Register a Limited Company Online

What it costs

Companies House charges £50 to incorporate online. A formation agent adds a fee from about £13 and in exchange prepares the filing, validates your details before submission, and typically bundles useful extras such as a registered office address so your home address stays off the public record. After incorporation, the recurring cost is the £34 annual confirmation statement.

Approval is fast: most online applications clear within 24 hours on working days, and often the same day you file.

What you need ready

• A company name that is not the same as one already on the register, ending in Ltd or Limited.
• At least one director, and at least one shareholder. One person can be both.
• A registered office address in the UK country you are incorporating in.
• A SIC code, the standard classification describing what the business does.
• Details of anyone with significant control, usually you.

Companies House is also rolling out identity verification for directors and people with significant control, so expect an ID step either at Companies House or through your formation agent.

The name is the step people get wrong

A filing with a name that clashes with the register is rejected, and starting again costs you days. The register check is also not the whole picture: the strongest business names clear the domain registry and Companies House at the same time, so the brand, the website, and the legal entity all carry one name.

That is the check NameGenie runs while you are still choosing. Generate names and every suggestion arrives with its domain availability and an exact-match Companies House check, or see how the whole journey fits together on our start a business guide.

Questions founders ask

How much does it cost to register a limited company?

Companies House charges £50 for online incorporation. Formation agents add their own fee, typically from about £13, and in return they prepare the filing, check your details, and usually include extras such as a registered office service. Budget £34 a year after that for the confirmation statement.

How long does registration take?

Most online applications are approved within 24 hours on working days, and often the same day. Postal applications take substantially longer.

What do I need before I apply?

A company name that clears the register, at least one director, at least one shareholder (the same person is fine), a UK registered office address, and a SIC code that describes what the business does. Standard articles of association are supplied automatically when you file online.

Can my company name be rejected?

Yes. Companies House refuses names that are the same as an existing registered name, and names containing sensitive words need permission. Checking the register before you apply avoids a rejected filing, and NameGenie checks it for you while you are still choosing.