UK Company Registration and Formation in 2026

UK company registration gives you a limited company with its own legal identity, limited liability for its owners and a name that banks, payment providers and clients around the world recognise. There is no minimum share capital, one person can own and run it, profits up to £50,000 are taxed at 19%, and no director has to live in the UK.

The process has more steps than it used to. Since 18 November 2025, every new director and every person with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House. The filing fee doubled to £100 in February 2026. And most UK banks want a director who lives in the UK, so many founders abroad end up with a company but no account.

You do not need to work through any of that alone. We handle your UK company formation ourselves: identity checks, the name, the articles, the filing and a bank-ready file, at one clear price. The company is formed within a week, and you deal with one team.

Living outside the UK? Read our guide to UK company formation for non-residents.

Why Register a Company in the UK

UK company registration is fast, cheap and open to founders from anywhere, and UK company formation needs no local partner. A UK limited company is known to banks and clients worldwide, pays competitive Corporation Tax and can be owned and run from abroad. These are the reasons founders keep choosing it.

Fast Company Incorporation in About 24 Hours

Companies House runs one online register for the whole country, covering England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A clean online application is usually registered within 24 hours, and a same-day service is available for £156 through software. For most companies, formation in the UK is the quickest step of the whole setup.

No Residence Rule for Directors or Owners

A UK company needs one director and one shareholder, and the same person can be both. Neither has to live in the UK or hold a UK visa. A founder abroad can own 100% of the shares and run the company from home.

Low Company Set Up Costs

The Companies House fee is £100 online. A private company has no minimum share capital, so most founders start with one share of £1. A company secretary is optional, and most small companies are exempt from an audit, which keeps the yearly cost low.

Competitive Corporation Tax

Corporation Tax is 19% on profits up to £50,000 and 25% on profits above £250,000, with marginal relief in between. The UK has a wide network of double tax treaties, and dividends a UK company receives from its subsidiaries are generally exempt from Corporation Tax.

A UK Incorporated Company Banks and Clients Trust

A UK Ltd is one of the best-known company forms in the world. Clients, suppliers and payment providers know how it works, and anyone can search a company on Companies House for free. A UK incorporated company is easier to sell with and easier to bank than most offshore structures.

UK Company Registrations in 2026

Companies House recorded 815,277 new company incorporations in the year to 31 March 2026, up 1.67% on the year before. In the same year, 787,120 companies were dissolved, and the register closed at 5,479,045 companies. UK company registrations are easy, but almost as many companies close as open each year, often because they miss their filings. Read more: the benefits of setting up a company in the UK.

Types of Companies for UK Business Formation

For UK business formation, the private limited company is the right choice for most founders, and most UK company registrations each year are for this type. It limits your personal liability, it is cheap to run, and banks know it well. An LLP, a PLC or a branch only makes sense when you have a specific reason for it. UK business formation through a Ltd is also the cheapest route to run.

The Ltd has the lowest entry bar and the same tax as a PLC, so a PLC only earns its extra cost when you plan to offer shares to the public. The LLP suits partners who want to be taxed as individuals.

Private Limited Company (Ltd)

A Ltd is a separate legal person and the default choice for company formation in the UK. Shareholders are liable only for any unpaid amount on their shares. It can have one owner who is also the only director, it can be fully foreign-owned, and its name must end in "Limited" or "Ltd". Read our guide on how to set up a limited company in the UK for the full LTD rules.

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)

An LLP gives its members limited liability, but the LLP itself does not pay Corporation Tax. Each member pays tax on their share of the profit. It needs at least two designated members, and professional firms and joint ventures use it most. It is the wrong choice for a founder working alone.

Public Limited Company (PLC)

A PLC needs at least £50,000 of allotted share capital, with at least a quarter paid up, two directors and a qualified company secretary. It also needs a trading certificate from Companies House before it can start business. Read how to set up a UK public limited company if you plan to raise money from the public.

UK Holding Company

A holding company is usually a normal Ltd that owns shares in other companies. Dividends from subsidiaries are generally exempt from Corporation Tax, and gains on selling a qualifying trading subsidiary can fall under the substantial shareholding exemption. See how to set up a UK holding company.

UK Subsidiary or Branch of a Foreign Company

An overseas company can form a UK subsidiary, which is a new Ltd, or register a UK establishment, which is a branch of the parent. A branch is not a separate legal person, so the parent carries its debts. It is registered on form OS IN01 within one month of opening, for £124 on paper. Most foreign groups choose a subsidiary, because banks find a separate Ltd easier to onboard. Our guide on how to register a UK branch as a foreign company covers the filing.

