How to register a UK company from abroad: step-by-step guide

First, check the company name is available and not too similar to an existing one, and settle on articles of association, share structure and SIC codes. Second, arrange a UK registered office and service addresses, since incorporation cannot proceed without one. Third, complete identity verification for every director and person with significant control before or alongside filing.

File the incorporation form online with Companies House, paying a small statutory fee. Standard online applications are typically processed within 24 hours, though paper filings and applications flagged for manual review take longer, sometimes several weeks.

HMRC issues a Unique Taxpayer Reference for corporation tax automatically within a few weeks, by post to the registered office, which is why reliable mail handling matters from day one. You then register for VAT if needed, apply for a business bank account, and set up bookkeeping.

Budget several weeks in total once banking and any manual Companies House checks are factored in, even though the legal act of incorporation itself is quick. Overseas founders who prepare documents and choose a bank in advance move fastest.

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.