Short answer: Registering a UK limited company costs £100 if you file online directly with Companies House (£156 for same-day processing, £124 by paper), and most digital applications are approved within 24 hours often the same day. You’ll need a unique company name, at least one director, at least one shareholder, a UK registered office address, a SIC code describing what your business does, and since 18 November 2025 verified proof of identity for every director and Person with Significant Control (PSC).
That’s the whole process in a nutshell. The rest of this guide walks through each step in detail, including the new identity verification rules that trip up a lot of first-time founders, what it actually costs once you add an accountant or formation agent into the mix, and what to do in the days after your certificate of incorporation lands.
Do you actually need a limited company?
Before filing anything, it’s worth a moment’s pause on structure, because it’s the one decision that’s genuinely expensive to reverse later.
A limited company is a separate legal entity from you. It can own assets, sign contracts, and be sued in its own name and, crucially, your personal liability is generally limited to what you’ve invested in shares. This is the structure most people mean when they talk about “registering a company,” and it’s what the rest of this article covers.
The alternatives are:
- Sole trader you and the business are legally the same thing. Simpler admin, no separation of liability.
- Partnership two or more sole traders sharing a business, with shared (and usually unlimited) liability.
- Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) a hybrid used mostly by professional firms (solicitors, accountants), combining partnership flexibility with limited liability.
If you’re still weighing this up particularly the tax and liability trade-offs between sole trader and limited company our companion guide on choosing the right business structure goes through the decision in more depth. The rest of this article assumes you’ve settled on a limited company.
| Structure | Liability | Admin burden | Typical use case |
| Sole trader | Unlimited (personal assets at risk) | Lowest | Freelancers, very early-stage side businesses |
| Partnership | Usually unlimited, shared | Low–medium | Two or more people sharing a trade informally |
| LLP | Limited | Medium | Professional practices (law, accountancy, consulting) |
| Limited company | Limited to share value | Medium–higher | Most founders seeking investment, contracts, or brand separation |
Suggested image: a simple flowchart taking the reader from “Do you want limited liability?” through to the four structures above. Alt text: “Flowchart comparing UK business structures sole trader, partnership, LLP and limited company.”
A note for overseas founders
Non-UK residents can be directors, shareholders, and PSCs of a UK limited company; there’s no residency or nationality requirement to hold these roles. What you can’t avoid is the UK registered office address, which must be a real UK address where official post can be received; a formation agent’s registered office service is the most common solution for founders based abroad. Identity verification applies equally regardless of where you live, so overseas founders should expect to complete the same GOV.UK One Login check (or ACSP-assisted verification) as UK-based directors in practice, many overseas founders find it faster to go through an ACSP who is used to guiding non-resident applicants through the document and liveness-check requirements.
Step 1: Choose and check your company name
Companies House will reject a name if it’s already taken, too similar to an existing one, or contains restricted words. The core rules:
- The name must be unique, not identical or “too similar” to an existing registered company name.
- It cannot include restricted or sensitive words (e.g. “Royal,” “Chartered,” “Association,” or anything implying a government connection) without special permission.
- It must end in “Limited” or “Ltd” (or the Welsh equivalents, “Cyfyngedig”/”Cyf,” if registered in Wales) unless you’re forming an unlimited company or one limited by guarantee with charitable status.
- It can’t be offensive or imply criminal activity.
- Certain characters and symbols are restricted; the name generally needs to use standard letters, numbers and a limited set of punctuation.
Use the free company name checker on the Companies House “Find and update company information” service before you get attached to a name. It takes seconds and saves you from redoing the rest of the application. It’s also worth a quick trademark search and a domain-availability check at the same time, since a name being available at Companies House doesn’t mean it’s free to use commercially or as a web address.
Many founders also register a “trading as” name that differs from their legal company name that’s allowed, and doesn’t need to go through Companies House at all, though you’ll usually still want to display your registered name on official documents.
Step 2: Gather what you need before you start the application
Having everything ready before you open the form makes the difference between a five-minute filing and an abandoned session. You’ll need:
At least one director Every UK limited company needs a minimum of one director, who must be a real person (not another company) aged 16 or over. Directors don’t have to live in the UK, but the company itself does need a UK registered office (more on that below). You’ll need each director’s full legal name, date of birth, nationality, occupation, and residential address (this last one is kept private and isn’t published on the public register, though a service address is).
At least one shareholder (or guarantor) A private company limited by shares needs at least one shareholder this can be the same person as the director. You’ll need to decide on the number and value of shares issued at incorporation (a single share of £1 is common for small companies, though the structure is entirely up to you).
A registered office address This must be a physical UK address (a PO box alone generally isn’t accepted unless combined with a full address) and becomes public record. It’s where official mail from Companies House, HMRC and other bodies is sent. Many founders, particularly those working from home or based overseas, use a registered office service through a formation agent or accountant rather than publishing their home address.
