UK Company Formation
A UK private limited company for founders who live outside the UK. Directors don’t need to live in the UK, and the whole process is done remotely.
Start Your UK CompanyA UK company from anywhere
A UK limited company is a name customers, marketplaces and payment platforms recognise, and it is quick to set up: Companies House usually registers an online application within 24 hours. You don’t need to live in the UK or have a UK partner.
What has changed is identity. Since November 2025 every director must verify their identity with Companies House before the company can be registered. We take you through it, so the filing goes in complete the first time.
What’s Included
- Name check and online registration with Companies House
- Articles of association, share structure and certificate of incorporation
- Help with each director’s identity verification and personal code
- UK registered office address, provided by our UK partner
- Digital company documents in your client portal
Requirements
- At least one director who is a real person, 16 or over, living anywhere
- A valid passport for identity verification
- Proof of address for each director and shareholder
- No company secretary needed, and no minimum share capital
Identity Verification
- Online through GOV.UK One Login with a biometric passport
- Some passports aren’t accepted by the app; those directors verify through an authorised agent
- Each director’s personal code goes into the registration
Tax
- Corporation tax: 19% on profits up to £50,000, 25% above £250,000, with marginal relief between
- HMRC usually sets the company up for Corporation Tax at incorporation and posts the UTR to the registered office
- VAT depends on where the business is really established; ask your adviser before your first sale
Every Year
- Confirmation statement to Companies House (£50 online)
- Annual accounts: 21 months after incorporation for the first, then 9 months after each year end
- Company Tax Return within 12 months of the year end
- Small companies (two of: turnover up to £15m, assets up to £7.5m, 50 staff) can skip the audit
Before You Decide
- Directors’ names and people with significant control are on the public register; home addresses are not
- Your home country may tax a company you control abroad
- Step by step: our UK limited company for non-residents guide
- Comparing places? Read best country to incorporate
Checked October 2026 against GOV.UK and Companies House (registering a company, identity verification, what is public, fees), HMRC (corporation tax rates, VAT Notice 700/1) and the Companies Act 2006. General information, not tax advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a non-UK resident form a UK limited company?
Yes. Directors don’t have to live in the UK, and a shareholder can be anyone, including the director. The company needs a UK registered office address; we arrange one through our UK partner.
How long does it take?
Companies House usually registers an online application within 24 hours. Allow time before that for each director’s identity verification. The bank account usually takes longer than the company.
How do directors abroad verify their identity?
Online through the GOV.UK One Login app, using a biometric passport. Not every country’s passport works in the app yet; directors whose passport isn’t accepted verify through an authorised corporate service provider instead. We arrange whichever route fits.
Do I need a company secretary?
No. Under the Companies Act 2006, a private company doesn’t have to have a secretary.
What tax does a UK company pay?
Corporation tax of 19% on profits up to £50,000 and 25% above £250,000, with marginal relief between; both limits are shared if there are associated companies. Your home country may also tax the profit, or tax you on it, so check with your adviser.
Does my UK company have to register for VAT?
It depends. The usual threshold is £90,000 of taxable turnover, but HMRC says a registered, serviced or virtual office alone is not enough to make a business established in the UK. A company that isn’t established in the UK may have to register from its first UK sale. Ask your adviser before you start trading.
What is public about my company?
Directors’ names, a correspondence address, and the month and year of their birth, and the same for people with significant control. Home addresses and full dates of birth are kept off the public register.
What does it cost to keep each year?
The confirmation statement is £50 online. On top come annual accounts, the company tax return and the registered office address. We give you a full yearly figure before you start.
Can you help open a UK business bank account?
Yes. We prepare the application with you and introduce you to banks and payment platforms that accept companies with non-UK directors. The provider decides; we make the case properly.
Start your UK company
Formed remotely, with identity verification, the registered office and the bank account handled alongside.
Get started