What do I need to register a company in the UK?
When setting up a company in England, you’ll need to provide the following information:
1. A unique company name
Use the search tool on Companies House here to check if your company name is available. We'll also let you know if a name is taken when trying to register a company with us before you continue with your application.
2. SIC codes
Choose the SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) codes that are most appropriate for your company (we’ll help you with these options as you go through the process on the app or website)
3. Personal information
You’ll be asked to provide some personal details, like the full name, address, date of birth, and nationality of at least one director and shareholder.
The director must be over 16 years old, must not have been bankrupt or disqualified from being a company director.
4. A registered UK office address
This must be an address that mail can be received at and forwarded from. If you aren’t based in the UK you can use a friend or family member’s address, but an office address is ideal. If you are in the UK you can use your home address or your business address (if you have a separate trading address).
You can also use a virtual business address if you have one, if you don’t have one we offer 1 year of a virtual London office address when you register your UK company using wamo (included in the price).
5. Company documentation (e.g. Articles of association)
With our company formation service, the documents below will be generated and emailed to you automatically when your company has been registered successfully!
You won't have to prepare any of these yourself.
A ‘memorandum of association’ - a legal statement signed by all initial shareholders or guarantors agreeing to form the company
‘Articles of association’ - written rules about running the company agreed by the shareholders or guarantors, directors and the company secretary
A statement of capital and initial shareholdings
These are the general requirements for anyone wanting to register a company in England. We recommend also visiting the Companies House website for more detailed information and any specific requirements that may apply to your company.
Are there restrictions to who can set up a limited company in the UK?
In theory anyone can apply to set up a limited company in the UK, as long as your identity can be verified, you have a business address in the UK and can provide all the documents needed.
It's worth reading through the Companies House guidelines about whether creating a limited company is right for your business, here.
Do I need to have a business bank account to operate my business?
Yes, having a limited company means that you are considered a separate entity to your company (unlike being a sole trader), so you are required to have a business bank account to register with Companies House.
Do I need a personal bank account in the United Kingdom?
Having a personal bank account is not required, but it can be useful to have a separate personal account to avoid mixing your company accounts and personal expenses.
Is it ok if I use my foreign bank account for my UK company?
Yes. You can use your foreign business account, people tend to do this because UK banks can be reluctant to open business accounts for foreigners due to worries about fraud and the extra admin costs.
When you register your new company with wamo you can apply for a wamo business account at the same time. Having a wamo account gives you access to a GBP IBAN so that transactions through your UK business are treated like local transactions which will save you money and be easier for your customers.
Have a look at our other articles and FAQs for more information:
Contacting Companies House
You can contact Companies House via their website, email address or phone number
Telephone: 0303 1234 500
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0300 373 0995