Register a limited company online

• 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.

Identity verification is mandatory. Each director must verify their identity and provide a Companies House personal code as part of a new incorporation. People with significant control (PSCs) must verify their identity and provide their personal code to Companies House within the required 14-day period.

A filing can be rejected under the Companies House naming rules, and starting again costs you days. An exact-match register screen is not the whole picture: domain registration, the wider company-name rules and trade-mark rights are separate decisions.

NameGenie gathers that initial evidence while you are still choosing. Generate names to compare current domain evidence with an exact-match Companies House screen. Verify the domain with the registrar; Companies House makes the registration decision. See how the whole journey fits together on our start a business guide.

Incorporation registers the company name but does not confer trade mark rights.

How much does it cost to register a limited company?

Form your company from £102.99, including the £100 Companies House fee and identity verification. The £50 digital confirmation statement fee applies to the first statement filed in each 12-month payment period.

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 proposed company name, 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. Search the register for possible conflicts first, but Companies House applies the wider naming rules and makes the registration decision. Identity verification is mandatory. Each director must verify their identity and provide a Companies House personal code as part of a new incorporation. People with significant control (PSCs) must verify their identity and provide their personal code to Companies House within the required 14-day period.

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. NameGenie can screen exact-match Companies House results while you are choosing, but Companies House applies the wider rules and makes the registration decision. Incorporation registers the company name but does not confer trade mark rights.