Changing the name of an overseas company
What’s required when you change an overseas company's name
Changing the name of an overseas company follows the same online process as for a New Zealand company. You must first reserve a new name on the Companies Register. To do this, there is a fee of $10 (plus GST).
Changing the name of a company 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.
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.
Checking that a company name is available to use in New Zealand
The name you choose cannot be identical or almost identical to that of another company.
MBIE’s ONECheck service allows you to confirm the availability of a proposed company name. It provides:
- the ability to check registered company names, web domains, trademarks and social media usernames in one simple search
- a measure of the originality of a trademark, on a sliding scale
- an explanation of the difference between a company name and a trademark.
Because reserving or registering business names or web domains does not automatically give new businesses trademark rights, ONECheck lets you check if your proposed trading name or trademark is unique and original. It also provides guidance on what to do next.
ONECheck is a useful starting point for businesses seeking to register a distinctive trademark with the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand.
The rules relating to company names
The Companies Act 1993, and various other laws, contain rules and guidance on the naming of companies.
Names protected by legislation
There are also names that are protected or restricted by legislation.
Authority to change your company name
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
- authority to maintain information for your company.
How to change the name of an overseas company
To change a company name, follow these steps.
- Log in to your online services account,
- Select the company from 'My Companies'.
- From the 'My tools' menu, select 'Change Company Name'.
- 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'. - Select 'Submit'.
What happens next
We’ll send you an email confirming that the name of your company has changed, and attach a Certificate of Registration.
Other guides in
Managing an overseas company in New Zealand
- Registering your company to do business in New Zealand
- How overseas companies set up as a NZ business
- How to transfer your company's incorporation to NZ
- Financial reporting for overseas companies
- Financial reporting for New Zealand companies registered in Australia
- Annual returns for overseas companies
- Updating directors' details on the Overseas Register
- Updating addresses of overseas companies
- Updating the constitution of an overseas company
- How to remove a company from the Overseas Register