No residency or nationality requirement for directors or shareholders — the UK remains one of the fastest, lowest-cost incorporations among major economies. Here's the current Companies House fee, the identity-verification step that's new for 2026, and what happens with HMRC after.
The structure decision shapes everything after it — funding, tax, and how much ongoing compliance you're signing up for.
The practical default for almost every founder — consultancies, agencies, SaaS, e-commerce. Limited liability, straightforward share-based ownership, and the structure every UK bank and client expects.
Used for non-profits, clubs and membership bodies rather than trading companies — not the right structure for a commercial business.
Required only if you intend to offer shares to the public or list on an exchange. Minimum £50,000 allotted share capital and materially higher compliance — not a startup structure.
The same sequence we run for every United Kingdom filing — so nothing depends on memory or luck.
Free on the Companies House register. You can't formally reserve a name in advance — check close to the day you actually file.
You need a UK registered office address (a formation agent's address works, and is the standard route for non-residents) and a registered email address the registrar can reach.
Mandatory for all directors and Persons with Significant Control since the rollout began 18 November 2025, continuing through 2026. This applies to overseas directors too — treat it as a planned step, not an afterthought.
Submit online directly, or through a Companies House Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), which many non-resident founders use because the agent can complete identity verification on your behalf.
Standard online filing is typically approved within 24 hours; ACSP agents often complete non-resident incorporations within 3–6 working hours.
This does not happen automatically. You must register within 3 months of starting to trade — a dormant, non-trading company doesn't need to register until trading begins.
24 hours for a standard online filing once documents and identity verification are ready; 3–6 working hours through an ACSP formation agent handling non-resident onboarding.
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Companies House online incorporation | £100 | Rose from £50 on 1 February 2026 to fund new anti-fraud powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act |
| Companies House postal filing | £124 | Slower and rarely worth it versus the online route |
| Same-day online incorporation | £156 | Same-day digital processing option |
| Formation agent / ACSP package (non-resident) | £100 – £550 | Bundles UK registered office, director service address, and identity verification — the practical route for most overseas founders |
| Annual confirmation statement | £34 – £50/year | Mandatory yearly filing confirming company details are current; filing your accounts themselves is free |
Registration is day one. This is what the calendar looks like after.
Corporation Tax registration with HMRC is separate from Companies House and doesn't happen automatically — you must register within 3 months of starting to trade, using your company number and Certificate of Incorporation.
Corporation Tax runs at 25% on profits above £250,000, 19% on profits below £50,000 (the small profits rate), with marginal relief tapering between the two.
VAT registration is mandatory once UK taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period — not the tax year, the trailing 12 months, so this needs checking every month once you're close. Voluntary registration below the threshold is common for B2B businesses whose clients are themselves VAT-registered.
The registered office and any service address you use are on the public record. Non-resident founders typically route this through their formation agent's address rather than a home address for exactly that reason.
Yes. UK company law places no restriction on the nationality or residency of directors or shareholders — you can hold both roles yourself, entirely remotely.
Since 18 November 2025, Companies House requires identity verification for every director and Person with Significant Control, rolling out through 2026 under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. An ACSP formation agent can complete this on your behalf as part of incorporation.
No. The entire process — incorporation, identity verification through an ACSP, and business banking through providers like Wise Business or Airwallex — can be completed remotely.
Once you start trading, not from the date of incorporation. A dormant company that hasn't begun trading doesn't need to register for Corporation Tax until it does — but you must notify HMRC within 3 months of that first trading activity.
No. A UK company gives you no immigration status whatsoever — that requires a separate visa route entirely independent of company ownership or directorship.