How Company Registration Works at Companies House
The Registration Process
When someone forms a new UK company, they submit an application to Companies House containing:
- Proposed company name - must be unique and not too similar to existing names
- Registered office address - the official address in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
- At least one director - their name, date of birth, nationality, occupation and service address
- SIC codes - one or more codes describing the planned business activities
- Statement of capital - for companies limited by shares, the number and value of shares
- Articles of association - the rules governing the company (most use the model articles)
- Persons with significant control - anyone with 25%+ ownership or voting rights
How Quickly Are Companies Registered?
Companies House offers several registration speeds:
| Method | Typical Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Online (direct) | Same day (often within hours) | £12 |
| Online (formation agent) | Same day | £12 + agent fee |
| Paper application | 8-10 working days | £40 |
The vast majority of new companies are now registered online and appear on the public register within 24 hours.
What Happens After Registration?
Once registered, the company receives:
- Certificate of incorporation - confirming the company number, name, and incorporation date
- Memorandum of association - signed by the initial subscribers
- Public register entry - the company appears on the Companies House search
From this point, the company must:
- File annual accounts within 21 months of incorporation (then annually)
- File a confirmation statement within 14 days of the anniversary of incorporation (then annually)
- Notify Companies House of any changes to directors, registered address, share capital, etc.
How NewcoHunter Tracks New Registrations
We monitor the Companies House data feed continuously. When a new company appears on the register, we index it by SIC code and registered address location.
This means you can search for new companies by industry and geography, and set up alerts to be notified when companies matching your criteria are formed.
Most new registrations appear in our system within hours of being processed by Companies House.
Related guides
About the author
Alexis Pratsides is founder of NewcoHunter and writes these guides from operating the data pipeline behind it. More about Alexis
Related Articles
Negative Net Assets: What It Means for a Company
What negative net assets means, why it happens, and whether it signals insolvency.
What Are Net Assets? Formula and How to Read Them in Company Accounts
What net assets are, the formula, and how to read them in a company's accounts.
Understanding Company Accounts on Companies House
What the different types of company accounts filed at Companies House reveal, how to read them, and what they mean for your research.
Ready to find your next client?
Get instant access to new UK company registrations, filtered by industry and location.
Get started free