A Person with Significant Control (PSC) A PSC is anyone who owns more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or otherwise exercises significant control or influence over the company. In a simple one-founder company, that’s usually just you. You’ll need to identify and declare all PSCs at incorporation, and as covered below verify their identity.
A SIC code The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code is a five-digit code that tells Companies House and HMRC what your company actually does in software development, retail, consultancy, and so on. You can select more than one if your business spans several activities. Companies House publishes the full SIC code list, and it’s searchable by keyword, so you don’t need to memorise the numbering system.
Articles of association These are the company’s internal rulebook, how decisions get made, how shares can be transferred, directors’ powers, and so on. Almost all straightforward new companies simply adopt the model articles, a standard template Companies House provides, which is fine for the vast majority of small and single-founder businesses. You only need bespoke articles if you have unusual shareholder arrangements (multiple share classes, complex voting rights, investor protections, and so on) in which case, get a solicitor to draft them.
The identity verification requirement you can’t skip (ECCTA 2023)
This is the part of the process that’s genuinely new, and it catches out anyone relying on an older guide.
Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), Companies House introduced a legal requirement for identity verification, which became mandatory for every new director and every new company incorporation from 18 November 2025. This isn’t optional and it isn’t a formality you can defer Companies House will not process an incorporation without it.
Here’s what that means in practice:
- Every individual director and every PSC named on a new incorporation must complete identity verification, regardless of nationality or where they live.
- Verification can be done directly through GOV.UK’s “GOV.UK One Login” identity checking service, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) typically an accountant, solicitor, or formation agent who has themselves registered with Companies House and completed anti-money-laundering checks.
- If you already had a company and were a director or PSC before 18 November 2025, you’re not off the hook: existing directors and PSCs have until 18 November 2026 to complete verification during a transition period, after which Companies House has said active compliance and enforcement action will begin against anyone who hasn’t verified.
- Anyone who files documents with Companies House on behalf of clients accountants, company secretaries, formation agents will also need to be verified as an ACSP, with that requirement expected to extend further through 2026.
The practical upshot for someone incorporating today: build identity verification into your timeline. It’s a one-off check (not something you repeat every year), but it does require valid photo ID and, depending on the route, a liveness check via smartphone or webcam. If you’re using a formation agent or accountant to handle the filing, ask upfront whether they’re a registered ACSP who can carry out the verification on your behalf, since this can meaningfully speed up same-day filings going in without it completed is one of the most common reasons digital incorporations get delayed or rejected under the new regime.
Step 3: File your application with Companies House
Once you have your name, your people, your address and your SIC code sorted, the filing itself is short. You can do it three ways:
- Directly through Companies House’s own online service (WebFiling or the newer “Register a company” digital service) the cheapest route.
- Through third-party incorporation software usually used by accountants and agents, and the only route that supports same-day processing.
- By paper form (IN01) slower and more expensive, and increasingly the “premium” option rather than the default.
The online form walks you through, in order: your proposed company name, registered office address, director details, shareholder/PSC details, share structure, SIC code, and articles of association (model articles, by default). At the end, you’ll complete identity verification if it isn’t already done, review a summary, and submit.
Once Companies House approves the application, you’ll receive a Certificate of Incorporation by email (or post, for paper filings) this confirms your company number, incorporation date, and registered name, and is the document banks and some suppliers will ask to see.
Processing times: standard digital applications are typically approved within 24 hours, and same-day software filings (submitted before the cut-off, usually around 11am on a working day) can be approved within hours. Paper applications can take 8–10 working days or longer.
Suggested image: annotated screenshots of the Companies House “Register a company” flow the name-check screen, the director/PSC details screen, and the final review-and-submit screen. Alt text: “Companies House online company registration filing screens, step by step.”
A quick sanity check before you hit submit: confirm your company name still matches exactly what the checker approved (including capitalisation of Ltd/Limited), double-check every director and PSC’s legal name matches their ID exactly, and make sure your registered office address is one you’re happy to see published because it will be, on the public register, from the moment your certificate is issued.
What it actually costs in 2026
Costs are one of the most frequently outdated parts of any UK company formation guide, because Companies House raised its fees substantially on 1 February 2026 so if you’ve seen a “£50 to register a company” figure anywhere, including in older versions of this guide, it’s no longer accurate.
Current Companies House fees (from 1 February 2026):
| Filing | Channel | Fee |
| Standard incorporation | Digital | £100 |
| Same-day incorporation | Digital (software only) | £156 |
| Standard incorporation | Paper | £124 |
| Confirmation statement (annual) | Digital | £50 |
| Confirmation statement (annual) | Paper | £110 |
| Change of company name (same day) | Digital | £85 |
| Voluntary strike-off | Digital | £13 |
| ACSP registration | Digital | £63 |
The fee that applies is set by your incorporation date, not your submission date so an application submitted in January but approved in February would fall under the new, higher fee.
