UK Company Formation Guide: How to Register a Company
Registering a limited company in the UK is a genuinely quick process on paper — UK company formation can be approved by Companies House in a matter of hours. Where people get stuck isn’t the form itself, it’s the two decisions that sit underneath it: what address to put down, and whether to go direct through Companies House or use a formation agent. Get those two right and the rest of the process is mechanical.
This guide walks through what UK company formation actually requires, what a formation agent adds on top, and when a virtual office address genuinely matters versus when it’s an unnecessary extra.
What Companies House Actually Requires for UK Company Formation
To register a private company limited by shares — the most common structure for new UK businesses — you need to submit:
- A company name that isn’t already registered or too similar to an existing one
- A registered office address (must be a physical UK address able to receive post — a PO box alone isn’t accepted)
- Details for at least one director
- Details for at least one shareholder (this can be the same person as the director)
- A statement of capital, setting out the shares issued
- Memorandum and articles of association, which most applicants use the standard templates for rather than drafting from scratch
As of the current fee schedule, online incorporation through Companies House costs £100, with a same-day digital option at £156 if you need it processed faster. Paper applications cost more and take considerably longer, so almost everyone incorporates online now. The current Companies House fees are £100 for online incorporation, £156 for same-day incorporation using software, and £124 for paper applications before applying, since Companies House fees have changed more than once in recent years and can change again.
Why the Registered Office Address Trips People Up
This is where most first-time founders hit a decision they didn’t expect to have to make. The registered office address goes on the public register permanently — searchable by anyone, alongside the company name and incorporation date, for as long as the company exists and in the historical record after that.
Using a home address here means it’s now publicly linked to the business indefinitely. Plenty of founders do this without realising, simply because it’s the address on hand when filling in the form, and only think about privacy once they start getting unsolicited mail or notice a client has looked up their home address out of curiosity.
A registered office address service — bought separately or included in a formation package — solves this by giving a genuine UK business address for the public record, with statutory mail from Companies House and HMRC forwarded or scanned to you. The same issue applies to the director’s service address, a separate field on the same register that defaults to your home address unless you provide an alternative.
Formation Agent vs Going Direct
You can incorporate directly through the Companies House website without paying anyone else. It’s a legitimate option, and for someone who already has a business address sorted and just wants the company set up, going direct is often the cheapest route.
A formation agent earns its fee in a few specific ways rather than by doing something Companies House can’t:
Error checking before submission. Companies House rejects applications with mistakes in the paperwork, which costs time even though it doesn’t cost the filing fee again. An agent that reviews the application first reduces the chance of a rejected submission sitting in a queue.
Bundled services. This is the main reason people choose an agent over going direct — company formation, registered office address, and director’s address sold as one package, rather than incorporating separately and then hunting for an address provider afterward.
Faster turnaround in practice. Most formation agents process applications within a few hours once they have everything they need from you, similar to the same-day option through Companies House directly, but usually bundled into the agent’s standard fee rather than charged as a same-day premium.
Approved agent status. Reputable agents are listed as authorised formation agents with Companies House, which means they file through the same protected software system rather than a workaround.
Where agents vary is in what’s actually included at each price point, and whether the headline price is the company alone or the company plus a year of address services. Read the package contents carefully rather than assuming UK company formation means the same bundle everywhere.
What a Company Formation Package Usually Includes
A typical bundled package from a UK formation provider covers:
- The Companies House filing fee and submission
- Standard memorandum and articles of association
- A digital certificate of incorporation once approved
- Registered office address for a set period (commonly 12 months)
- Sometimes a director’s address included, sometimes sold as an add-on
Some providers add extras to differentiate their packages — a small credit toward business banking setup, a free domain name, or discounted access to virtual office add-ons like call answering. These are worth having but, as with any bundle, shouldn’t be the deciding factor over whether the core service (fast, accurate filing plus a usable address) is solid.
Capital Office’s packages, for example, bundle registered office and director’s address alongside the formation itself — worth comparing directly against buying the Companies House filing and an address service separately, since the combined price is often lower than the sum of the parts. If privacy is the main driver rather than a bundled discount, the Privacy Address Company Package is built specifically around keeping both the registered office and director’s address off your home details from day one.
LTD, LLP, or Limited by Guarantee: Choosing a Structure
Most new UK businesses register as a private company limited by shares (LTD) — it’s the default structure formation agents build their standard packages around, and it suits founders who want shares, the option to bring in investors later, and straightforward profit distribution.
A limited liability partnership (LLP) suits professional partnerships — accountants, solicitors, consultancies with multiple partners — where profit is split between members rather than distributed as dividends, and the partnership structure fits how the business is actually run.
Company limited by guarantee is the structure for non-profits and membership organisations, where there are no shareholders and any surplus is reinvested rather than distributed.
If you’re not sure which applies, this is worth a genuine conversation with an accountant before incorporating — changing structure after the fact is possible but adds cost and paperwork you can avoid by getting it right the first time.
