Company Registration in the UK

For a company to be lawfully incorporated, its founders must register it with the UK’s company register. In this article, our lawyer in London answers some important questions about the mandatory company registration steps and the role of the Companies House. Upon request, our team offers tailored assistance for business registration in the UK.

Quick Facts
Trade Register’s full/official name	The Companies House
Services offered by our team for registration with this authority	Our team provides complete assistance for making the necessary submissions with the UK Companies House.
Main role	Keeps and updates the UK’s register of companies and the register of overseas entities. Offers options for searching public information on companies.
Organizational chart	Main directorates include: the Registrar of Companies, Intelligence and Law Enforcement, Digital, Data and Technology, and others.
Laws observed by and implemented by the Companies House	The Companies Act and other relevant laws and guidelines
Legal entities entered into the Registry	Limited companies (private and public), partnerships, overseas entities etc.
Public services offered by the UK Companies House	Registering new companies, deleting the dissolved ones, providing public information on existing companies
Compliance ensurance	By observing the Companies Act
Modifications	Can include registered office changes, shareholder or director changes, and others
Modification notification	All changes brought to a company must be duly notified.
Renewals	According to law
Company names	Company name selection is done as part of the registration process with the Companies House.
Company name changes	Possible, as available, after registration
Company deregistrations	Strike off from the Companies Register according to law (for example, when a company ceases trading)
Companies House fees in the UK	Examples include £50 for online incorporations, £20 for company name changes and £33 for voluntary strike off, among others.

What are the steps required for company registration in the UK?

You can register a company in England by following a few essential steps. Our team lists these below:

1. Select a suitable business form. In most cases, this is the limited liability company (limited by shares or guarantee);
2. Appoint the company directors and a company secretary. While having a director is mandatory, you could opt not to have a secretary;
3. Determine the shareholding structure (i.e., decide who will hold shares in the company). At least one shareholder is required, and they can also be a director;
4. Appoint a guarantor (at least one, they can also be a director) and then identify the people with significant control within the company;
5. Prepare the documents required for business registration in the UK. Our lawyer in London can help you during this step.
6. Register the new business with the Companies House (see below for more details).

What are the mandatory documents for business registration in the UK?

For a company to be registered with the UK Companies House, the founder(s) will present the following documents:

• Memorandum of Association;
• Articles of Association;
• Statement of capital;
• Statement of guarantee.

The memorandum cannot be updated once the registration is performed. The articles can be standard ones (a default format) or personalised per business form (our lawyer in the UK can help you draft custom ones).

In addition to the constitutive documents mentioned above, the founders will also provide information on the legal entity’s capital (i.e., details on the number of shares held by each shareholder and their value). Moreover, details on the classes of shares are provided within the incorporation documents.

What fees does the Companies House impose?

Each operation performed with the Companies House is subject to fees. Our lawyers list some of these below:

• £71 for incorporation (with the documents presented in paper format);
• £30 for a company name change;
• £24 for the registration of one change brought to the company;
• £71 for re-registration;
• £30 for an application to have an individual’s personal details removed from the public register.

What is the role of the Companies House?

The Companies House is the public registry of companies in the United Kingdom. It performs the following:

• Handles the registration of new companies, limited liability partnerships, overseas companies, and several other forms of business;
• Provides access to public information on registered companies and offers a feature for alphabetical company search;
• Receives, processes, and updates information on changes brought to registered companies (such as registered office address changes or name changes);
• Receives the requests for voluntary strike-off of registered companies;
• Offers the option to search for a company name to see if it is available for use (and then start the process to reserve it for use);
• Provides access to certificates and certified documents.

The Companies House functions under the Department for Business and Trade, and it is an agency of the Government. Part of its services are subject to payment, however, the public can obtain information on companies for free (among which, details on its registered address and incorporation date, insolvency information, data on current and former officers, etc.)

For more information on company registration in the UK, as well as the submissions to the Companies House, please contact our lawyer in England.