Setting Up a Business in the UK as a Sole Trader

A founder who lives in the UK can also trade as a sole trader, with no company at all. That is simpler, but you carry every debt personally and it does not work if you live abroad. When setting up a business in the UK from abroad, a Ltd is almost always the answer. Setting up a business in the UK as a sole trader also needs a UK address and a National Insurance number, which most founders abroad do not have.

UK Company Registration for Non-Residents

UK company registration for non-residents follows the same rules as for residents, and company registration in the United Kingdom is open to every nationality. There is no residence test, no visa rule and no local director requirement. What changes is how you handle three practical points from abroad: identity verification, the UK address and the bank account.

No Visa or Local Director Needed

A UK company can be owned and run entirely by people who live outside the UK. Owning a UK company does not give you the right to live or work in the UK, and it does not need you to. Directors abroad sign documents electronically and never need to visit.

Identity Verification From Any Country

Every director and PSC verifies their identity through GOV.UK One Login, usually with a biometric passport and a phone, from any country. If the online check fails, an authorised corporate service provider can verify you instead.

Setting Up a New Company in the UK Without a UK Address

To set up a new company in the UK from abroad, you still need an appropriate registered office in the UK, and a home address abroad does not count. Most founders abroad use a registered office service. The bank account is the harder part, because most UK banks want a UK-resident director, which we cover in the banking section below.

How to Register a Company in the UK

To register a company in the UK, you verify the people, choose a name and an address, prepare the shares and ownership details, and file one application with Companies House. For a new company, UK registration starts with verifying the people, and the paperwork comes after. A clean online application is usually registered within 24 hours. The steps below are in the order that avoids delays.

New Company Incorporation Rules Since 2024

Four rules now apply to every new company incorporation that older guides miss, and new company registration in the UK fails most often on them. Since 4 March 2024, every company needs an appropriate registered office, a registered email address and a statement that it is formed for a lawful purpose, and a PO box is no longer accepted. Since 18 November 2025, every new director and every person with significant control must verify their identity before the company can be registered. On 1 February 2026, the online fee rose to £100.

Choose the Structure and Check the Name

Decide on the structure first, usually a Ltd, since most UK company incorporation is of a private limited company. Then check and reserve the UK company name on the register. It must end in "Limited" or "Ltd", it cannot be the same as an existing name, and some words, such as "Bank" or "Chartered", need approval. Check trade marks and the domain at the same time.

Verify Every Director and PSC

Each director and each person with significant control must verify their identity and get a personal code. A PSC is anyone who holds more than 25% of the shares or votes, or who controls the company in another way. You can verify online yourself through GOV.UK One Login, or through an authorised corporate service provider. You verify once, and the same code covers every role you hold in any UK company.

Set Up the Registered Office and Email

The registered office must be an appropriate address in the same part of the UK as the company, and post sent there must reach someone acting for it. The registered email is for Companies House only and is not shown on the public register. Our guide to UK registered office address rules explains what counts.

Prepare the Shares, Articles and SIC Code

The application needs a statement of capital, which lists the shares and who holds them. Many founders issue 1 or 100 ordinary shares at £1 each. Most small companies adopt the standard model articles. You also pick at least one SIC code, a five-digit code that describes the business, and confirm the lawful purpose statement.

File Through the UK Gov Company Registration Service

The application goes to Companies House online, through the UK gov company registration service or through filing software. The UK gov company registration service is the GOV.UK web route, and software is what agents use. The online fee is £100. Same-day registration costs £156, works only through software and needs the application in by 3pm on a working day. A paper application costs £124 and is the slowest route.

Receive the Company Number and Certificate

Once registered, the UK incorporated company gets a company number and a certificate of incorporation. The number has eight characters: companies in England and Wales have eight digits, Scottish numbers start with SC and Northern Irish numbers with NI. You need both to open a bank account and to register with HMRC. Read more: how to find a UK company registration number.

Documents Needed for UK Company Registration

UK company registration needs less paper than most countries, and new company registration in the UK does not need notarised or apostilled documents. Companies House does not ask for certified passport copies, because identity is checked through verification. What it needs is accurate information about the people, the shares and the address. Banks ask for more, so prepare both at the same time.

Details for Every Director and Owner

For each director, shareholder and PSC, Companies House needs the full legal name, date of birth, nationality and country of residence, a service address that will be public, a home address that is kept private, and the personal code from identity verification.

Details for New Company Registration in the UK

• Company name: Checked against the register.
• Registered office address: In the same part of the UK as the company.
• Registered email address: For Companies House contact only.
• SIC code: At least one, describing the main activity.
• Statement of capital: Number, class and value of shares for each shareholder.
• Articles of association: Model articles or your own version.

Extra Documents UK Banks Ask For

A bank or payment provider will ask for the certificate of incorporation, the articles, a passport and proof of address for each owner, a short business description, expected monthly volumes and the countries you trade with. Many also ask where the starting money came from. Having this ready is the biggest single factor in a fast account, so plan it as part of UK company formation, not after it. Read more: documents needed to open a business bank account.

