UK Company Formation, With Identity Verification Arranged for You
CorpAssist registers your private limited company with Companies House from £159.99 in total, including the £100 Companies House fee. Since 18 November 2025 every director must verify their identity before a company can be formed, so we arrange those checks in the same order through our Companies House-registered ACSP partner. A person reviews your company name, shares and details before anything is filed, and Companies House usually registers the company within 24 hours once every director is verified.
About 10 minutes to order · Answers saved as you go · Prices include the £100 Companies House fee (GOV.UK fees)
Company Formation Packages
Three packages, each one total price. The table below also shows what you pay from year two, which most formation providers leave out.
Essential
UK residents with a UK address they are happy to put on the public register
£159.99
Includes the £100 Companies House fee. Plus £35.99 for each director or PSC not yet verified with Companies House.
- Company registered with Companies House, usually within 24 hours of a complete application
- £100 Companies House incorporation fee included
- Digital certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles of association
- Share certificates for each shareholder
- Every application checked by a person before it is filed
- Use your own UK address for the registered office
Privacy
Founders who want their home address kept off the public register
£199.99
Includes the £100 Companies House fee. Plus £35.99 for each director or PSC not yet verified with Companies House.
- Company registered with Companies House, usually within 24 hours of a complete application
- £100 Companies House incorporation fee included
- Digital certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles of association
- Share certificates for each shareholder
- Every application checked by a person before it is filed
- London registered office address for 12 months
- Director service address for 1 director for 12 months, keeping your home address off the public register
- London business (trading) address for 12 months
- Official mail from Companies House and HMRC scanned and emailed to you
International
Founders living outside the UK
£249.99
Includes the £100 Companies House fee. Identity verification for 1 director included; £35.99 for each other person not yet verified.
- Company registered with Companies House, usually within 24 hours of a complete application
- £100 Companies House incorporation fee included
- Digital certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles of association
- Share certificates for each shareholder
- Every application checked by a person before it is filed
- Companies House identity verification for 1 director, passports from 190+ countries accepted
- London registered office address for 12 months
- Director service address for 1 director for 12 months
- London business (trading) address for 12 months
- Official mail from Companies House and HMRC scanned and emailed to you
- No UK visit, UK bank account or UK phone number needed to form the company
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Package | Our fee | Companies House fee | Total today | From year two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Company Formation | £59.99 | £100 | £159.99 | Nothing to renew |
| Privacy Company Formation | £99.99 | £100 | £199.99 | £99.99 a year for the addresses, only if you keep them |
| International Company Formation | £149.99 | £100 | £249.99 | £99.99 a year for the addresses, only if you keep them |
Directors who are not verified yet: £35.99 each for identity verification (one is included in International). Not included in any package: VAT registration, PAYE registration and a business bank account.
Identity Verification First, So Your Application Is Not Rejected
Since 18 November 2025, Companies House will not register a company unless every director has verified their identity and the application includes each director’s 11-character personal code. People with significant control (anyone with more than 25% of the shares or votes) must verify too, at incorporation or within 14 days of it.
Most formation providers leave verification to you. CorpAssist builds it into the order: tell us who the directors and shareholders are, and each person who still needs to verify receives a secure link. If someone is already verified, enter their personal code and there is nothing more to do for them.
- Passports from 190+ countries accepted, including passports without a chip
- A person checks names match the passport before filing, the most common reason for delays
- Verification for existing companies too: see Companies House identity verification
The full rules are in identity verification when forming a company. Already a director of another company? Your personal code works for every role you hold. Read about verifying as a new director, or see Companies House identity verification for an existing company.
How Company Formation Works
- Step 1
Choose a name and package
Check your company name against the register as you type, then pick a package.
- Step 2
Tell us about the company
Business activity, registered office, shares, directors and shareholders. About 10 minutes.
- Step 3
Verify each director
Anyone not verified yet gets a secure link. We check every detail matches before filing.
- Step 4
We file, you receive your documents
Companies House usually registers within 24 hours. Certificate, articles and share certificates by email.
What You Need to Register a Company
- A company name that is not the same as one already on the register, ending in Ltd or Limited. Some words, such as “Royal”, “Bank” or “Institute”, need approval. Check yours with our company name checker.
- A registered office in the part of the UK where the company is registered. It is public, must receive and acknowledge post, and cannot be a PO Box.
- A registered email address that someone checks. Companies House uses it for compliance messages; it is not public.
- SIC codes describing what the company does. You can choose up to four; search them in plain words with the SIC code finder.
