What documents do I need to form a UK company as a non-resident?

Companies House needs full name, date of birth, nationality, country of residence and a service address for each director, plus similar details for anyone with significant control such as a majority shareholder. Identity verification requires a passport or national ID and, usually, a facial verification check, done via GOV.UK One Login or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider.

You also need the company name, registered office address, SIC code describing the business activity, and details of share classes and shareholdings, all of which appear on the public register.

Banks and electronic money institutions typically ask for certified passport copies, recent proof of residential address such as a utility bill or bank statement, a description of the business model, and evidence of UK activity like a website, contracts or invoices.

Where a company or trust is a shareholder rather than an individual, expect to provide its own incorporation documents and evidence of who ultimately controls it, since both Companies House and banks look through corporate shareholders to the individuals behind them.

Our fixed monthly packages for a UK limited company start at £89 plus VAT and run to £169 and £289 plus VAT as bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and reporting are added. One-off filings are sold at fixed prices, and the Companies House fees we pay for you are charged at cost with no VAT added. Overseas owners are quoted on exactly the same published prices as UK-resident clients.

Rates, thresholds and deadlines here reflect the 2026/27 UK position and current Companies House and HMRC guidance. Check GOV.UK, or ask us, before relying on them for your own company.