Search and document delivery at a glance
- Search online
- Name search returns names and registration numbers without login or payment. [2]
- Search language
- The public eROC name search is in English. Enter the company name or number. “Begins with” matches the start of a name; “Contains” matches a term within it. [17]
- Digital documents
- After approval, an email supplies a verification sheet, links and QR codes for the requested certified copies. [7]
- Document language
- Not specified
- Fees at a glance
- Free name search. File inspection or a single certification: LKR 1,300 + 18% VAT, calculated at LKR 1,534.
- Access
- Name search without an account. Third parties have their own account route, including a separate registration path for overseas applicants.
Choose the right register
eROC is the electronic services portal of Sri Lanka’s company registry authority, DRC. Start with the name search and record the registration number. The free results are an entry point; filed documents are accessed through separate services. [1] [2] [6]
Section 480 of the Companies Act allows any person to inspect registry records and obtain certified documents or extracts on payment of the prescribed fee. An outside researcher therefore need not hold an office in the company. The portal expressly provides an I’m a Third Party registration route. [9] [3]
Search by a name prefix or contained text. Results provide registration numbers.
Sign in for file inspection and document requests. Outside researchers choose their own account category.
Gazette of 6 July 2026, with separate items for file inspection, certification and charges-register inspection.
Separate registry for beneficial ownership. Its sign-in form distinguishes general users, companies and authorities.
Explains the form numbers and links to templates, including Form 15 for annual returns and Form 20 for officer changes.
Names and abbreviations explained
- DRCDepartment of the Registrar of Companies
- The authority maintaining company records and operating eROC. [1]
- eROCElectronic registry portal
- Online access for name searches, file inspection, document requests and company filings. [1] [6]
- File SearchPaid file inspection
- Time-limited access to filed forms and certificates. Documents viewed or downloaded through this service are not certified copies. [6]
- Director / SecretaryGoverning officer and statutory company secretary
- A director is a member of the governing board. The company secretary performs formal corporate duties, including signing the annual return alongside a director. Form 20 concerns changes to these officers and their particulars. [9] [15]
- Form 15 / Annual ReturnAnnual registry return
- Dated particulars including shareholders, capital, registered office and officers. Financial statements are separate documents. [9] [15]
- BOBeneficial Ownership
- The natural persons behind ownership or control. The statutory definition includes at least 10% direct or indirect ownership or voting rights, and effective control through other means. [10]
Search step by step
Find the company name and registration number
Choose the search mode
Open Name Search. Begins with searches a name prefix; Contains searches text within a name. Enter the name in Search and use the magnifying-glass button. [2]
Read the results
Select the matching company name and note its registration number. Name search results are free and available without sign-in. [2]
Distinguish proposed-name availability
Above the results, the portal also displays information about the proposed name, possible similarity conflicts and Proceed Now. That area concerns name reservation. For research, use the existing company in the results and its number. [2]
Inspect the company file for 24 hours
Sign in with your own account
Open LOGIN. For a new outside-research account, choose Register under I’m a Third Party. Overseas applicants then choose NON SRI LANKAN. Use your existing personal registration if you already have one. [3]
Identify the file
Open File Search. The guide linked by the portal uses Entity Type and either Registration Number or Entity Name to identify the file. Choose Search and then Request File Search. [6]
Give a reason and pay the inspection fee
Enter your reason for inspection. Your own reference number is optional. Next leads to the documented payment process. The current file-inspection tariff is LKR 1,300 excluding VAT. [6] [4]
Return to the file and start access
After payment, return to the dashboard, find the file again and select Start file search. The guide provides 24 hours for viewing and retrieving documents. Download what you need within that period. These files are uncertified. [6]
Obtain certified copies
Identify the document and year
Use incorporation documents for the original registration, Form 15 for annual shareholder and capital particulars, Form 20 for officer changes and Form 13 for registered-office changes. Identify the period you require. [15] [9]
Request copies separately
Use Request Certified Copies and select the existing documents you need. Certification of a document or extract costs LKR 1,300 excluding VAT. For de-registered companies, the dedicated eROC guide describes a preliminary request requiring registry approval. [4] [16]
Keep the digital verification document
On approval, DRC says it sends an email containing a verification document with links and QR codes for the requested copies. Access the copies through it and provide the verification document with them when a recipient needs to check them. The notice gives a three-month verification period from approval. [7]
Research beneficial owners
