To register a limited company in the UK you need: a unique company name ending in Limited or Ltd, a UK registered office address, at least one director aged 16 or over, at least one shareholder, people-with-significant-control details, a SIC code, a statement of capital, a memorandum and articles of association — and since November 2025, identity verification for every director and person with significant control.
That is the full list, but each item comes with rules that catch first-time founders out. This checklist walks through every document and detail Companies House needs, so you can gather everything once and file in a single sitting.
The full documents checklist (at a glance)
| # | What you need | What Companies House wants |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Company name | Unique, ends in Limited/Ltd, no sensitive words without approval |
| 2 | Registered office + email address | Physical UK address (not a PO Box) + a registered email address |
| 3 | Director details | At least one director, 16+, not disqualified — full personal details |
| 4 | Identity verification | A Companies House personal code for every director and PSC (mandatory since 18 Nov 2025) |
| 5 | Shareholder + PSC details | At least one shareholder; everyone with 25%+ of shares or voting rights |
| 6 | Statement of capital | Number and type of shares, total value, shareholder details |
| 7 | Memorandum of association | Legal statement by all initial shareholders (created automatically online) |
| 8 | Articles of association | Rules for running the company (model articles or your own) |
| 9 | SIC code | The code describing what your business does |
| 10 | Lawful purpose confirmation | Confirmation the company is being formed for a lawful purpose |
A word of honesty: most “documents” are information, not uploads
For a standard digital registration, you do not actually upload files. You type structured information about your directors, shareholders, PSCs, shares and SIC code into the online form, and Companies House generates the memorandum (and your articles, if you use the model ones) as part of the process. What you receive afterwards — the certificate of incorporation with your company registration number — is the only real “document” produced. Still, gathering everything below first is what stops your application getting rejected.
1. Your company name
Your name must end in “Limited” or “Ltd” (the Welsh equivalents are allowed too), and it cannot be the same as a name already on the register. Three things commonly trip people up:
- Sensitive words such as “Royal”, “British”, “Bank” or “Chartered” need approval and supporting evidence.
- Names suggesting a government connection or that are offensive are refused outright.
- Being clear on the register is not the whole story — a registered trade mark holder can still challenge your name and force a change, so checking the IPO trade mark database is a wise extra step.
You can trade under a different name from the one you register, but your official company name and registered address must appear on invoices, your website and letterheads.
2. Registered office address and registered email address
Every company needs a registered office address in the UK — this is where Companies House and HMRC send official letters. It must be a physical address in the same part of the UK as the company (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland), and it cannot be a PO Box. It appears on the public register, so many founders use an accountant’s or solicitor’s address rather than their home address.
You also need a registered email address, which Companies House uses for official communication. Unlike the office address, it is not published on the public register.
3. Director details — at least one, aged 16+
You need at least one director (there is no upper limit), and each director must be at least 16 years old and not disqualified from being a director. For every director you provide:
- Full legal name and any former names used for business
- Service address
- Date of birth and nationality
- Occupation
- Country or state of residence
- Residential address (used for filing purposes)
One person can be the sole director, sole shareholder and only person with significant control — a single-founder company is perfectly normal.
4. Identity verification — the step older guides miss
Since 18 November 2025, every director and every person with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House. You verify free through GOV.UK One Login (photo ID such as a biometric passport or UK driving licence) or through an authorised corporate service provider (ACSP). After verification you receive a Companies House personal code — an 11-character code that links your identity to each company role.
For a new company, each director needs their personal code before the application can be submitted — Companies House will not register an unverified director. New PSCs have 14 days after incorporation to supply theirs. Get this done first: if you have more than one director, each completes it separately, and the application waits until every code is in.
5. Shareholder and PSC details
You need at least one shareholder. For each shareholder you give their name, address and how many shares they hold. Most small companies keep it simple — for example, 100 shares at £1 each.
You must also name everyone with significant control (a PSC): generally anyone holding more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, or who otherwise exercises significant influence. Miss a PSC and you are building a compliance problem from day one.
6. Statement of capital
The statement of capital sets out your shares: the number and type of shares, the total value, and the details of all shareholders. It also includes the prescribed particulars — the rights attached to each share class, covering dividends, voting rights and whether shares can be redeemed for money.
7. Memorandum of association
The memorandum is a legal statement signed by all initial shareholders (or guarantors) agreeing to form the company. If you register online, you do not write one — it is created automatically as part of your registration. If you register by post, you use the official template. Once registered, the memorandum cannot be updated.
8. Articles of association
These are the written rules about running the company, agreed by the shareholders, directors and any company secretary. Most small businesses use the model articles — the standard government default. If you write your own, you upload or send them when you register. (You cannot use the standard model articles for a community interest company — those use the CIC regulator’s model constitutions instead.)
9. SIC code and lawful purpose confirmation
Your SIC code describes what the company does (for example, 62020 for IT consultancy). Choose it carefully — the wrong code does not usually block incorporation, but it creates confusion in your records later.
Since 4 March 2024, you must also confirm the company is being formed for a lawful purpose. Companies House will not accept documents if this statement is missing, so do not skip it.
The £100 fee and what happens next
Registering online costs £100 since the fee increase of 1 February 2026 — but always double-check the current figure on GOV.UK's official guide to setting up a limited company before you file, as fees and identity rules can change. Our breakdown of what it costs to register a limited company in 2026 covers exactly where that money goes and the extras worth budgeting for.
Submit everything correctly and your certificate of incorporation usually arrives within 24 hours online. Once you have it, your company legally exists — but the jobs are not over. You must tell HMRC your company is active within 3 months of starting to trade so you can register for Corporation Tax, and if your turnover will cross £90,000 you should look at VAT registration too. Our step-by-step guide to register a limited company in the UK walks through the whole process in order, from name choice to post-incorporation filings.
Common mistakes founders make with these documents
The most frequent rejections come from the same small errors: a company name that is too similar to one already registered, a registered office that is a PO Box, missing personal codes because identity verification was left to the last minute, and articles of association that were customised without legal advice and then conflict with the memorandum. Every one of these is avoidable if you work through the checklist above before you touch the online form.
FAQ
Do I need to upload documents to register a limited company online?
No. For a standard digital registration you enter structured information about directors, shareholders, PSCs, shares and your SIC code, and Companies House generates the memorandum as part of the process. You only upload a file if you are filing custom articles of association.
What ID do I need to register a company in the UK?
Since 18 November 2025, every director and PSC must verify their identity and get a Companies House personal code — a biometric passport or UK photo driving licence through GOV.UK One Login is the usual route. There is no extra Companies House charge for verifying directly.
Can one person be the director and shareholder?
Yes. One person can be the sole director, sole shareholder and only person with significant control of a UK limited company.
What is the difference between the memorandum and articles of association?
The memorandum is the legal statement by which the initial shareholders agree to form the company (auto-created online); the articles are the rules for running it day to day. Most small companies use the government’s model articles.
Conclusion
Registering a limited company is less about paperwork and more about having the right information ready: your name, addresses, people, shares and personal codes. Work through this checklist once, gather everything before you start the online form, and the £100 application usually goes through within a day.
