Register a UK Company from India

First, Decide Which UK Registration You Need

Search results for this question mix up two different things. Before you start, check which one applies to you:

If you have no office or staff in the UK, you almost certainly want a new UK Ltd. The UK company can be owned by you personally or by your Indian private limited company. This page covers the new UK Ltd.

Owning It Personally or Through Your Indian Company

A UK company can have individuals, companies or both as shareholders. If you own the shares personally, you are the person with significant control and verify your identity as both director and PSC (one verification covers both roles). If your Indian private limited company owns the shares, the Indian company is recorded as a corporate shareholder, and the individuals who control it may need to be named as PSCs. Ownership through an Indian company is also where the Overseas Direct Investment rules matter most, so decide the structure with your accountant before ordering.

What You Need

• A valid Indian passport for each director, and for anyone who will own more than 25% of the shares
• Each person's home address in India, which stays on Companies House's private register
• A company name ending in Ltd or Limited
• SIC codes describing the business
• The share split between shareholders; 100 ordinary shares of £1 each is the usual starting point
• A registered email address that someone at the company checks

Verifying Your Identity With an Indian Passport

Every director must verify their identity before Companies House will register the company. The free GOV.UK One Login app can read a chipped passport with an NFC phone; if your passport has no chip symbol, or the app keeps failing, it cannot finish, and its other routes need a UK bank account or a visit to a UK Post Office. Through CorpAssist, our Companies House-registered ACSP partner verifies your passport from photos you upload, with or without a chip.

Points that cause delays for Indian applicants:

• Given name and surname fields. Indian passports split names into “Given Name” and “Surname”. Enter them in the same fields on our form, even if you use a different order in daily life.
• No surname. If your passport surname field is blank, tick the single-name option. We make sure the incorporation application uses the same format.
• Initials. If your passport spells out a name you usually write as an initial, use the full name. The verified name and the director's name on the company must match.

A Typical Case: An Indian IT Services or SaaS Business

A common reason to form a UK company from India is to sell software or IT services to clients in the UK and Europe, who often prefer to contract with and pay a UK company. Typical SIC codes for this:

Choose up to four with the SIC code finder, and check your name first with the company name checker.

How It Works

1. Choose the International package and enter your company name, activity and share structure. Your answers save as you go.
2. Add every director and anyone who will hold more than 25% of the shares.
3. Pay by card through our secure Shopify checkout.
4. Each person who is not yet verified receives a secure link and uploads their passport. Companies House emails each person a personal code.
5. A person checks that every name matches the verified identities, then the company is filed. Companies House usually registers it within 24 hours.
6. You receive the certificate of incorporation, articles and share certificates by email.

What It Costs

Each extra director or PSC who still needs to verify is £35.99.

Banking From India

Opening a UK high-street business account usually needs directors in the UK. Some e-money and business account providers accept UK companies with directors in India, each with its own checks, and policies change. Nobody can guarantee an account. After formation we point you to providers that currently accept Indian-resident directors.

After Your Company Is Registered

• HMRC posts the company's Corporation Tax reference (UTR) to the UK registered office; we scan and email it to you.
• VAT registration becomes compulsory once UK taxable turnover passes £90,000 in 12 months. Businesses based outside the UK that make certain UK supplies must register whatever their turnover, so check this if you sell to UK consumers.
• The first confirmation statement is due 12 months after incorporation, and the first accounts 21 months after.

Where the Company Pays Tax

A UK company is generally UK tax resident and registers for Corporation Tax within 3 months of starting to trade. If it is managed and controlled from India, Indian rules may also treat it as resident there, and the UK–India tax treaty decides some overlaps. Get advice in India before the company starts trading.

Verifying with a passport from India: read Companies House identity verification with an Indian passport. All options for founders abroad are on UK company formation for non-residents.

Already have a UK company? CorpAssist also handles Companies House identity verification for existing directors and PSCs, and a London registered office address for companies that need one. How verification works at incorporation is explained in identity verification when forming a company. Once the company is registered, see which providers open a UK business bank account for non-residents.

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