Changing the name of an overseas company

What’s required when you update your company's name on the Companies Register

To change the name of an overseas company on the Companies Register, follow the same online process as for a New Zealand company. You must first reserve a new name on the register. To do this, you need to pay a fee of $10 (plus GST).

What to do if your company was incorporated in Australia

If your company is incorporated with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), you must first register the name change with ASIC. Once ASIC has notified us of the change, we’ll ask you by email to register the change on the New Zealand Companies Register.

ASIC — online services Australian Securities & Investments Commission

What to do if your company was incorporated in another country

If your company is incorporated in a country other than Australia, you will need to change its name in that country before you apply to change it on the Companies Register. We will ask you to provide a proof that it has been done, before we confirm the name change on the Companies Register.

Authority to change your company name on the Companies Register

Before you can change the name of a company incorporated overseas, you must have:

  • a RealMe® login
  • an online services account with the Companies Register, and
  • confirmed authority to act for your company.

RealMe logins and setting up your online services account

Confirming your authority to manage information

Check that a company name is available to use

The name you choose cannot be identical or almost identical to that of another company. There are some names that aren't acceptable under the Companies Act 1993.

Company names that can't be reserved

Check that the name is available using ONECheck business.govt.nz

How to reserve a company name

How to change the name of an overseas company

To change a company name, follow these steps.

  1. Log in to your online services account,
  2. Select the company from 'My Companies'.
  3. From the 'My tools' menu, select 'Change Company Name'.
  4. Select one of the following options:
    'I would like to reserve a new company name' or
    'I would like to swap names with another company'.
  5. Select 'Submit'.

If you are reserving a new company name

  1. Select the entity type ‘Overseas Non-ASIC Company’.
  2. Enter the exact name of the company in its home jurisdiction.
  3. Check the name is available using the ‘Auto Check’. This step should not replace your own search of the register, as described above.
  4. Add any comments you may have.
  5. Attach the certificate of incorporation from the home jurisdiction, and any other supporting documents.
  6. Click ‘Submit’.
  7. Confirm that you wish to reserve the name.
  8. Pay the reservation fee of $10 (plus GST).
  9. Click ‘Submit’.

If the new name is acceptable, we'll send you an email confirming that it has been reserved.

You’ll then need to complete the change by doing the following.

  1. Log in to your online services account.
  2. From the 'Manage and maintain' menu, select the link at the bottom to 'Go to the full list of tasks'.
  3. Go to the section 'Keeping company details up to date, and select 'Change company name'.
  4. Enter your company name or number.
  5. Click on the company name.
  6. Under 'Change to a new company name' select the button beside the new company name.
  7. Click 'Submit'.
Change company name

If you are swapping company names

  1. Search for the company that you want to swap names with.
  2. Select the company by clicking on the radio button.
  3. Pay the reservation fee of $10 plus GST for each company.
  4. Click 'Submit'.
Change company name

What happens next

We’ll send you an email confirming that the name of your company has changed, and attach a Certificate of Registration.

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