A company formation is the legal process of creating a new business entity. In the UK, we register companies with Companies House or via a company formation agent. It includes choosing a unique company name, defining the company's legal structure, and submitting the required documents.

An "LTD" (Limited) in the context of a company name, such as "ABC SERVICES LTD," signifies a private limited company. This is a common business structure in the UK where the company is a separate legal entity from its owners (shareholders), meaning owners are only personally liable for business debts up to the amount of their financial investment. This offers limited liability, protecting personal assets from company losses.

You should set up a limited company for limited liability protection, which shields your personal assets from business debts, and for increased credibility and professionalism, which can attract more clients and investors. Limited companies can also offer tax efficiencies, allow for easier funding and investment through share sales, and provide a clear structure for selling the business or taking on partners.

No, you do not have to be in the UK to form a company there; non-UK residents can easily register a UK limited company online, provided they have a registered office address in the UK. This UK address is mandatory for official correspondence from Companies House and HMRC.

If you cannot connect your verified identity to the Companies House records, it could be because your personal details do not match. Your details may not match if: you’ve entered your personal code incorrectly your date of birth is incorrect on our records Check the date of birth Companies House hold for you is correct. If it’s not correct, you’ll need to change it before you can provide your verification details. To check and update your date of birth sign in to Web Filing.

The AML requires us to verify the following: Anyone named as the directors Anyone who purchases a company formation package (including those who are not the named director or shareholder) and/ or a registered address service, and certain company secretarial services, e.g. transfer or issue of shares, etc. All shareholders who own over 25% of a company or LLP. If the director or shareholder is a corporate entity, we apply the same procedure to each entity (to identify the controlling individuals)

The forms of identification: Proof of name: Copy of current valid passport Current valid UK or EEA photocard driving licence Residence Permit issued by the Home Office to EEA Nationals Proof of Address: Utility Bill (gas, electric or water bill within the last three months) Council Tax bill for the current tax year Mortgage statement from a recognised lender issued within the last 12 months Bank Statement (or Building Society) issued within the last three months HMRC self assessment or tax demand letter

We are regulated by the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (AML) and London Local Authorities Act 2007 which means we must identify and verify the customers’ ID and address including that of certain shareholders, who form a company or take registered address services. We will perform an electronic check to verify our customers’ ID from the information you have supplied for the services applied which are subject to AML. For those small number of customers where the electronic ID check does not pass, our ID service team will ask for further information and/or ID evidence documents for acceptable due diligence.

As you are a non-UK resident director, you are required to have your proof of ID and Address documents certified. Further information on how this needs to be carried out is below for you. Who can certify documents? Bank Chartered Accountant Solicitor or Lawyer Notary Doctor Teacher Police Officer Post Office Minister of religion The above professional will be unable to certify your documents if they are related, in a relationship with or living with the individual who's documents are being certified. Who can certify documents should look like? Please bring the original documents as well as the photocopy, to the professional person who will be certifying it. On the document they will need to: Write "I certify this to be a true copy of the original and true likeness of (persons name) seen by me" Sign and date the document Print their name under their signature Write their Occupation, address and telephone number Stamp the document with their professional or personal stamp

For International Customers and those who fail our electronic ID Checks, we have an ID provider who can provide a mobile service to digitally certify and send us your proof of ID within a matter of a few minutes. Our ID Service Team will arrange to send an invite with easy instructions for this additional digital verification service; the additional costs for this service is set out in the terms and conditions and will be explained by the team, should it be required.

You’ll need to verify your identity if you are: a director the equivalent of a director – this includes members, general partners and managing officers a person with significant control (PSC) someone who files for a company - for example, a company secretary

Identity verification is a new legal requirement. It will help to deter people intending to use companies for illegal purposes. By law, you will need to verify your identity to confirm you are who you claim to be.

When you have successfully verified, you’ll get a unique identifier known as a Companies House personal code. The code is personal to you, not your company or a company you work for. From 18 November 2025, you’ll need it for various reasons. For example: when you file your confirmation statement if you are appointed as a director if you become a person with significant control (PSC) If you are currently a director or a PSC, you’ll need to use your Companies House personal code to connect your verified identity to our records. This is a legal requirement, and will ensure that we know the correct identity is linked to any roles you hold.

As a PSC, you must provide your personal code using a separate service within 14 days of your company’s confirmation statement date. This service will be available when the requirement comes into force on 18 November 2025. If you’re a PSC but not a director of the same company You must provide your personal code within the first 14 days of your birth month. For example, if your date of birth is 22 January, your 14 day period will begin on 1 January.

Biometric passports have a small rectangular symbol on the front cover. You can use them to go through electronic gates at airports and international train stations. All UK passports issued after 2006 are biometric.

As a Director - you will need to provide your Companies House personal code as part of your company’s next confirmation statement from 18 November 2025. If you are a director of more than one company, you will need to do this for each company.

You will not be able to: make any filings with Companies House start a new company or entity be appointed a Director of another company If you do not comply with identity verification requirements on time, you may be committing an offence and may have to pay a financial penalty or fine. If you continue to act as a director without verifying after it becomes a legal requirement, you will be committing an offence and could be disqualified. The company (or entity) and all directors may also be committing an offence.

This is an 11 character code that is given to a person once they’ve verified their identity. The code is personal to you, not your company or a company you work for.

This will depend on whether you verified your identity using GOV.UK One Login, or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) like The Formation Company. If you verified using GOV.UK One Login Sign in to Companies House and go to ‘Manage account’ to view your code. You’ll need to sign in using the same email address you used when you verified. If you verified through The Formation Company We sent your personal code to the email address you provided. You will have also created a Formation Company account during the process and had the option to save your code to your account.