Company setup in Australia

Start with the right structure

Explore legal entity forms and registration sources for Australia. Use the local terminology below when discussing your application with the relevant authority.

Resident director

An Australian proprietary company must have at least one director who lives in Australia. Consider this requirement before selecting the management team.

Registration preparation

Directors must apply for a director ID before registration. Check company-name availability and whether a separate business-name registration is needed.

Company & entity types

Listed forms include commercial companies and other legal entities. A listing is not confirmation that a foreign founder can establish that form. Local names are preserved to avoid misleading legal translations.

Find a legal form or sub-jurisdiction

11 legal forms listed

Co-operative

AustraliaELF 6W6XCo-operative Limited;Cooperative Limited;Co-op Limited;Coop Limited;Co-operative Ltd.;Cooperative Ltd.;Co-opLtd.;Coop Ltd.;Co-operative;Cooperative;Co-op;Coop

Trust

AustraliaELF 7TPC

Fund

AustraliaELF ADXG

Incorporated association

AustraliaELF BC38Inc;inc;Inc.;inc.

Limited Partnership

AustraliaELF J4JCA Limited Partnership;An Incorporated Limited Partnership;LP;LP.;Lp.;Lp;I.L.P;ILP

Public Company limited by guarantee

AustraliaELF LZFRLtd;Ltd.;Limited

No Liability Company

AustraliaELF PQHLNo Liability;NL

Unlimited Proprietary Company

AustraliaELF Q82QProprietary;PTY;PTY.;Pty.;Pty Ltd

Public Company limited by shares

AustraliaELF R4KKLtd;Ltd.;Limited

Limited Proprietary Company

AustraliaELF TXVCProprietary Limited;Proprietary Ltd;Pty Limited;PTY LTD;PTY. LTD.;Pty. Ltd.;Pty Ltd;Pty Ltd.

Indigenous Corporation

AustraliaELF XHCVIndigenous corporation;RNTBC

Source: GLEIF ELF v1.6, February 2026 ↗. Active codes only; language variants grouped by code. The source is not an exhaustive list of all available legal forms.

What to confirm before applying

These are planning questions, not verified Australia requirements.

Foreign ownership & activity

Ask whether your nationality, ownership percentage and proposed business activity require investment approval, a local partner or a sector licence.

Directors & local presence

Confirm the required directors, shareholders, registered office, local representative and any residency or company-secretary rules.

Capital & incorporation costs

Obtain the current minimum capital, filing fees, notarisation costs, translations and annual renewal or service charges for the selected legal form.

Tax & ongoing compliance

Verify corporate tax, VAT or sales tax, withholding, beneficial-ownership reporting, accounting, audit and annual-return obligations.

Banking & immigration

Check bank onboarding and source-of-funds evidence separately. Company registration should not be treated as approval for banking, residence or work permission.