Service

UK company formation for overseas founders

We register your UK limited company at Companies House, usually within 24–48 hours of receiving your identity documents — and we get the structure right first time so you don’t unpick it later.

From £950one-off · included in Launch (£1,950)

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A UK private limited company can be owned and run entirely from abroad. There is no requirement for a UK-resident director or shareholder, no minimum capital beyond £1, and Companies House accepts online applications from anywhere. What trips people up is not the form but the decisions behind it: who should be a director, how many shares to issue and at what value, whether the parent company or an individual should be the shareholder, and how to record the people with significant control.

Since 2025 every director and person with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House. As a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP AP007847) we carry out that verification ourselves — passport plus a live selfie check — so you never have to deal with GOV.UK One Login from overseas.

We also set the accounting reference date to match your group’s year end, register the company for Corporation Tax and obtain its Unique Taxpayer Reference, so the company arrives ready for the bank, for HMRC and for your auditors.

What’s included

Name check and availability advice
Advice on share structure, directors and PSC
Companies House identity verification (ACSP)
Model or bespoke articles of association
Certificate of incorporation and first board minutes
Statutory registers and share certificates
UTR and Corporation Tax registration
Accounting reference date aligned to your group
Companies House £50 fee passed through at cost

How it works

What happens, in order

Structure call (30 minutes)

We agree directors, shareholders, share capital, year end and the registered office. If the parent is the shareholder, we collect its registration documents and ownership chart.

Identity and ownership checks

Each director and PSC completes our identity check on their phone. Sanctions and PEP screening runs at the same time. Most clients finish this in a day.

Filing at Companies House

We submit the IN01 application online. Approval typically comes back within 24 hours; the certificate of incorporation and company number follow by email.

Handover pack

Certificate, articles, registers, share certificates, UTR, and a one-page summary of the company’s filing dates. Your named accountant books the onboarding call.

When you need this

Who this is for

Overseas companies that want UK customers to contract with a UK entity, e-commerce sellers who need a UK VAT registration with a UK company behind it, and groups hiring their first UK employee. It suits founders who want the company right the first time rather than a £12 formation followed by a year of corrections.

If you already have a UK company that a formation agent set up, see taking over an existing company. If you would rather extend your existing overseas company into the UK, see branch registration.

Common questions

Do I need a UK resident director?

No. UK company law has no residence requirement for directors or shareholders of a private company. Some banks prefer a UK-resident signatory, and a UK-resident director helps evidence that the company is managed here, but it is a consideration rather than a rule.

How long does UK company formation take from abroad?

Usually 24–48 hours from the moment we hold verified identity documents for every director and PSC. The identity check itself takes each person about ten minutes.

What does it cost to form a UK company?

Our fee is from £950, which includes structure advice, identity verification, filing, registers and Corporation Tax registration. The Companies House fee of £50 is passed through at cost. It is included in the Launch package at £1,950 with registered office and bank set-up.

Can the parent company be the sole shareholder?

Yes. A wholly-owned subsidiary is the most common structure for overseas groups. The parent is then recorded as a relevant legal entity with significant control, and we collect its registration documents as part of onboarding.