Start my UK company
UK company formation for non-residents

Register a UK limited company from anywhere

Get a UK company that clients and platforms recognise, without leaving home. We register it, give you a UK office address, scan your official post and keep every deadline. Usually on the register within 24 hours.

No UK visit, visa or UK director needed. Choose your country and this page adapts to you.
Start my UK company See my costs and dates
  • About 10 minutes to apply
  • £139 for year one, everything in
  • You only pay after you sign
£100Companies House fee, passed through at cost
24 hHow long Companies House usually takes online
0UK visits, visas or UK directors needed
19%Corporation Tax on profits up to £50,000
Companies House registration

What your UK company looks like on Companies House

Anyone can look up a UK company for free. That's a big part of why clients trust one, and why your home address should never be on it. Here's your entry, live from the name you typed.

Public

  • Company name, number and status
  • Registered office (ours)
  • Directors' names, month and year of birth, nationality and country of residence
  • Service address (ours)

Private

  • Your home address
  • Your full date of birth
  • Your email and ID documents
How it works

How to open a UK company from abroad, step by step

From your application to a company the bank can see, in five stops. You only act at the first one.

LTD CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION HMRC SCANNED £ You applyCompanies HouseCertificateTax referenceBusiness account
  1. Apply with HeirsonName, shares, owners and what the company does. Sign and pay in crypto.
    You, about 10 minutes
  2. Filed with Companies HouseUsing model articles, with the £100 fee paid at cost.
    Heirson
  3. Certificate of incorporationYour company number and share certificates, usually within 24 hours.
    Companies House
  4. Your tax referenceWe register the company for Corporation Tax. HMRC posts your UTR to the registered office; we scan it.
    HMRC, by post
  5. Business accountYour documents go to a UK or international provider. The provider decides.
    You and the bank
Doing it yourself? You'd handle stops 2 to 4 and find a UK address. See the full list.Start stop 1 now
Who it's for

A UK company for founders who sell across borders

If your clients, platforms or partners expect a proper company, this is how you give them one, from wherever you live.

  • Freelancers and agenciesBill UK and European clients from a registered company instead of your own name.
  • Online sellersList on UK marketplaces with a UK company name and address behind your store.
  • Software and app foundersPut a recognised company behind your product, your contracts and your store accounts.
  • Consultants and coachesGive clients a company they can look up on the public register in seconds.
Made for where you live

Run your UK company from anywhere

UK law has no residency rule for directors or shareholders. Here's how running a UK company works from where you live.

Eligibility
?

Open to founders in 190+ countries

No residency or nationality rule for directors or shareholders. No UK visit, no visa, no UK director.

Registration timeUsually 24 h

Companies House usually registers online applications within 24 hours. Your certificate lands in your dashboard.

HMRC Corporation Tax line8:00 to 18:00

Monday to Friday, UK time. We register the company with HMRC for you, so you only call with a question.

What you'll need
  • Your passport
  • A recent bank statement or utility bill, for the bank
  • No UK documents
Paying9 coins

The pound price converts to crypto at checkout and holds for 20 minutes. No card or Faster Payments transfer needed.

Tax where you live

Your country may tax what you take out of the company, and may look at where it's run. Run these questions past an adviser where you live first.

UK company formation for non-residents

Registering is the easy part. These four things are where founders abroad get stuck.

Each one has a fix, and each fix is part of the package.

01
"What will this cost me next year?"Renewals are where most providers make their money.

Your year two price is on this page now: £25 plus the £50 Companies House filing fee. No renewal surprise.

02
"Can I use my home address?"Not as the registered office. It must be in the UK.

Your UK registered office and a service address are included, so your home address stays off the public register.

03
"How will HMRC's letters reach me?"Your tax reference arrives by post, in the UK.

Official letters to your registered office are scanned into your dashboard, so your tax reference and Companies House codes reach you wherever you are.

04
"Can I get a UK business account?"Each bank decides; no provider can promise it.

Your certificate of incorporation, share certificates and address proof come as one set, ready for a UK or international business account.

Corporation Tax

UK Corporation Tax rate: what your company would pay

UK companies pay Corporation Tax on their profit, at a rate that rises from 19% to 25% as profit grows. Type a profit to see the bill.

19%Small profits rate, on profit up to £50,000
19 to 25%Marginal relief between £50,000 and £250,000
25%Main rate, on profit above £250,000

What you then take out may be taxed where you live.

£
Corporation Tax
Effective rate
Left in the company
For a 12-month period with no associated companies, at the rates from 1 April 2026.
What you get

What's included in your UK company formation

You can register with Companies House yourself for £100. Here's everything else a UK company needs, and who does it.

  • Registration with Companies HouseFiled online as soon as your application is complete. £100 fee at cost.
  • UK registered officeIncluded, in year one and every renewal. A real UK address, not a PO box.
  • Service address for directorsIncluded, so your home address stays off the public register.
  • Official post, scannedCompanies House and HMRC letters scanned into your dashboard.
  • Corporation Tax registrationWe tell HMRC the company exists and track your tax reference.
  • Yearly deadlinesWe file your confirmation statement each year. Accounts and tax dates in your calendar, reminders 30 and 7 days before.
Your plan and price

How much a UK company costs, and how long it takes

Here's the quick answer in pounds. Three questions then build your own timeline, price and dates.

