Jamaica - Register a Business

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Procedure

Apply In-Person

1. To Register a New Business in Jamaica, you should visit the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) to submit your complete application, please view their contact details and map location through this link:Link
2. Obtain the business registration application form “Super Form (No BRF1)” from the COJ office or download it from their website: Link {Scroll to find Form: (Business Registration Form for New Companies and Business Names - "Super Form)} alternatively, you can download the form directly via this link: Link
3. Please read the information provided in the application form and fill the appropriate sections for new business registration as instructed
4. Upon filling the form, obtain the required supporting documents as mentioned in the “Required Documents” section below and attach them to the correctly filled application form
5. Go to the COJ office and pay the necessary registration fee for business registration at the cashier’s window and obtain the payment receipt
6. Submit the complete application along with the required documents including the payment receipt to the COJ officer at the service section
7. The official will receive your application and issue you an acknowledgment receipt then forwards the application to the necessary department for processing
8. The COJ will verify your application and if it meets the required standards for registration, they will approve it and prepare the Business registration certificate
9. Visit the COJ office and collect the registration certificate with the TRN and NIS number of your business indicated at the base of the certificate
   

Apply Online

1. First, register and reserve a business name before you commence the process of registering your business. Please refer to wiki-procedure: “Jamaica-Reserve a Business Name” to view the process of reserving your business name
2. To apply for Business registration online, visit the COJ website:Link
3. Under “ONLINE BUSINESS REGISTRATION”, click on “GO TO SERVICE” you will be required to sign in if you already have an account with the COJ or click on “Create Account” to Register
4. On the registration page, complete the required information and click on “REGISTER” if you have provided the correct information you will be automatically logged in to your account
5. Once in your account, select “Register a Business” you will find details of your Business Name Registration, Expiry Day, State (Approved or Rejected), and Action(if you had already reserved a business name.)
6. Under Action, click on “Register” to be directed to the online Business Registration form
7. Provide the required information and click on “Save” then Select “Validate Name and Address” and wait for the validation to complete and then click on “Next Section” to Proceed to the next page
8. On this page, you will be required to answer if your business has a branch, provide the answer to the asked question and click on “Validate Branch” and then click on “Next Section” to go to the next page.
9. On the next page, click on “Add Individual” to provide your required details and upload all the required documents as requested and directed. You can also fill in your details by clicking on “FILL WITH MY USER PROFILE” to automatically fill the required fields using your saved details and then click on “Validate Business Owners” and wait for the validation to complete and then choose “Next Section” to proceed to the next page, on this page, provide all the required information and then select “Validate Other Information” and upon validation, click on “Next Section” go to the next page.
10. Select “Fill with My User Profile” and confirm the automatically provided information then click on “Validate Filling Information” and click on “Finish” to complete your application
11. The system will process the application and then direct you to your application page where you will find your business registration details with this information: Submitted, In Review, Created Date, and Resource ID. Now click on the Download icon to download your data and then scroll up to go to the indicated tiles to complete signing your documents electronically and pay for your application using the online platform. NOTE that you need assistance from an experienced individual to assist you in navigating these tiles to affix your signature. Provide your preferred collection location for the certificate and pay using the online platform
12. Once you have completed your application fee and registration fee, the system will automatically complete your total transaction and upon successful payment, it will generate a receipt that you can view and download. The same receipt will be forwarded to your email account.
13. Close the application and wait for your registration certificate to be delivered to your selected address after processing
    

Note:

• You can opt to apply for the normal service which will take two working days or for the Expedited service for the same day at a cost of J$3000 or Next day Express service at a cost of J$ 1500
• Before you start any process of registering your business, you must reserve the Business Name with the Companies Office of Jamaica, please refer to wikiprocedure: Jamaica-Reserve a Business Name

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Required Documents

• Complete Application form
• Document verifying your current place of Address e.g., a Driver’s License or Utility bill
• Tax Registration number (TRN)
• Government-issued original valid identification document
• Work permit of exemption letter (if applicable)
• Professional certification is required for some businesses such as Doctors, Lawyers, Dentists, Pharmacists, Engineers, Architects, Surveyors, Real estate dealers and developers, Heir dressers and Barbers, Custom brokers, Pest control operators, Child care, and Golden age care services.

For online application upload these documents:

• TRN
• Valid Identification Document
• Proof of Address
• Professional certification
• Work permit of exemption letter (if applicable)
• Name reservation

Office Locations & Contacts

Companies Office of Jamaica, Main Office
Address: 1 Grenada Way (at the corner of Grenada Way and Grenada Crescent), Kingston 5, Jamaica W.I

Customer Service Contact:
Telephone: (876) 908-4419-26
Fax : (876) 960-7152
Email: [email protected]

Website Technical Support Contact:
Telephone : (876) 920-1990
Email: [email protected]

Office Hours:
Monday - Wednesdays 8:30am - 3:30pm
Thursday - Fridays 8:30am - 3:00pm

Montego Bay Branch
Address: The Annex, Unit 3 Annex Plaza Alice Eldermire Drive, Fair view Montego Bay, St. James
Telephone: (876) 276-9558

Eligibility

• Individuals who wish to register a business under the business name act in Jamaica are eligible to apply.Note that you must have successfully registered and reserved a business name to be eligible to register it as a business

Fees

• Individual sole proprietorship $2500
• Partnerships of 2-5 proprietors $2500
• Partnerships of 6-20 proprietors $5000
• Corporate sole proprietorship $3000
• For online registration, a shipping fee will be added to the above registration fee

Validity

• The certificate is valid for three years

Documents to Use

Application form: Link

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• The processing time is within two working days.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.gIn the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

A business name is an enterprise where the owners undertake all the risk associated with the entity as a sole trader or partnership registered under the business name act.
For online applications:

• Complete a Business Name Registration Application Form
  • Fill in the details required for the Business Name Registration Form
  • Attach/Upload all the required documents
  • Validate the form to ensure that it has been completed successfully
  • Save the form and click Finish
• Create an account for each person named as a proprietor
  • Each proprietor must have an account, which is linked to the email used in the application.
  • If you lose access to your email address a new profile must be created and your application redone
• Sign the application
  • Each proprietor must log into their account and navigate to the continuous application page where he can select the application to sign
  • Forms can be signed electronically by checking a checkbox
  • A secret code will be sent to the email address associated with your profile. Note: please check your spam as the secret phrase may go to spam.
  • To complete the signing, fill in the secret along with your profile username and password
• When all parties have signed the document, the registration can be paid for
  • Payment can only be made from a web account.
  • Courier can be chosen as a delivery option for an extra charge

Required Information

• Business information
• Proprietor Information
• Particulars of Secretary information
• GCT Registration
• Declaration
• Please complete the required section for business registration

Need for the Document

• A valid Business registration certificate proves that you have been authorized to operate a business in Jamaica as required by law.

Information which might help

The COJ Classifies business names as follows:

Individual Sole Proprietor

• A business name with one owner (proprietor). The owner must be a person.

Partnership

• A business name with more than one owner (proprietor). The owners may be persons or companies or a mix of both.

Corporate Sole Proprietor

• A business name with one owner (proprietor). The owner must be a company.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• Jamaican Government:Link

Others

More information which might help people.