Use the separate registry
Open the BO Registry. Its sign-in form provides General Public User for general research. Company User is for corporate filings; DRC specifies the filing company’s eROC credentials for that role. [12] [14]
Request the public particulars
Section 130D identifies names and former names, nationalities, countries of residence, business addresses and the nature and extent of beneficial ownership as public particulars. An authenticated copy can be requested from the Registrar on payment of the prescribed fee for that service. [10]
Distinguish authority accounts
The linked Sign Up page is headed as registration for a Public Authority and asks for an institutional role. If you do not have suitable general-public access, use the DRC support contact on the BO guide page. Authority-account registration is not the general research route. [13] [11]
Documents and fees
| Document / information | Contents and purpose | Fee | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free name search [2] | Company names and registration numbers in the results; not the full file. | Free | Name Search using Begins with or Contains. |
| File Search [6] [4] [5] | Time-limited viewing of existing forms and certificates. Downloaded copies are uncertified. | LKR 1,300 plus VAT per file inspection; at 18%, calculated at LKR 1,534. The guide gives 24 hours of access. | After sign-in, choose File Search, entity type and name or registration number, provide a reason and pay for inspection. |
| Certified incorporation or constitutional document [9] [4] [5] [7] | Certified copy of an actually filed document or the certificate of incorporation. | LKR 1,300 plus VAT per certification. At 18% VAT, the calculated amount is LKR 1,534. | Separate copy request, followed by online issue and a verification document. |
| Form 15 / Form 15A [15] [9] [4] [5] [6] | Annual registry return; Form 15A is for companies limited by guarantee. These are not financial statements. | LKR 1,300 plus VAT per certification. At 18% VAT, the calculated amount is LKR 1,534. | Specify the year and request a certified copy. Uncertified inspection is also available through File Search. |
| Form 20 [15] [4] [5] | Changes to directors or secretary and their registered particulars. | LKR 1,300 plus VAT per certification. At 18% VAT, the calculated amount is LKR 1,534. | Request a certified copy of the relevant change filing. |
| Form 13 [15] [4] [5] | Change of registered-office address. | LKR 1,300 plus VAT per certification. At 18% VAT, the calculated amount is LKR 1,534. | Identify the relevant address change and period. |
| Financial statements and audit report [9] [6] [4] [5] | Existing company and, where applicable, group financial statements with the audit report. Private companies have no general automatic filing duty under section 170. | LKR 1,300 plus VAT per certification. At 18% VAT, the calculated amount is LKR 1,534. | First establish which annual records are actually in the file, then request the documents required. |
| Inspection of the Register of Charges [9] [4] [5] | Inspection of registered security interests. Certification of a document is separate. | LKR 1,300 plus VAT under tariff item 11; at 18%, calculated at LKR 1,534. | Select or request inspection of the charges register from the Registrar. |
Company types, form numbers and overseas records
The Companies Act recognises companies limited by shares, unlimited companies and companies limited by guarantee. Private companies have additional restrictions, including no invitations to the public to subscribe and generally no more than 50 shareholders, subject to specified exceptions. Company type affects which records you can expect. [9]
Companies incorporated overseas with a place of business in Sri Lanka have different filings: Form 44 concerns their principal and local business addresses, Form 45 their directors and Form 46 persons in Sri Lanka authorised to accept service. [15]
Form 6 concerns shares issued; Forms 10 and 11 concern registered charges and their satisfaction. A charge is a security interest, for example over company assets. Inspection of the charges register has its own fee item. [15] [4]
What overseas applicants need
The third-party route expressly offers NON SRI LANKAN. Its first page requires a title, first and last name, passport number, passport-issuing country, mobile number and foreign address, including city, region, postcode and country. A Sri Lankan identity number and local address can be added optionally. [3]
Name search is free and available without an account. For further services, the portal offers a dedicated account form for foreign applicants. [2] [3]
Fees under the July 2026 Gazette
Gazette No. 2496/03 of 6 July 2026 sets LKR 1,300 excluding VAT for file inspection, certification of an existing document or extract, and inspection of the charges register. LKR denotes Sri Lankan rupees. At the standard 18% VAT rate, each item adds LKR 234 in VAT, giving a calculated LKR 1,534. [4] [5]
The LKR 7,900 tariff for registering an annual return is the company’s filing fee. A certified copy of that return is priced under the separate certification item. Societies are a distinct registry category with different charges: LKR 600 for certified copies and LKR 265 for file searches, both excluding VAT. [4]
Annual returns and financial statements
Under section 131, the annual return is generally completed within 30 working days after the annual general meeting and then forwarded to the Registrar. No return is required in the incorporation year. Most companies use Form 15; companies limited by guarantee use Form 15A. [9] [15]
