Australia places no restriction on foreign ownership of a Proprietary Limited company — an Indian founder can hold 100% of the shares outright. What Australia does require, without exception, is at least one director who ordinarily resides in Australia. That single rule under s201A of the Corporations Act 2001 shapes almost every other decision in this process.
Ownership and directorship are legally separate
This is the point that confuses people first: a non-resident can own 100% of the shares in a Pty Ltd while a resident director — who may hold no shares at all — sits on the board purely to satisfy the legal requirement. If none of your founders live in Australia, you engage a resident director service, typically from around AUD $6,000 a year plus GST. It's a real cost to budget for from day one, not a surprise to discover mid-filing.
The step that takes the longest: Director ID
Every director — including the resident director and any overseas directors — needs a Director ID before ASIC will accept your registration. Australian residents with a myGovID account can often get this in days. Overseas applicants generally have to file on paper, and that route can take 28 to 56 days. This is the step to start immediately, in parallel with everything else, because it's the one most likely to become your critical path if you leave it until the rest of the paperwork is ready.
The registration sequence
Arrange your resident director
The gating requirement — sort this before anything else, since ASIC won't register the company without it.
Apply for Director IDs
For every director, resident and overseas. Start the overseas paper applications immediately given the 28–56 day timeline.
Lodge ASIC Form 201
Registered office, resident director, at least one shareholder, and a constitution — foreign-owned subsidiaries generally need a custom constitution rather than ASIC's off-the-shelf replaceable rules.
Receive your ACN
Typically issued within 1–3 business days of a complete lodgement.
Apply for your ABN and TFN with the ATO
Foreign applicants often need extra supporting documentation and should budget up to 28 days, versus the near-instant turnaround for Australian residents.
Register for GST if turnover will exceed AUD $75,000
Mandatory once you cross the threshold — many B2B businesses register voluntarily earlier to claim input credits from day one.
What it costs
The ASIC company registration fee is AUD $636 from 1 July 2026 (it rises annually on that date — $611 until then). On top of that: a resident director service from $6,000+/year plus GST if you need one, a registered office from $500/year if you don't already have a compliant address, and professional formation services typically starting from $900. Total first-year cost for a foreign founder using full-service support usually lands between AUD $2,000 and $8,000, depending on which services you need. There's also a recurring AUD $342/year ASIC annual review fee to stay on the register, separate from any accounting cost.
No visa needed to own or direct remotely
You don't need an Australian visa to own shares in, or sit as a non-resident director of, an Australian company. A visa only becomes necessary if you'll physically work in Australia — attending meetings, managing operations on the ground, delivering services in person. Ownership and remote direction carry no immigration requirement at all.
For the complete cost table, entity comparison, and FAQ, see our Australia company registration guide.