UK Company Formation Cost in 2026

As a service, company formation with us starts from €350, paid once, for a standard private company limited by shares, holding and trading companies included. It includes the £100 Companies House fee, the structure advice, the name check, identity verification guidance, the model articles, the statement of capital, the PSC details, the filing and a bank-ready file, confirmed in writing before you pay. Layered groups, regulated firms and high-risk activities are quoted separately and can cost more.

UK company formation is the start of the cost, not the end. The table adds the running costs of the first 12 months for a simple UK company, and the same ranges apply to any UK company incorporation of this size.

UK Company Incorporation Costs by Profile

After incorporation, UK company running costs move most with the accountant, the bank plan and whether the company registers for VAT or runs a payroll. These are planning ranges, with sterling converted at recent rates, and your written quote is what counts. Read more: the cost of setting up a UK company.

How Long Company Registration in the UK Takes

Company registration in the UK usually takes 24 hours once the application is filed, or the same day with the £156 service. The whole setup takes longer, because identity checks come first and the bank account comes after. With us, UK company formation takes about a week, from the first call to the certificate.

What Adds Days

A name that clashes with an existing company, a registered office that is not appropriate, a director whose online identity check fails and a missing PSC are the usual causes. Each one means a rejected or delayed application, and the clock starts again.

Keeping New Company Formation in the UK to a Week

In new company formation in the UK, one missing document delays everything. Start identity verification first, because nothing can be filed without the codes. Settle the name, the address and the shares before you file. And prepare the bank file at the same time, so the account can open days after the certificate arrives. Our guide on how long it takes to register a UK company covers each stage in detail.

Tax Duties After UK Incorporation

After UK incorporation, the company must register with HMRC for Corporation Tax, and later for VAT and PAYE where they apply. Business registration in the UK with HMRC is free, and each registration for a company in the UK is handled separately by HMRC. A UK incorporated company is UK tax resident by default, wherever its directors live.

Business Registration in the UK With HMRC

Companies House is only the first business registration in the UK, and UK business registration with HMRC follows it. HMRC registrations follow for Corporation Tax within 3 months of starting to trade, for VAT once taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any 12 months or earlier by choice, and for PAYE before the first payday, including a director's salary. Non-residents should also read about UK VAT registration for non-resident companies.

Corporation Tax Rates

Corporation Tax applies at 19% on profits up to £50,000 and 25% on profits over £250,000, with marginal relief in between. These limits are shared between associated companies. A holding company with two subsidiaries splits each limit by three, so the 25% rate starts much sooner.

Tax Residence of a UK Company Run From Abroad

A company incorporated in the UK is treated as UK tax resident and pays UK Corporation Tax on its worldwide profits. If it is also managed from another country, a tax treaty can change the answer, so take advice before you run it from abroad. Read whether a UK company is tax resident under HMRC's rules.

Filing Deadlines After Registration for a Company in the UK

The filing calendar starts on the day of incorporation. After incorporation, UK company owners have fixed deadlines at two different offices. Miss a deadline and a penalty follows automatically, and repeated misses can get the company struck off. The first accounts are due 21 months after incorporation, and the first confirmation statement within 14 days of the first anniversary.

Accounts go to Companies House and the tax return goes to HMRC, with different deadlines and separate penalties. Put both dates in a calendar on the day the company is registered. Registration for a company in the UK is the start of these duties, not the end.

Penalties That Changed in 2026

For Company Tax Returns due on or after 1 April 2026, HMRC doubled its fixed penalties. A late return now costs £200, rising to £400 in total after 3 months, and a third late return in a row costs £1,000, or £2,000 if more than 3 months late. Companies House penalties for late accounts stay at £150 to £1,500, doubled if the accounts were also late the year before.

Changes Coming for UK Companies Registration

The 12-month transition for existing directors and PSCs ends in November 2026, so everyone on the register must be verified by then. No earlier than November 2027, only authorised corporate service providers will be able to file documents for others, with six months' notice. From 1 April 2028, accounts must be filed through software, abridged accounts end, and small companies must file a profit and loss account.

Business Banking After UK Company Registration

A business account is where most founders abroad get stuck after UK company registration, and it is the step most guides to company incorporation in the UK leave out. Many UK banks need a director who lives in the UK. Our banking partners open accounts for UK companies owned from anywhere, in days and remotely.

For a UK resident with a sterling-only company, a free high street account is fine. For a company owned from abroad or trading in several currencies, the partner route is faster and usually cheaper.

Why UK Banks Turn Down Non-Resident Directors

Eligibility is written into the product rules. Starling requires every director with access and every PSC to be a UK resident and takes no corporate shareholders. Santander's Classic account takes a maximum of two owners, who must live in the UK. High street banks review foreign-owned companies case by case and rarely explain a refusal.

