Setting up your online services account
How to make use of our online services
To register or maintain your incorporated society online, you’ll need to have an online services account with the Companies Office. It's free to set up, but fees apply when completing some transactions. There are 2 steps to setting up an account — ensuring you have a RealMe® login, and choosing the type of account you need.
1. Ensure you have a RealMe® login
To create an online services account you must first have a RealMe username and password.
- If you already have an account with the Companies Office
- If you already have a RealMe login for other services
- If you don’t have a RealMe login
If you already have an account with the Companies Office
You may already have an online services account with us, in which case, when you log in with your RealMe details, you’ll be taken immediately to the online dashboard, where you can register or maintain an incorporated society. If this applies to you, go directly to ‘confirming your authority to manage information’.
If you already have a RealMe login for other services
If you have a RealMe username and password you've used elsewhere (for example, to renew your passport) click the 'Login' button at the top of the page. You can then set up your online services account with us, starting with choosing the type of account you need.
If you don’t have a RealMe login
If you don’t have a RealMe login, you will need to create one by doing the following:
- Select the 'Create' link at the top of this page.
- Select 'Create a RealMe login' and follow the instructions to create a username and password.
2. Choose the type of account
When you log in to the register with RealMe for the first time, you’ll be asked what type of online services account you would like to set up, or if you would like to join an existing organisation account.
There are two types of online services account: an individual account, and an organisation account.
- Select ‘I want to set up an individual account’ if you’ll be the only one using the account to manage the society's information.
- Select 'I want to set up an organisation account' to become the administrator of a new organisation account, where there'll be a number of people accessing the register on behalf of your society.
- Select 'I have an activation code' if you have received an invitation email (with an activation code) to join an organisation account as a user.
Next step — Confirm your authority to manage information
Before you can use your online services account to manage a society’s information on the register, you’ll need to confirm that you have the authority to do so. If you use your account to incorporate a new society, you will have your authority confirmed automatically. To manage information on the register for an existing society you must confirm to us that you have been authorised to access and update the society’s details.
Related resources
A printable PDF guide ‘Getting started on the Incorporated Societies Register’ is available. You may wish to have this handy when setting up your online services account.