How to File INC-22 for Registered Office Verification?

Last Updated on August 10, 2026

Ask ten founders what INC-22 is for, and at least six will shrug and say it’s “something to do with the office address.” Fair enough, that’s technically correct. But the details matter more than people assume, because this one form decides whether the ROC considers your company reachable at all. Get it wrong, or skip it when it applies to you, and the consequences land on individual directors, not just the company.

So let’s walk through it: when you need to file INC-22, what the ROC wants to see, and why moving offices is nowhere near as simple as forwarding your mail.

What is INC-22?

Strip away the legal language, and INC-22 is really just proof, proof that the address you have given the ROC is a real place where the company can be found and contacted. It falls under Section 12 of the Companies Act, 2013, and without it on file, technically nobody official knows where to send anything.

Beyond filing INC-22, Section 12(3) requires every registered office to visibly display the company name, registered office address, and CIN outside the premises, and print these plus phone/email/website details on business letters and invoices.

Note: this is different from INC-22A (ACTIVE), a separate annual address-verification filing with its own photo and geolocation requirements.

The Two Situations Where You Will Actually Need This

First scenario: right after company incorporation. When you filed SPICe+, you gave a correspondence address. If that address was not identical to the one in Part B, Section 12(2) gives you 30 days from your Certificate of Incorporation to file INC-22 and verify it properly. And here’s the part people miss: if the two addresses matched from the start, you’re already covered.

Scenario two: The company relocates itself. Relocates itself within the city but not far down the road? Fifteen days for that one. Relocating to another ROC jurisdiction but within the same state? It takes just a little bit more effort and time. But moving into a completely new state now you are talking about having to deal with a special resolution, amendments to the MOA, and regional director approval before even dealing with INC-22. For a same-state, cross-ROC move or an interstate move, the sequence is: Special Resolution → Form MGT-14 (filed within 30 days) → Form INC-23 to the Regional Director → Form INC-28 (filing the RD’s approval order) → Form INC-22 for the new address. INC-22 is the last step, not the only one.

Why This Actually Matters, Beyond the Paperwork

Failure to prove your address means you are in violation of Section 12(8), which is a sanction that affects each individual officer in default, rather than the corporation alone. Another price you’ll pay is that other MCA forms can be held up while the address problem is sorted out, and when this process drags on too long, it’s only fair that the ROC initiate a strike-off procedure.

Who Exactly Has to Fill Out This Form?

• Any new corporation with an address mismatch from SPICe+
• A company that has moved physically, either nearby or far away
• A company involved in the address verification exercise by MCA

What You will Need to Pull Together

Yes, the Act doesn’t bar co-working spaces or a director’s residence, provided the standard proofs (NOC, utility bill, lease/licence agreement) are in order. For co-working addresses specifically, keep the licence agreement and NOC clearly identifying your CIN on file. ROC scrutiny is higher here.

• A utility bill for the new premises, and it can not be older than two months
• An NOC from whoever owns the property, or ownership proof if the company itself owns it
• A rent or lease agreement, or a sale deed, whichever applies
• A Board Resolution at minimum; a Special Resolution too, if you’re crossing state lines
• GPS coordinates for the premises, which the form now specifically asks for

Need a hand getting these documents lined up? Our experts can assist you.

Public Notice Requirement (Interstate/Cross-ROC Moves)

Before applying to the Regional Director, the company must publish notice in an English daily and a local-language newspaper in the district of the current office, and individually notify depositors, debenture holders, and creditors, who then have 21 days from publication to raise objections with the Regional Director.

How the Filing Actually Works, Step by Step

Step 1. Work out which scenario you’re in

Post-incorporation verification and an actual office move need different resolutions and different paperwork, so get this right before you do anything else.

Step 2. Pass whatever resolution applies

A Board Resolution handles most same-city and same-jurisdiction situations. Interstate moves need a special resolution and an MOA amendment on top of that.

Step 3. Line up the documents

Utility bill, NOC, agreement, GPS coordinates- all of it needs to match, name for name and address for address, across every single document.