- Shares and shareholders. Most small companies issue 100 ordinary shares of £1 each. Anyone holding more than 25% is a person with significant control.
- At least one director aged 16 or over, with a verified identity. Directors give a home address (kept private) and a service address (public).
You do not need to choose articles of association: companies are formed with the standard model articles. A company secretary is optional for a private company.
Forming a UK Company From Abroad?
You do not need to live in the UK, visit the UK or have a UK director. You do need a UK registered office and a verified identity. The International package (£249.99) includes both: London addresses for 12 months and identity verification for one director, with passports from 190+ countries accepted.
Country guides: Pakistan · India · Nigeria · UAE · Türkiye (Türkçe)
Registering Yourself or Using CorpAssist
| Registering yourself | CorpAssist | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £100 Companies House fee | From £159.99 in total, fee included |
| Director identity verification | Each director verifies first, on their own | Arranged in the same order, with help if a check fails |
| Passports without a chip | Not accepted by the GOV.UK app | Accepted |
| Registered office and service address | Your own address, shown publicly | London addresses included in Privacy and International |
| Checks before filing | None: errors mean rejection or delay | A person checks name, shares and every officer’s details |
| Help | Companies House contact centre | WhatsApp and email support from the team handling your order |
CorpAssist is operated by ACS-ADVANCED CORPORATE SERVICES LIMITED (company number 17544126), an independent UK company. We check your application and prepare it, and filings and identity verification are submitted through a Companies House-registered ACSP partner. CorpAssist is not Companies House or a government service. If an issue on our side or at Companies House stops your company being formed, you get a full refund. See our refund policy.
Company Formation Questions
How much does it cost to register a limited company in the UK?
Companies House charges £100 to register a private limited company online (the fee rose from £50 on 1 February 2026). CorpAssist packages start at £159.99 in total, which already includes that £100 fee. Identity verification for directors who are not yet verified is £35.99 per person, or included for one director in the International package.
How long does it take to form a company?
Companies House normally registers online and software applications within 24 hours. Before that, every director must have verified their identity. With CorpAssist, a person checks your details and arranges the verifications in the same order, so most companies are registered within a few business days of ordering, depending on how quickly each director completes their check.
Do directors need to verify their identity before the company is formed?
Yes. Since 18 November 2025, every individual director must verify their identity with Companies House before incorporation, and the application must include each director’s 11-character personal code. People with significant control can verify at incorporation or within 14 days afterwards. CorpAssist arranges the verifications through its Companies House-registered ACSP partner.
Can I be the only director and shareholder?
Yes. A private limited company can have a single director who is also the only shareholder. The director must be at least 16, not disqualified, and verified with Companies House. There is no UK residence or nationality requirement.
Will my home address be on the public register?
Your usual residential address is given to Companies House but kept on a private register. What is public is the registered office and each director’s service address. If you would use your home for either, the Privacy package (£199.99) gives you a London registered office and director service address for 12 months instead.
What information do I need to register a company?
A company name, the country of registration, a UK registered office address, a registered email address, what the company will do (SIC codes), share details, and each director’s and shareholder’s name, date of birth, nationality and home address. The order form asks for each of these in turn and saves your answers as you go.
Is it cheaper to register directly with Companies House?
Registering yourself costs £100, but you have to verify every director first, choose SIC codes and a share structure, and provide a UK registered office yourself. A rejected application or a failed identity check costs time. CorpAssist checks everything before filing and arranges the verifications for you, and the Privacy package adds the addresses so your home stays private.
What happens after my company is registered?
You receive the certificate of incorporation, articles of association and share certificates by email. HMRC posts the company’s Corporation Tax reference to the registered office, usually within a couple of weeks, and the company must register for Corporation Tax within 3 months of starting to trade. The first confirmation statement is due 12 months later, and the first accounts 21 months after incorporation.
Can I register a company in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
Yes, with the Essential package and your own registered office address in Scotland or Northern Ireland. The registered office must be in the part of the UK where the company is registered, so our London address can only be used by companies registered in England and Wales.
Does forming a UK company give me the right to live or work in the UK?
No. Owning or running a UK company does not need a visa, but it gives no right to live or work in the UK. Working in the UK needs the right visa. Business visitors can attend meetings and sign contracts.
Ready to Form Your Company?
Check your name, answer a few questions and pay once. We handle the rest.
Form my companyNeed only an address? See registered office and business addresses. Doing it yourself? Read how to set up a limited company, what it costs and formation agents compared.