequent reservation by another entity in India and acts as a strategic precursor to the eventual Form 27 registration of particulars under Section 59 of the LLP Act 2008.
A name reserved through Form 25 is valid for three years from the date of approval and may be renewed by filing a fresh Form 25 before expiry. Our secretarial practice services cover the full lifecycle — name availability search across MCA and trademark registries, conflict-clearance opinion, apostille / notarisation of foreign incorporation documents, English translation, drafting and filing of Form 25, renewal coordination, and seamless bridge to Form 27 registration when the entity is ready to establish its India place of business.
First-time name reservation in India by a Foreign Limited Liability Partnership ahead of establishing a place of business — securing brand identity before formal Form 27 registration.
Pre-entry name reservation by a foreign company (incorporated outside India) intending to establish a branch, liaison, or project office or otherwise carry on business in India.
Renewal of an existing Form 25 reservation before its three-year validity expires, preserving the name lock for an additional period until India-side setup is concluded.
Where a previously reserved name has lapsed, fresh Form 25 filing as if a first-time application — with comprehensive availability check and risk assessment for the lapse window.
Strategic reservation of multiple name variants or sub-brands for a foreign group entering India — coordinated Form 25 filings under the same parent group.
Seamless transition from approved Form 25 reservation to actual Form 27 registration of particulars when the FLLP / foreign company is ready to establish India operations.
Prescribed e-form on the MCA portal for reservation or renewal of name by a Foreign LLP or Foreign Company under Rule 18(3) of the LLP Rules 2009.
Lays down the procedure, fee, and validity for reservation and renewal of name by foreign entities seeking to establish a place of business in India.
An LLP formed, incorporated, or registered outside India which establishes a place of business within India is a Foreign LLP under the LLP Act 2008.
A company incorporated outside India which has a place of business in India or conducts business activity in India in any other manner is a foreign company.
Foreign incorporation documents must be apostilled (Hague Convention countries) or notarised and consularised (non-Hague countries) before submission with Form 25.
An approved name reservation under Form 25 is valid for three years from the date of approval, after which it lapses unless renewed by a fresh Form 25.
Renewal must be sought before the three-year validity expires to maintain continuity — lapsed names lose their reservation status and require fresh application.
Reservation should be preceded by a trademark availability check on the Indian TM Registry to mitigate post-reservation conflict and direction-proceeding risk.
Comprehensive search across MCA, RoC, and Indian trademark registries to assess availability, similarity, and direction-proceeding risk before filing Form 25.
Legal opinion on identicality / deceptive similarity with existing LLPs, companies, and trademarks, with strategic recommendations on alternative variants.
End-to-end coordination of apostille (Hague Convention countries) or notarial-and-consular legalisation (non-Hague countries) for foreign incorporation documents.
Certified English translation of incorporation documents originally in a foreign language, with translator declarations and notarisation as required.
End-to-end drafting and online filing of Form 25 with all attachments, DSC of authorised signatory, and RoC fee payment for first-time or renewal applications.
Pre-expiry renewal calendar, drafting and filing of renewal Form 25 with updated declarations, and continuity tracking till fresh approval is received.
Strategic multi-name reservation for foreign groups planning India entry, with coordinated Form 25 filings and trademark-portfolio synchronisation.
Cross-check of reserved name against Indian trademark registry classes relevant to the foreign entity's business, plus recommendations for parallel TM filings.
Active RoC liaison, response to query letters, resubmission of attachments, and tracking till issuance of name reservation / renewal acceptance.
Seamless transition planning from approved Form 25 to actual Form 27 registration when the FLLP / foreign company is ready to establish a place of business in India.
Strategic counsel on India-entry sequencing — Form 25 first, then trademark filings, FEMA / RBI permissions, and Form 27 — minimising risk and timing gaps.
Annual compliance calendar with renewal dates, trademark renewal alignments, and Form 27 trigger dates, ensuring no lapse and seamless India-entry execution.
Foreign LLP or company is in early-stage India entry planning and wants to lock its name before establishing a formal place of business under Form 27.
Pre-emptive name reservation to prevent third-party registration of identical or deceptively similar names in India, protecting global brand identity.
Existing Form 25 reservation is nearing its three-year expiry and renewal is required to maintain name continuity until full India setup is complete.
Group-level decision to launch a subsidiary FLLP or joint venture in India under a specific brand name, requiring coordinated Form 25 reservation.
Foreign entity has been notified of a similar name being reserved by another party, requiring counter-strategy and fresh Form 25 with conflict-clearance opinion.
Foreign group planning India listing or fundraise wants to lock its India-entity brand name well in advance of formal incorporation or registration steps.
Earlier Form 25 reservation has lapsed without renewal, requiring fresh availability check, conflict-clearance opinion, and re-reservation.
FLLP / foreign company is awaiting FEMA / RBI / sectoral approvals and wants to reserve its name in the interim till the regulatory clearance is in hand.
Name availability search, trademark cross-check, conflict-clearance opinion, and route mapping (initial / renewal / re-reservation) with timeline planning.
Coordination of apostille / consular legalisation of foreign documents and certified English translation as per MCA evidentiary requirements.
Drafting of Form 25 with declarations, board / partner resolutions, POA, name significance, and proposed India activities aligned with strategy.
Online filing of Form 25 with all attachments, DSC of authorised signatory, RoC fee payment, and active query response till acceptance.
Approval tracking, calendar setup for 3-year renewal alerts, and strategic bridge to Form 27 registration when India operations are ready.
Partner with our secretarial-practice specialists for end-to-end Form 25 services — name search, apostille, translation, drafting, filing, and seamless bridge to Form 27 registration for FLLPs and foreign companies in FY 2026–27.
Talk to a Form 25 Expert