Setting Up From Outside the UK
International founders can complete UK company formation without living there or visiting in person — Companies House doesn’t require a director to be a UK resident. What you do need is a genuine UK registered office address, since a company can’t use an overseas address for this field, and a UK service address for each director unless they’re willing to use their overseas home address on the public register.
This is the scenario where the address side of a formation package matters most, because there’s no fallback UK address to use instead. International-focused packages typically bundle the registered office, director’s address, and business address together with extended mail forwarding designed for founders who won’t be checking a UK letterbox. Capital Office’s Non-resident and International Company Package is built around this specific situation, and its international-tier options — such as the International HQ package — add documentation support (certificates of good standing, apostilled paperwork) that domestic packages generally don’t include, since non-resident founders more often need to prove company standing to banks or authorities abroad.
Opening a UK business bank account as a non-resident director is typically the slower part of the process compared to incorporation itself — banks apply their own verification checks independent of Companies House, so it’s worth starting that conversation early rather than assuming the account will be ready the moment the company is registered.
Common Mistakes When Forming a UK Company
Using a home address without thinking it through. Once it’s filed, it’s on the public record indefinitely, even if you change it later.
Assuming the cheapest formation package includes everything you need. A very low headline price sometimes covers the Companies House fee alone, with the registered office address, director’s address, and any add-ons priced separately once you’re checking out.
Not checking what happens to the address service after the first year. Formation packages commonly include 12 months of registered office address, then charge separately for renewal — know that cost before committing rather than being surprised at the anniversary.
Registering the wrong structure for how the business actually operates. Switching from LTD to LLP, or the reverse, later is possible but avoidable with a short conversation before you file.
Overlooking VAT registration timing. You don’t need to register for VAT to incorporate, but if you expect to cross the VAT threshold within the first year, it’s worth planning the registration timeline alongside formation rather than treating it as a separate, later task.
What to Expect, Step by Step
Once you’ve decided on an address and a structure, the actual filing sequence is short:
1. Check the company name is available and doesn’t conflict with an existing registration — Companies House rejects names that are identical or too close to one already on the register.
2. Confirm your registered office and director’s address arrangements before submitting, since these go on the application itself rather than being added afterward.
3. Submit the application, either directly through Companies House or through a formation agent, along with the statement of capital and details for directors and shareholders.
4. Wait for approval — typically a few hours for a standard digital application, longer if there’s an error that needs correcting and resubmitting.
5. Receive your certificate of incorporation, issued digitally, along with the memorandum and articles of association.
6. Open a business bank account, which usually takes longer than the incorporation itself, particularly for non-resident directors who need extra verification.
Nothing here needs to be signed in person or posted physically — the entire process, including registered office and director’s address setup where bundled with a formation package, is handled online from application to certificate.
Making the Decision
If you’re forming a straightforward limited company and want the filing, registered office, and director’s address handled together, a standard Registered Office & Officers Address package alongside the formation itself covers the two statutory requirements most new founders miss on their own.
If privacy is the main concern from day one, the Privacy Address Company Package is built specifically to keep your home address off both public fields.
If you want the fuller setup — business address, registered office, director’s address, and formation together — the Full Virtual Address Company Package bundles all four, or the Full Virtual Address & PA Company Package if you also want call handling included from the start. If call answering and full mail forwarding matter more to you day-to-day than the formation step itself, our complete virtual office package guide covers that comparison in more depth.
If you’re incorporating from outside the UK, start with the Non-resident and International Company Package, and check the International HQ or International Legal tiers if you need additional documentation support beyond the standard package. Capital Office’s international services can include mail forwarding and additional business support, but the exact features included in the International HQ and International Legal tiers should be checked on the specific package pages, since these vary more than the domestic packages.
Whichever route you take, the two decisions that matter most in UK company formation are the same ones at the start of this guide: get the address right before you file, and know exactly what’s included in whatever package you’re comparing prices against. Everything else in the formation process is largely mechanical once those two are settled.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does UK company formation take?
Online applications are commonly processed within a few hours once submitted correctly, though this depends on Companies House workload and whether the application has any errors. The current standard incorporation fee is £100, while the same-day incorporation service using software costs £156, with same-day applications submitted by 3pm Monday to Friday. and processing time directly, since same-day options and standard turnaround both vary by provider and by Companies House’s own service levels.
Do I need a UK address to form a UK company if I live abroad?
Yes — the registered office address must be a genuine UK address, regardless of where the directors live. A registered office address service is the usual solution for non-resident founders.
What’s the difference between a registered office address and a director’s address?
The registered office is the company’s official address on the public register. The director’s (or officer’s) service address is a separate public field for each individual director, and defaults to their home address unless an alternative is provided.
Can I use a virtual office address for company formation?
Yes, as long as the provider offers a registered office address service that meets Companies House requirements — a general mailing address alone may not be sufficient, so check this specifically with the provider.
Do I need an accountant to form a company, or can a formation agent do everything?
A formation agent handles the incorporation and address requirements, but they generally don’t provide ongoing tax and accounting advice. Most new companies benefit from an accountant separately, particularly around VAT registration timing and annual accounts.