Virtual Office vs Registered Office: Which Do You Need?

A registered office is the legal address every UK company must have for official post; a virtual office is a commercial package that adds a trading address, post forwarding, phone handling and meeting rooms, usually paid monthly. The virtual office vs registered office choice comes down to what you need: most small companies only need the registered office and a director service address, which costs far less as a yearly plan. This guide compares the two and shows when a virtual office is worth paying for.

Virtual Office vs Registered Office: Key Differences

	Registered office address	Virtual office
What it is	The company’s legal address at Companies House	A commercial service built around a business address
Required by law?	Yes, for every company	No
Post handled	Official post: Companies House, HMRC, courts	Usually all post, with forwarding or scanning, often per item
Website and invoices	Must be shown, but many plans are not meant as a customer-facing address	Designed for websites, invoices and business cards
Extras	Few or none	Phone number, call answering, meeting rooms, desks
Typical billing	Yearly	Monthly
Can be your registered office?	Yes, that is its purpose	Only if the provider allows it and the address qualifies

What It Costs Over a Year

Monthly virtual office plans advertised in Google on 27 October 2026 included “from £17 a month”, “£12.99 + VAT a month” and “£23.99 a month”. Over 12 months that is roughly £156 to £288 before extras. Prices change often, so check each provider’s current plan.

What you need	Yearly address plan (CorpAssist)	Monthly virtual office (advertised)
Registered office only	£39.99 a year	About £156–£288 a year
Registered office + director service address	£59.99 a year	Depends on the plan; often extra
Registered office + service address + business address	£99.99 a year	About £156–£288 a year plus extras

When a Registered Office Is Enough

You work from home or online and do not meet clients in person.
You want your home off the Companies House register.
Most of your post is from Companies House and HMRC.
You live outside the UK and need a UK address for an England and Wales company.

In these cases a yearly registered office address, or one with a director service address, does the job. If you also want an address for your website and invoices, a business address plan covers all three addresses for £99.99 a year, which is still less than most monthly virtual offices.

When a Virtual Office Is Worth It

You need parcels or all your post forwarded to you regularly.
You want a phone number answered in your company name.
You need meeting rooms or a desk from time to time.

If you choose a virtual office, confirm in writing that the plan allows the address as your registered office and that official post is included, and check the address against the registered office address rules.

How to Decide

List the addresses you need: registered office, service address for each director and PSC, and a trading address. Our guide to registered office vs service address explains the difference.
Decide whether you need forwarding, phone handling or rooms. If not, a yearly address plan is cheaper.
Compare the yearly total including VAT and the renewal price.
Check the provider asks for ID and a proof of address. Address providers are covered by the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, so a legitimate one will.

Comparing providers? See registered office prices compared. Still using your home? Read can I use my home address as my registered office.

The Addresses You Need, Paid Yearly

CorpAssist provides yearly address plans for companies registered in England and Wales:

Registered office from £39.99 a year, with official letters from Companies House and HMRC scanned and emailed to you
Registered office plus director service address for £59.99 a year
All three addresses, including a London business address for your website and invoices, for £99.99 a year
For existing companies, the change of address is filed at Companies House for you
Identity check online, including documents from outside the UK

Office + service address — £59.99 Compare address options

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a virtual office and a virtual address?

A virtual address is just an address with post handling: a registered office, a service address or a business address you can use without being there. A virtual office is a wider package that usually adds post forwarding, a phone number or call answering, and access to meeting rooms or desks, normally for a monthly fee.

What are the disadvantages of a virtual office?

Cost and fit. Monthly plans add up to several hundred pounds a year, extras such as forwarding and calls are often charged on top, and not every virtual office address may be used as a registered office. If you only need an address for Companies House and official post, you pay for services you do not use.

Do banks accept virtual addresses?

Many banks accept a registered office service as the company’s address, but they also ask for each director’s residential address and identity, and some ask where the business actually operates. Policies differ by bank and change often, so check with the bank before you apply.

Can a virtual address be used as a physical address?

For a registered office, yes, if it is a real physical address in the right part of the UK where post is received and acknowledged, and the provider permits it. It is not a place you can work from, and it cannot be used where a law or contract requires your actual premises or home address.

Can a virtual office be my registered office?

Only if the provider allows it and the address passes the registered office rules. Some virtual office plans cover only a trading address, so check that the plan includes use as a registered office and that Companies House and HMRC post is handled.

See all CorpAssist address services.

Virtual office prices as advertised in Google on 27 October 2026; check each provider’s site for current prices. Rules checked against GOV.UK on 28 October 2026. CorpAssist is an independent commercial service and is not Companies House or GOV.UK.