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Applying to the Registrar to restore a company

A step-by-step guide to reinstating an NZ company to the register

If your company has been removed from the Companies Register, you can apply online to reinstate it. It can take up to 8 weeks and you pay a fee of $150 (plus GST). 

Before you start

Only some companies can be restored to the register by applying to the Registrar of Companies. Before you start your application, check that your company can be reinstated and that you're applying to the right place.

Before you apply to restore a company

1. Log in to apply

To restore a company you must have:

  • a RealMe® login
  • an online services account with the Companies Register.

Before you begin, check that your online services account details are up to date, including your email and physical addresses. We'll send emails about your application to the address attached to your account.

Setting up your online services account

2. Find the company

Search for your company using the company name, company number or New Zealand Business Number (NZBN). From the search results, select the company you want to restore. It will have a status of Removed.

If someone else has your company name

After a company has been removed from the Register, the name can be reserved by someone else. If someone has registered the same name or one that's almost the same, you:

  • can't restore the company until you choose a new name, and
  • must be a director or shareholder to do this.

After you apply to restore the company, we'll send you the forms you need to fill out. You'll also need to pay a fee of $10 (plus GST) to reserve a new name.

3. Complete the application form

Follow these steps.

  1. Tell us who is making the application, for example, a director.
  2. From the list provided, choose a reason for wanting to restore the company — under the Companies Act 1993, we can only restore a company in some circumstances.
  3. Complete the Declaration tick box to:
    • indicate if any existing directors are bankrupt or prohibited
    • confirm you're authorised to restore the company to the register
  4. Select Browse or Choose file to upload your supporting documents — it can help to prepare these before you start your application.
  5. Select Payment to pay the fee of $150 (plus GST) for restoration of a company.
  6. Select Submit to send us your application.

Reasons and evidence for restoring a company

Managing payments on the Companies Register

Apply to restore a company

4. How we process your application

We email you within 3 working days to tell you:

  • if your application has been accepted
  • the date that a public notice about your application will be published
  • the date your company will be restored if no one objects to its restoration.

The whole process can take up to 8 weeks.

If your application is accepted

We must give public notice that your company is going to be restored to the register. Anyone can object as long as they do it within 20 working days.

Every 2 weeks we place notices in the:

  • New Zealand Gazette
  • the public notices section of our website.

News and notices

If we haven't received any objections after after 20 working days,we restore the company to the register.

If your application isn't accepted or someone objects

If you still wish to restore the company, you must apply to the High Court under Section 329 of the Companies Act 1993.

Applying to the High Court to restore a company

5. After the company has been restored

We send you an email to confirm that the company has been restored.

A director of the company must then file an annual return online and pay the fee of $36 (plus GST) to bring the company's filing obligations up to date.

How to file your annual return

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