If you choose to register a limited company in the UK, here are the steps you can take to do so. (If you aim for an LLP, please skip this section and move to the next one for the guidance on registering an LLP in the UK)
Step 1. Choose a Company Name
Picking the name for your limited company in the UK can be tricky since there are a number of rules that you have to follow.
Rule 1: Be Unique
Your company name cannot be the same as other registered names. In particular, your company name may be considered a “same as” name when there is only 1 difference between it and the existing name or trademark. The difference can be as small as:
A punctuation
A special character
A word or character that has the same meaning as that of an existing name
A word that is widely used for naming UK companies
You also cannot register a company name if someone complains that it is too similar to another name and the Companies House agrees with such a complaint.
For example, “Company’s Name Limited” may be considered the same as “Company Name Limited”. “Example For You Limited” may be considered the same as “Example 4U Limited”. In such cases, the Companies House will inform and recommend to you what to do.
However, you can still register a “same as” name for the company if:
Your company is in the same group as the company which has the existing name, or
Your company gets a confirmation letter from the company which has the existing name, allowing your company to have the name.
Rule 2: Don’t Be Offensive
Your company name cannot be offensive. It should not contain any negative or sensitive words or expressions.
Rule 3: Get the Permission
For certain words or phrases that may indicate the connection with the government or public authorities, you may need to ask for permission in advance.
For instance, you cannot add the phrase “Home office” to the company name without approval from the UK Home Department.
Rule 4: Get the Names Right
Your company name must include the suffix “Limited” or “Ltd” unless it is a registered limited by guarantee or charity. You must include the company’s name in all signs, corporate documents, publicity, and letters.
Along with the official name, your limited company can have another name called the “business name”. It must:
Not contain the suffix (“Limited or “Ltd”), and
Follow the same rules as the official names.
Step 2. Use a Service for UK Company Formation
You can set up a limited company in the UK by yourself or with an incorporation service. The second option is highly recommended. The paperwork and registration process will get complicated at times if you are a newcomer or a foreigner. An excellent service provider will not only help you cover all the incorporation requirements but also make sure everything always stays on the right track.
For your information, you have to satisfy the following requirements to form a limited company in the UK:
At least 1 director (regardless of nationality)
At least 1 shareholder (who can also be the director)
An eligible company name
A registered address in the UK for the company (this will be made public at the Companies House)
A service address for the director, secretary, and person with significant control (this will be kept privately at the Companies House)
Step 3. Pay for the Service
You can pay for our formation services easily. Just click on the “Get started” on the packages and log in with your email. We have made our onboarding steps for payment easy-going, with clear instructions and a friendly user interface. Follow the instructions and you can quickly pay in just a few minutes.
As for the payment methods, you can pay via bank transfer or via Paypal/Stripe with your debit/credit card. Once the payment is done, our employees will contact you for confirmation on the same day.
Step 4. Follow the KYC Procedure
Complying with the know-your-customer (KYC) procedure, our staff will actively contact you for the required information. For setting up a limited company in the UK, you will need to provide us the following:
Certified copies of passports or identity cards of the shareholders and directors
Other supporting papers (if needed) such as utility bills, driving license, debit/credit card statements dated within 3 months
The proposed name of your company
The details of business activity
Our employees may further ask you to supply additional information of each member (according to the government’s request), such as:
Town of birth
Mother’s maiden name
Father’s first name
Telephone number
National insurance number
Once we gather everything needed from you, we will proceed to file the application and send it to the Companies House on your behalf. The Companies House is the official government agency that oversees the registration of all businesses in the UK.
Step 5. Get the Result
When using our Basic package, you can expect to receive the digital certificate of incorporation and other documents in 1-3 working days (after your submission of all required documents).
As for our Standard package, you can expect to further receive the physical set of those documents in 3 – 7 days. International fees will be covered by us so you don’t have to pay extra for this.
At this point, your company will have been successfully registered!
However, to actually start a business in the UK, your limited company will need to subsequently open a bank account. You can skip the very next section (where we list out the steps to form an LLP) and move right to Section 4 (where we guide you through the steps to open a corporate account).
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