Suggested image: the cost table above rendered as a branded graphic for social sharing. Alt text: “Table of current Companies House incorporation and filing fees for 2026.”
Beyond the Companies House fee itself, most founders will also weigh up:
- DIY direct filing: just the £100 (or £156 same-day) government fee cheapest, but you’re on your own for company name checks, share structure decisions, and any errors in the filing.
- Formation agent packages: typically range from a few pounds on top of the government fee for a bare-bones filing service, up to £100–£300+ for packages that bundle in a registered office address, a registered agent address (so your home address isn’t published), a company secretarial service, and sometimes a business bank account referral.
- Accountant-assisted incorporation: often bundled into a wider engagement (bookkeeping, payroll, tax registration), useful if you want ongoing compliance support rather than a one-off filing.
None of these third-party fees are optional discounts on the Companies House charge the government fee is fixed and passed through at cost regardless of who files it. What you’re paying for with an agent or accountant is the surrounding service: name-checking, address privacy, correct SIC/PSC handling, and increasingly help navigating identity verification as an ACSP.
DIY or use a formation agent?
There’s no universally right answer here; it depends on your comfort with the admin and how much you value your time and privacy.
Go DIY if:
- You’re a single director and shareholder with a simple structure.
- You’re comfortable using your home address as the registered office (or you already have a business address).
- You don’t mind spending 20–30 minutes working through the Companies House from yourself.
- Budget is the main constraint.
Use a formation agent or accountant if:
- You want a registered office and director’s service address that isn’t your home.
- You’re an overseas founder unfamiliar with UK filing conventions, SIC codes, or PSC rules.
- You want same-day incorporation and need an ACSP to help you clear identity verification quickly.
- You’d rather have someone check your articles, share structure, and confirmation statement schedule than work it out from scratch.
- You want the incorporation bundled with the other things a new company needs on day one: a business bank account, an accountant for corporation tax registration, or a website to actually start trading.
After you’ve registered: what happens next
Getting your certificate of incorporation is the start of your compliance obligations, not the end of the process. In the days and weeks after incorporation, you’ll typically need to:
- Register for Corporation Tax with HMRC within 3 months of starting to trade is separate from Companies House registration and doesn’t happen automatically.
- Open a business bank account; most banks will ask for your certificate of incorporation, your SIC code, and proof of ID for directors (the same identity verification records can often speed this up).
- Set up your statutory registers director and PSC registers, share register, and minutes of decisions, even if you’re a one-person company.
- Consider VAT registration if you expect turnover above the current threshold, or if voluntary registration suits your business model.
- Register as an employer with HMRC if you plan to run payroll, even just for yourself as a director.
- File your first confirmation statement within the deadline Companies House sets (usually 14 days after the review period ends, roughly a year after incorporation), and your first annual accounts within 9 months of your financial year end.
Our detailed guide on what to do after you register your company covers this checklist step by step, including deadlines and the most common early mistakes.
If your next move is turning a freshly incorporated company into an actual trading business, setting up your website and online store is usually the next practical step once the paperwork is filed worth doing in parallel with your bank account setup rather than waiting until everything else is finished.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to register a company in the UK? From 1 February 2026, registering directly with Companies House costs £100 online, £156 for same-day digital processing, or £124 by paper. Formation agents and accountants charge on top of this fee for bundled services like a registered office address or company secretarial support.
How long does it take to register a company? Standard online applications are usually approved within 24 hours. Same-day software filings can be approved within a few hours if submitted before the cut-off (typically 11am on a working day). Paper applications take significantly longer, often 8–10 working days or more.
Can one person own and run a company? Yes. A single person can be the sole director and sole shareholder of a UK limited company; this is one of the most common structures for freelancers, contractors and solo founders.
Do I need an accountant to register a company? No, it’s not a legal requirement you can file directly with Companies House yourself. Many founders do use an accountant or formation agent for convenience, privacy (using their address rather than yours), and help with the surrounding tax and compliance obligations, but it isn’t mandatory for the incorporation filing itself.
What is a SIC code and do I have to get it right? A SIC code is a five-digit code identifying your company’s main business activity, which you select from a list published by Companies House during incorporation. You should choose the code(s) that most accurately describe what your business does. You can select more than one and you can update it later via your confirmation statement if your business activities change.
This guide reflects Companies House fees and identity verification requirements as they stood in July 2026. Rules, fees and deadlines under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act continue to be phased in, always check the current guidance on GOV.UK and Companies House before filing, and speak to a qualified accountant or solicitor for advice specific to your situation.
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