£139Year one, all in: £39 Heirson plus the £100 Companies House fee
£75 a yearFrom year two: £25 Heirson, address, post and confirmation statement included, plus the £50 filing fee
24 hoursHow long Companies House usually takes to register online

Two years, side by side

Formation, UK addresses and Companies House fees for your first two years.

£91 to £114 less
Heirson£214
Other non-resident packages£305 to £328
The three cheapest published UK packages for founders abroad with the ID check included, November 2026, with VAT where it's added and the £50 yearly filing fee.
How many directors?
Will you hire staff in the UK?
When do you want to start?

Your timeline

    What it costs

    Companies House fees at cost, shown as their own lines.

    Your first deadlines

    Reminders 30 and 7 days before each one.

      After you register

      UK company deadlines when you live abroad

      Four dates in your first two years, all in your calendar from day one. Based on the start month in your plan.

      Reminders 30 and 7 days before each date
      21

      Months to your first accounts

      First accounts are due 21 months after registration, then 9 months after each year end.

      UK

      Where it's tax resident

      A company registered in the UK is UK tax resident wherever it's run, unless a tax treaty decides otherwise.

      ?

      Tax where you live

      Your home country may tax what you take out of the company. Ask an adviser at home how they treat dividends from a UK company.

      UK company rules people get wrong

      • You need a UK resident director.No. One director aged 16 or over, living anywhere.
      • A PO box will do as the registered office.Not since 4 March 2024. It must be a real address in the UK.
      • You need a company secretary.Optional for private companies. Most small companies don't appoint one.
      • Run it from abroad and it isn't UK tax resident.A UK-registered company is UK tax resident wherever it's run, unless a tax treaty says otherwise.
      • You can file accounts any way you like.From April 2028, accounts go to Companies House through software only.

      Your name will be public. If that matters, a Wyoming LLC keeps owners off the state record.

      Why the UK

      Why register a company in the UK

      £100To register, usually within 24 hours
      1 directorAged 16 or over, from any country
      19%Corporation Tax on profits up to £50,000
      £1Share capital is enough, with no minimum set by law
      When a UK company is the wrong choice
      • You want your name off the public register. A Wyoming LLC doesn't list owners.
      • Your clients and payment platforms are mostly in the US.
      • You want no tax on company profits. The UK charges 19% to 25%.
      Questions

      UK company formation questions, answered

      Questions left? Open the application and see every step before you pay. Nothing goes to Companies House until you sign.

      Can a non-resident register a company in the UK?
      Yes. UK law has no residency or nationality rule for directors or shareholders. You need one director aged 16 or over and a UK registered office, which we provide. We can't serve residents of a few countries because of sanctions rules.
      Do I need to visit the UK or have a visa?
      No. Everything is done online. Owning a UK company doesn't give you the right to live or work in the UK; that's a separate visa question.
      Do I need a UK address?
      The registered office must be a real address in the UK, and PO boxes aren't allowed. Ours is included. Directors also need a service address, which goes on the public register; we provide that too, so your home address stays private.
      How much does it cost to register a UK company?
      Companies House charges £100 to register online. With Heirson you add £39 for year one, which includes the registered office, a service address, scanned post and Corporation Tax registration, so year one is £139 all in. From year two it's £25 plus the £50 confirmation statement fee, £75 a year. Yearly accounts and the Corporation Tax return aren't included; an accountant usually prepares them.
      How long does it take to set up a UK company from abroad?
      You'll spend about 10 minutes applying. We file as soon as your application is complete, and Companies House usually registers online applications within 24 hours. Your Corporation Tax reference follows by post.
      Do I need a UK director or a company secretary?
      No. One director living anywhere is enough, and a private company doesn't have to appoint a secretary.
      Will the company pay UK tax if I run it from abroad?
      Usually yes. A company registered in the UK is UK resident for Corporation Tax wherever it's managed, unless a tax treaty between the UK and your country says otherwise. Corporation Tax is 19% on profits up to £50,000 and 25% above £250,000. Your own country may also tax what you take out.
      Do I need to register for VAT?
      UK businesses register once taxable sales pass £90,000 a year. A company run from abroad with only a registered office may count as not established in the UK, and then that threshold doesn't apply. Ask an adviser before your first UK sale.
      Can a non-resident open a UK business bank account?
      Yes, and many open one online. Each provider sets its own rules, so approval can't be promised by anyone. Expect to show your certificate of incorporation, your passport and a recent proof of address; we prepare that set for you.
      What is a confirmation statement?
      A yearly check that the company's details on the public register are still right: officers, shareholders, people with significant control and registered office. It's due within 14 days after each anniversary of registration and costs £50 online. We file it for you as part of the £25 renewal.
      What happens if accounts are filed late?
      Companies House charges £150 to £1,500 depending on how late they are, doubled if they're late two years running. First accounts are due 21 months after the company is registered; we remind you 30 and 7 days before.
      Is Heirson Companies House?
      No. Heirson is a private company that registers your company with Companies House for you and passes the £100 fee through at cost.
      Ready when you are

      By this time tomorrow, your UK company can be on the register.

      Your UK company, your UK address and your post, handled from wherever you are. £139 for year one with everything in, and you only pay after you sign.

      Start my UK company Review my plan
      UK limited companyUsually registered within 24 hoursStart