Step 4. File through MCA V3

Log in, fill in the form by attaching everything, and sign off with a registered Class 3 DSC before you submit.

Step 5. Keep an eye on the SRN

If everything’s in order, straight-through processing takes care of it quickly. If something’s off, you’ll usually get a chance to resubmit rather than an outright rejection.

Timelines by Scenario

Note: Companies with more than 200 members must pass the resolution for an outside-local-limits address change via postal ballot under Section 110, not just at a general meeting.

What’s Changed Recently

Company formats have been completely migrated to MCA V3, which means that if your Business User login and DSC registration date back to the V2 era and have never been renewed since then, take care of it prior to making a filing attempt. In addition, the form has become stricter with regard to verifying your presence at the provided location with the GPS coordinates included in the standard request package.

Moving Forward

• File according to the deadline appropriate for your situation, not the generalised 30-day term
• Keep utility bills and NOCs ready just in case, not when it’s already decided
• Make sure to update your GST, PAN and bank information right away once you have a new address

What Happens If You Don’t

• Legal: Section 12(8) charges Rs. 1,000 a day, capped at Rs. 1,00,000, and it applies to the company and every officer in default
• Financial: Standard MCA late fees stack on top, and they only get worse the longer you wait
• Business: Other filings can stall out behind an address mismatch that nobody’s bothered fixing
• Compliance: Let it go on long enough, and it becomes a legit reason for strike-off under Section 248

Avoid escalating penalties with timely, accurate INC-22 filing.

Where People Usually Trip Up

• A utility bill that quietly slipped past the two-month mark without anyone noticing
• An NOC where the owner’s name doesn’t quite match what’s on the utility bill
• Filing INC-22 but leaving GST or bank records pointing at the old address anyway

What You Get Right By Doing This Properly

• A clean MCA record that actually reflects where the company is
• No personal liability hanging over directors under Section 12(8)
• Fewer surprises if the ROC ever runs a verification check on you

A Few Things Worth Doing Differently

• File INC-22 the moment the resolution of the board is passed, not after the move’s already happened
• Cross-check every document for consistency before you upload a single one
• If an interstate move is on the horizon, start planning months ahead; Regional Director approval takes time

How Kanakkupillai Can Help

We take care of INC-22 filings for both post-incorporation verification and every kind of address change, put together the right resolutions and documents for your specific situation, and make sure GST, PAN, and other registrations get updated too, so nothing’s left quietly pointing at an address you don’t use anymore.

Conclusion

INC-22 stays boring right up until the deadline slips by, and there’s a daily penalty with your name attached as an officer in default. Knowing which scenario applies to you, having documents that actually agree with each other, and filing inside the right window- that’s really all it takes to keep this the non-event it’s supposed to be. Get accurate, on-time INC-22 filing support from Kanakkupillai today.

FAQs

1. Do I need to file INC-22 if my correspondence address matches SPICe+ Part B?

No, that’s already covered at incorporation. A separate INC-22 filing only comes into play if the two addresses were different to begin with.

2. How long does an interstate registered office change actually take?

Realistically, the whole process- special resolution, MOA changes, public notice, Regional Director approval- runs anywhere from 90 to 180 days before you can even file INC-22 for the new address.

3. What’s the most common reason INC-22 filings get rejected?

An outdated utility bill tops the list, and right behind it is a mismatch between the owner’s name on the NOC and the name shown on that same utility bill.

4. Is a Class 3 DSC mandatory for filing INC-22?

Yes. An authorised director has to sign the form with a registered Class 3 DSC before it can go through on MCA V3; there’s no way around that.

5. What happens if I file INC-22 but forget to update my GST registration?

You end up with MCA showing one address and GST showing another, which tends to raise questions during bank or vendor checks, and usually needs a separate GST amendment to fix later.

6. Can INC-22 be filed without a board resolution?

No, a Board Resolution approving the address is standard practice, and if you’re moving across state lines, you’ll need a special resolution from shareholders as well.