Registering a company with Companies House

Registering a company with Companies House creates the company as a legal entity. A successful application depends on more than entering a name: the founders need to agree ownership, management, registered contact details and the governing documents before filing.

Prepare the decisions first

Confirm the company type and exact name. Arrange an appropriate registered office and a monitored registered email. Identify the initial directors, shareholders or guarantors, people with significant control and business activities.

Keep these decisions in a single application checklist. This avoids different versions of a founder's name, share allocation or address appearing in the documents supplied to the filing agent.

Complete identity requirements

Check the current Companies House verification rules for each relevant person and role. New directors need the applicable personal code as part of incorporation. Verification and linking that identity to a company role are connected but separate steps; a PSC role may also require its own submission. ^[1][2]

Do not place identity documents or personal codes in a general website enquiry. Use the official verification route or an appropriately authorised provider and agree a secure way to supply filing information.

Choose the appropriate filing route

Companies House provides registration options, and agents may offer assistance. The correct route depends on the company type and whether standard or tailored documents are being used. Check the current official fee and service availability when applying rather than relying on an old formation advertisement. ^[1]

A provider's package price should distinguish the government fee from its own work and recurring services such as a registered office. Read renewal terms before paying for a bundle.

Review before submission

• Confirm all people have agreed to their proposed roles.
• Reconcile share numbers, values and ownership percentages.
• Check that addresses and email accounts are appropriate and accessible.
• Verify the chosen articles and any supporting permissions.
• Save a copy of the information submitted.

After acceptance

Keep the certificate of incorporation and check the public company record. Arrange banking, bookkeeping, tax access and a compliance calendar. Consider licences, insurance and employment obligations relevant to the activity. Incorporation does not mean every operational permission has been obtained.

Set a submission checkpoint with the founders

Before opening the filing service, ask one person to assemble the agreed application and a second person to check the important fields. Compare the ownership schedule to the statement of capital and the proposed articles. Read the registered office and email aloud or confirm them against the provider agreement; small transcription errors can affect where official communications go.

Make the scope of an agent's work explicit. Is the agent only submitting supplied information, helping prepare documents, arranging a registered office or conducting identity verification as an authorised provider? Ask which parts are included and what you will receive after acceptance. A package description such as complete formation does not explain those responsibilities on its own.

Understand what the payment and processing estimate mean

The official online registration guidance currently lists a £100 government fee and says registration is usually completed within 24 hours. Those details were checked on 8 September 2026 and should be rechecked when applying. An agent's fee or optional ongoing services are additional commercial matters, and a typical processing time is not a guaranteed launch date. ^[1]

Leave room for a query about the name, documents or identity information. If a supplier needs the company number before signing, explain that incorporation remains pending until it has actually been accepted. Keep the payment reference and application reference so a delayed submission can be traced without starting another company accidentally.

Example: one founder is not ready to file

Suppose two people have agreed to become directors, but only one has completed the necessary verification. The appropriate next step is to complete the missing person's process and prepare their filing information. Listing only the ready person without discussing the governance change would make the application differ from the founders' agreed plan.

If the plan genuinely changes, update the documents and consents consistently before submitting. Record why the final application differs from the earlier discussion. This is especially useful when a formation agent has already received an old draft containing different directors or shareholdings.

Check the acceptance pack before operating

After acceptance, compare the company number and date on the certificate with the official record. Keep the exact articles adopted and the submitted ownership information. Allocate access and record-keeping responsibilities so the company is not dependent on a single welcome email that may later be deleted.

Move next to banking, tax access and the first transactions. Where founders signed arrangements before incorporation, review the contracting party and any transfer required. Do not assume the incorporation certificate automatically updates supplier agreements, assigns intellectual property or authorises the business to carry on a regulated activity. Those are separate steps in turning a registered company into an operating business.

If the application is rejected, identify the precise reason and correct it consistently across the supporting documents. Avoid submitting a second company simply because a first application is still being processed.

Our limited company formation support page explains what to include when asking about assistance with an application.