The statutory contents include current and former shareholders, share numbers and transfers, registered office, capital, directors, secretary and auditor. These particulars have a reference date. Check subsequent change filings as well. [9]
Section 170 requires companies that are not private companies to file their financial statements, any group financial statements and the audit report. The deadline is 20 working days after the date by which the statements must be signed. The Registrar may require a private company to deliver its accounts by written notice. A private-company file therefore should not be assumed to contain a complete public series of annual accounts. [9]
Beneficial ownership from 2026
The 2025 amendment defines beneficial ownership using an at-least-10% threshold. It covers natural persons behind direct or indirect ownership, voting rights and other ownership interests. Effective control through other means can also qualify without meeting that ownership threshold. [10]
For new companies, DRC has required beneficial-owner and authorised-person filings since 30 March 2026. The service separates these corporate filings from general-public and authority access. The public particulars are limited by law. Further data listed in section 130A can be sought through the Right to Information Act process; they are not automatically part of the ordinary public dataset. [14] [10] [12]
Digital delivery and de-registered companies
Since 2 May 2022, DRC has issued certified form copies online. Self-collection, courier and registered post were discontinued for that service. You may print the digital documents if needed. Keep their associated verification document. [8] [7]
eROC also documents a copy-request route for de-registered companies. The guide uses the registration number or name, a request, registry approval and then selection of available forms. De-registration therefore does not mean that all earlier filings are inaccessible through that service. [16]
Avoid common mistakes
- AVAILABLE in the entered-name panel is not a status certificate for an existing result. Keep proposed-name reservation separate from company research. [2]
- The 24-hour file view and three-month verification document belong to different services. Downloading a File Search document does not certify it. [6] [7]
- Annual returns and financial statements have different contents and filing rules. [9] [15]
- Direct shareholders and beneficial owners are different particulars. Use the BO procedure for the natural persons behind ownership and control. [9] [10]
Frequently asked questions
Must I pay for the initial search?
Name search works without an account and provides registration numbers. Order the appropriate certified record when you need documentary evidence. The results alone are not a complete registry extract. [2] [9] [4]
Can an overseas researcher register an account?
Under “I’m a Third Party”, select “NON SRI LANKAN”. The first step asks for passport details, a mobile number and your overseas address. [3]
How do I identify current shareholders and directors?
Use the latest available annual return and check later changes. Form 20 concerns directors and secretary; Form 6 concerns shares issued. Research beneficial owners separately through the BO procedure. [9] [15] [10]
Why might a private company have no filed accounts?
Section 170’s general filing requirement covers companies that are not private companies. The Registrar may require delivery from a private company by written notice. [9]
Is the BO Registry only for authorities?
No. The login form also offers General Public User. However, the currently linked Sign Up form is for authorities. Use the DRC help contact if you lack appropriate general access. The law expressly provides public particulars and authenticated copies on application. [12] [13] [11] [10]
Original sources
Sources reviewed: 15 September 2026. The guidance is based on the linked information published by registers and public authorities.
- Department of the Registrar of Companies: official services Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- eROC: public name-search result Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- eROC: non-Sri-Lankan third-party account form Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Companies (Fees) Orders: Gazette No. 2496/03, 6 July 2026 Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Value Added Tax: standard rates Inland Revenue Department, Sri Lanka
- eROC File Search / FAQ / Customer Feedback, Public Interface V1.1 Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Save time and money with paperless e-Certified Copies Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Certified copies of Forms Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007 Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Companies (Amendment) Act, No. 12 of 2025 Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Beneficial Ownership System: User Guide Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Beneficial Ownership Registry: sign-in Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Beneficial Ownership Registry: sign-up Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Mandatory Beneficial Ownership Submission for New Company Incorporations Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Download Forms Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- eROC Strike-Off: Public Interface V1.1 Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka
- Amtliche Suchmaske / Official search form Department of the Registrar of Companies (DRC), Sri Lanka