The Faster Route Through Our Banking Partners

Our partners are licensed electronic money institutions that onboard foreign-owned UK companies as normal business. Identity is checked online, several currencies sit in one account, and most accounts open within 2 to 4 business days of a complete file. We prepare the file and submit it for you. Read how to open a UK business bank account for the banks in detail.

Setting Up a New Company in the UK With a Bank Account

When you set up a new company in the UK, the fastest way is to prepare the bank file while the company is being formed. The certificate, the ownership details and the business description then arrive together. After incorporation, UK company accounts with our partners can open within days. See how to set up a UK company with a bank account.

British Company Formation vs Ireland, Cyprus and Malta

British company formation is the cheapest and fastest option among the jurisdictions we cover, but the UK is not in the EU. British incorporation gives you a trusted company, but not an EU one. Founders who sell into the EU often weigh it against Ireland for trading, or Cyprus and Malta for holding structures. We form all four, so the choice turns on tax, EU access and price.

UK company formation leads on speed and cost. The EU three lead on market access. For most companies, formation in the UK is the simpler first step. For most founders who want a credible company quickly, British company formation wins. Choose on where your customers are, not on the headline tax rate.

UK vs Ireland

An Irish company pays 12.5% on trading profit and sits inside the EU, but it needs a company secretary, and a Section 137 bond if no director lives in the European Economic Area. A UK company needs neither. Choose Ireland when your customers or a licence need an EU company. See our Ireland company formation guide.

UK vs Cyprus

Cyprus charges a flat 15% on company profit from 1 January 2026, below the UK's 25% main rate but above the 19% small profits rate. Every Cyprus company needs an audit, so it costs more to run. It suits a holding company receiving dividends from several countries. Read about holding company formation in Cyprus.

UK vs Malta

Malta taxes company profit at 35%, then refunds six sevenths of that tax to shareholders after a dividend, which brings the effective rate to about 5%. It needs €1,165 of share capital and an audit every year, and the low rate only arrives once profit is paid out. Read how to set up a Malta holding company.

Who United Kingdom Company Formation Is Wrong For

United Kingdom company formation is wrong for founders who need an EU company, businesses that need a licence before they can trade, and anyone who wants a company with no public records. For these cases, another country or structure saves money later.

Founders Who Need an EU Company

If your customers, suppliers or regulators need an EU entity, United Kingdom company formation will not meet that need. An EU company costs more to run, but it avoids a second setup later.

Businesses That Need a Licence First

Payments, e-money, crypto, investment and gambling businesses need permission from the FCA or the Gambling Commission before they trade. Forming the company is the easy part. Our guide to the FCA EMI licence in the UK shows what that permission involves.

Founders Who Want Private Records

UK company registration puts accounts and ownership details on a public register. Directors' names, month and year of birth and nationality are public. If full privacy is your main goal, the UK is the wrong place, and United Kingdom company formation will not give you that.

Common Mistakes in New Company Formation

Most problems in new company formation come from small choices at the start, whether you set up a new company in the UK for the first time or the tenth. A wrong address, an unverified director or an old fee table can each cost weeks. These are the mistakes we see most, and each one is easy to avoid.

Using an Address You Cannot Rely On

A friend's flat or an old office will not work if post stops reaching you. Letters from Companies House and HMRC go there, including penalty notices. Use a proper registered office service in the right part of the UK.

Leaving Identity Verification to the Last Minute

The application cannot be filed without a personal code for each director and PSC. If one person's online check fails, the whole company waits. Get every code before you prepare anything else.

Filing Without a UK Registration Company

The rules for UK companies registration are stricter than they were. Every company needs an appropriate registered office and a registered email, and every director and PSC must be verified. One wrong detail means a rejected application or a delayed bank account. With a UK registration company handling the file, the rules are met the first time. That is the real job of a registration company in the UK today.

Forming the Company Before Checking the Bank

Some banks refuse companies with corporate shareholders or directors abroad. Check the bank's rules before you choose the ownership structure, not after the company exists.

Using Old Fees and Deadlines

Guides that show a £50 fee for UK company registration or a £100 tax penalty are out of date, and so is any guide to new company incorporation written before November 2025. Plan with the 2026 figures: £100 to incorporate, £50 a year for the confirmation statement and £200 for a late tax return.

Bottom Line

UK company registration is one of the fastest in the world: £100 and usually 24 hours for an online filing. The rules changed in 2025 and 2026, so plan for identity verification first, the £50 yearly confirmation statement and the doubled HMRC penalties. For founders abroad, the company is the easy part and the bank account is the real test. UK company formation with us starts from €350 with the Companies House fee included. We guide every director through verification and open the account with our banking partners, all remotely.