UK Company Formation for Non-Residents
Yes, you can form a UK limited company without living in the UK. CorpAssist registers your company with Companies House from anywhere in the world, arranges identity verification for every director in the same order, and provides the UK registered office address the law requires. The International package is £249.99 in total, including the £100 Companies House fee, and no UK visit, UK bank account or UK phone number is needed to form the company.
Packages for Founders Abroad
Both include a London registered office, so your company meets the UK address rule from day one.
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
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
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Package | Our fee | Companies House fee | Total today | From year two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Company Formation | £149.99 | £100 | £249.99 | £99.99 a year for the addresses, only if you keep them |
| Privacy Company Formation | £99.99 | £100 | £199.99 | £99.99 a year for the addresses, only if you keep them |
Non-Resident Formation Packages Compared
Non-resident packages are advertised from about £20 to €350, but they rarely include the same things. Before comparing prices, check whether the £100 Companies House fee, identity verification for the director and a director service address are in the price. Prices below are as advertised in Google on 27 and 29 October 2026; we have not checked them on each provider’s site.
| Package | Advertised price |
|---|---|
| Your Company Formations, Non Resident Package | £98 (advert) |
| 1st Formations, Non-Residents Package | £199.99 (listing) |
| Companies MadeSimple, Non-UK Residents Package | From about £199.99 + VAT (Google AI overview) |
| 1office, non-resident formation | From £100, Companies House fee included (Google AI overview) |
| Quality Company Formations, Non-Residents Package | £19.99 (listing; check whether the £100 Companies House fee is extra) |
| Binderr, formation with a bank account | From €350, Companies House fee included; its partners handle the bank account application (listing) |
| CorpAssist International | £249.99 in total |
| What to check in any package | CorpAssist International |
|---|---|
| £100 Companies House fee included? | Yes |
| Identity verification for the director included? | Yes, for 1 director, with passports from 190+ countries |
| Passport without a chip accepted? | Yes, verified through our Companies House-registered ACSP partner |
| UK registered office for 12 months? | Yes |
| Director service address, so your home stays off the public register? | Yes, for 1 director |
| Business address for your website and invoices? | Yes |
| Official letters from Companies House and HMRC scanned and emailed? | Yes |
| UK visit, bank account or phone number needed? | No |
A cheaper package can still be the right choice if your passport works with the GOV.UK ID Check app and you only need a registered office. If you need verification arranged for you, a private service address, or a passport the app does not accept, add those costs before comparing. More providers are compared in best company formation agents UK.
What a Non-Resident Needs to Form a UK Company
- A UK registered office. Every UK company must have one, in the part of the UK where it is registered. It cannot be a PO Box. Included in the International package.
- A verified identity for each director. Required before Companies House will register the company. Shareholders with more than 25% must verify within 14 days of formation.
- A valid passport. Any country. Passports without a chip are accepted through our ACSP partner, where the GOV.UK app would refuse them.
- Your home address. Can be anywhere in the world. It is kept on a private register, not shown publicly.
- An email address and phone number. Any country. A UK phone number is not needed to form the company.
Which Identity Route Works for Your Passport
| Your situation | GOV.UK One Login app | Through CorpAssist |
|---|---|---|
| Biometric passport, phone with NFC | Usually works | Works |
| Passport without a chip | Not accepted | Accepted |
| Name in non-Latin script or name order differs | Often fails to match | Checked by a person before submission |
| No UK bank account or UK address history | Bank and Post Office routes are UK only | Not needed |
| Phone without NFC or app keeps failing | Cannot complete | Upload documents online instead |
More detail: identity verification when forming a company, ACSP or GOV.UK One Login, verifying without a biometric passport, and the overseas director verification guide. After forming: opening a UK business bank account as a non-resident and how long registration takes.
How It Works From Abroad
- Order online. Company name (checked against the register), business activity, shares and the people involved. About 10 minutes.
- Verify your identity. Each director who is not yet verified receives a secure link to upload their passport. Companies House emails each person their personal code.
- We file the company. A person checks every detail matches the verified identities, then the application is filed. Companies House usually registers it within 24 hours.
- Receive your documents. Certificate of incorporation, articles of association and share certificates by email. Official letters to your London address are scanned and emailed to you.
Banking, Tax and Visas: What to Know First
Bank account. High-street banks usually expect UK-resident directors. Several e-money and business account providers accept UK companies with directors abroad, subject to their own checks. Nobody can guarantee an account, but we point you to providers that accept non-resident directors once your company is formed.
Tax. A UK company is generally UK tax resident and registers for Corporation Tax within 3 months of starting to trade. If you run it from another country, it may also be taxable there, so speak to a tax adviser where you live.
Visas. Owning or running a UK company does not need a visa, and it does not give a right to live or work in the UK.
Forming a UK Company From Your Country
Country guides covering identity verification with your passport, paying, banking and the points to check with a local adviser.
Already have a UK company? Identity verification for overseas directors of existing companies.
Non-Resident Formation Questions
Can a non-UK resident register a company in the UK?
Yes. UK company law has no nationality or residence requirement for directors or shareholders. One person living anywhere in the world can be the sole director and shareholder, provided they are at least 16, not disqualified, and have verified their identity with Companies House.
Do I need to visit the UK to form a company?
No. The whole process is online: the order, identity verification, the filing and the documents. Many founders form their UK company without ever travelling to the UK.
Do I need a UK address?
The company needs a registered office in the UK. Directors also give a public service address and a private home address, which can be outside the UK. The International package includes a London registered office, a director service address and a business address for 12 months.
Can I verify my identity with a passport from my country?
Usually yes. The GOV.UK One Login app accepts biometric (chipped) passports from any country, but it often fails on older passports, non-Latin names or phones without NFC. Through CorpAssist, our ACSP partner verifies passports from 190+ countries, including passports without a chip, and Companies House then emails your personal code.
Can I open a UK business bank account as a non-resident?
Some providers accept companies whose directors live abroad, usually e-money accounts rather than high-street banks, and each makes its own checks. No formation provider can promise an account. After formation we point you to providers that accept non-resident directors.
Which UK banks accept companies with non-resident directors?
High-street banks such as HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest usually want a UK-resident director, a UK address or a branch visit. Companies run from abroad more often use online business accounts such as Wise Business, Revolut Business, Airwallex or Payoneer, each with its own country list and checks. Form the company first: every provider asks for the company number and the directors’ identity documents.
Can I form a UK company and open a bank account at the same time?
The company has to exist before any bank or account provider will open an account for it, so formation always comes first. Companies House usually registers a company within 24 hours of a complete application. Packages sold “with a bank account” arrange an introduction to a provider; the provider still makes its own decision.
Where will my company pay tax?
A UK company is generally UK tax resident. If it is managed and controlled from another country, it may also be taxable there under that country’s rules. Take advice from a tax adviser in your country before you start trading.
Does owning a UK company give me a UK visa?
No. Owning or directing a UK company does not need a visa and does not give a right to live or work in the UK. Business visitors can attend meetings and sign contracts; other work in the UK needs a work visa.
How much does it cost to form a UK company from abroad?
The International package is £249.99 in total. That includes the £100 Companies House fee, identity verification for one director, and London registered office, director service and business addresses for 12 months. Each additional director or PSC who is not yet verified is £35.99.
Form Your UK Company From Anywhere
£249.99 in total: formation, identity verification for one director and London addresses for 12 months.
Form my UK companyCorpAssist is operated by ACS-ADVANCED CORPORATE SERVICES LIMITED (17544126). Filings and identity verification are submitted through a Companies House-registered ACSP partner. Not Companies House or a government service.