Register a Company UK: £50 Fee, Steps & Requirements

Setting up a company in the UK used to mean weeks of back-and-forth with solicitors. Today, Companies House can have your private limited company incorporated within 24 hours of submission — provided your paperwork passes their automated checks. Fees have shifted considerably since May 2024, however, and a new round of increases is already scheduled for February 2026. Whether you go direct through the official portal or delegate the process to a formation agent, the requirements are largely the same.

Online incorporation fee: £50 · Standard processing: 24 hours · Minimum directors: 1 · Paper fee (Feb 2026): £124

How much does it cost to register a company in the UK?

The amount you pay depends on two choices: the filing channel you use and the date you file. Direct incorporation through Companies House has seen significant movement in fees over the past two years, with another increase already confirmed for 2026.

Official Companies House fees

Digital incorporation via webFiling currently sits at £50, up from £12 before May 2024 — a 317% increase that drew attention from formation agents and small business groups alike (Your Company Formations). From 1 February 2026, this same digital filing rises to £100. Paper submissions using Form IN01 cost £124 as of February 2026, up from the previous £71 rate (GOV.UK).

If you need incorporation processed on the same day, same-day digital filing costs £156 from February 2026 (GOV.UK). Certificate of incorporation copies run £22 by post or £65 same-day.

Agent service costs

Formation agents typically bundle the Companies House fee into packages that start around £2.48–£12 plus the government charge (Mint Formations). Some agents — notably ANNA Money — have offered free registration with certain subscription plans. The trade-off is that agent packages often include upsells: registered office address services, secretarial support, or mail forwarding that compound the total cost.

Additional startup expenses

Beyond the incorporation fee, first-year costs can include registered office address services (if you lack a UK premises), professional registered agent services, and optionally a certificate of incorporation in hard copy. The confirmation statement — required annually — costs £50 digitally from February 2026, up from £13 before the May 2024 increases.

What are the requirements to register a company in the UK?

Companies House sets a clear minimum bar for any UK private limited company. These requirements apply regardless of whether you file directly or through an agent.

Minimum requirements for limited company

Every company must have at least one director whose full legal name, date of birth, and residential address are provided to Companies House (The Formations Company). The director need not be UK-based or a UK national — there are no citizenship or residency restrictions — but they must be aged 16 or older and not currently disqualified from acting as a director.

Directors and shareholders

A single person can serve as both sole director and sole shareholder. Shares must be allocated at incorporation and detailed in the Memorandum and Articles of Association — a legal document that governs how the company operates (Legal Nodes). People with Significant Control (PSC) — typically anyone holding more than 25% of shares or voting rights — must be confirmed during registration (GOV.UK).

Registered office address

All companies require a UK registered office address where Companies House and HMRC send official correspondence. This address is a matter of public record and appears on Companies House search results. Many first-time founders use a commercial registered office provider rather than a home address (The Formations Company).

Can I register a UK company online?

Yes, and for most applicants the online route is faster, cheaper, and more straightforward than paper filing.

Companies House online process

The official webFiling portal accepts applications 24 hours a day. After creating an account and completing Form IN01 digitally, you pay by debit or credit card. Companies House runs automated checks on the application — primarily verifying the company name uniqueness and the completeness of director and share details — before issuing the certificate of incorporation (Rapid Formations).

Agent online services

Formation agents operate their own web portals that feed directly into Companies House systems. The process looks similar from the user’s perspective, but agents typically add guidance at each step, pre-validate name availability, and handle correspondence on your behalf. Packages range from bare-bones incorporation-only to full company secretarial services.

Same-day options

Companies House offers a same-day digital incorporation service for applications submitted before 3 pm on working days. The fee is £156 from February 2026. Agents sometimes market “same-day” services as a premium feature, though they are simply routing your application through the same Companies House same-day channel.

Can anyone start a company in the UK?

The short answer is yes for most adults. The bar is deliberately low — designed to encourage entrepreneurship rather than gatekeep it.

Eligibility for directors

You must be at least 16 years old and not currently disqualified by court order from serving as a company director. There are no restrictions based on nationality, residency, or immigration status (The Formations Company). If you have unspent criminal convictions related to fraud or disqualification, those can affect eligibility — a question worth answering honestly before submission.

Non-UK residents

Foreign nationals can form and own UK companies. You do not need a UK bank account at the point of incorporation — though one becomes necessary for operating the business. The main practical difference is that non-residents must still provide a UK registered office address and identify a director who can receive service of official documents.

Age and other rules

The age threshold of 16 applies to directors specifically. Shareholders face no minimum age requirement under company law — a parent or guardian can hold shares on behalf of a minor if needed.

UK Limited Company Registration: 5-Step Guide

Whether you use the official webFiling portal or a formation agent, the underlying process follows the same five steps.

Step 1: Choose structure and name

Decide whether a private limited company (Ltd) is the right structure for your situation — alternatives include sole trade, partnership, or limited liability partnership depending on your liability preferences and tax circumstances. For the company name, run a search through Companies House name availability search to check that your chosen name does not conflict with an existing registered company or trigger sensitive-sector restrictions (Mint Formations).

Step 2: Appoint directors and shareholders

Designate at least one director and allocate shares to one or more shareholders. The director’s details — full name, date of birth, and service address — become part of the public record. PSC declarations identify anyone holding more than 25% of shares or voting rights (GOV.UK).

Step 3: Provide registered office address

Select a UK address to serve as the company’s registered office. This can be a commercial address, your home address, or any valid UK premises. All statutory mail from Companies House and HMRC routes through this address.

Step 4: Draft Articles of Association

The Articles of Association set the internal rules for your company — decision-making processes, share rights, and director powers. Standard model articles from Companies House are sufficient for most new companies; bespoke articles are only necessary if you need non-standard governance arrangements.

Step 5: Submit IN01 or file online

Complete and submit Form IN01 digitally via webFiling or on paper. Digital applications are reviewed automatically and typically processed within 24 hours. Upon successful registration, Companies House issues a certificate of incorporation confirming your company number and formation date (GOV.UK).

“The digital incorporation fee jumped from £12 to £50 in May 2024 — the first rise in nearly a decade. Businesses that incorporate after February 2026 will face the full £100 charge.”

— Quove Accounting (Accounting Firm, SME guidance)

“Fee increases fund enhancements under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, including compulsory identity verification for directors.”

— Your Company Formations (Formation Agent, fee analysis)

Companies House plans to make director identity verification compulsory from 18 November 2025, requiring all new directors to confirm their identity through an approved verification provider before their appointment is accepted (Quove Accounting). This change brings UK company formation closer to anti-money-laundering standards already common in other jurisdictions.

For anyone ready to act, the practical implication is straightforward: incorporate before November 2025 to avoid the new identity verification steps, or factor the additional requirement into your launch timeline. The fee difference between acting now (£50) and waiting until after February 2026 (£100) is £50 — meaningful for bootstrapped startups but not prohibitive.

For UK founders weighing the agent route against direct filing, the calculation depends on your comfort with administrative processes and whether you need a registered office address bundled in. If your paperwork is straightforward and you have a UK address available, the official portal is the most cost-effective path. If you value guidance or prefer not to use your home address publicly, a formation agent’s package — even at £40–£80 total — may be worth the simplicity.

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For those preparing ahead, this 2025 guide to UK limited companiesoutlines essential digital steps and specifications for forming a private limited company with Companies House.