UK establishment registration for overseas companies

What's included

• £124 Companies House fee (paper filing)The £100 government fee Companies House charges to register a new company. It's already included in our price — there's nothing extra to pay.
• Review of whether your UK presence counts as an establishment
• Check of your certified constitution and any translation
• Check of whether accounts must be delivered with the form
• Collection of director details and identity verification personal codesEvery director and person with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House. As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) we can do it for you remotely and give you your personal code.
• Help with directors' identity verification as a Companies House ACSPEvery director and person with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House. As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) we can do it for you remotely and give you your personal code.
• Preparation of form OS IN01
• Sending the form to Companies House
• Handling questions or corrections from Companies House
• Plain-English summary of your ongoing filing duties

What a UK establishment is

A UK establishment is a place of business in the UK, such as a branch or office, set up by a company incorporated outside the UK. If your overseas company sets up a place of business here, it must register it with Companies House on form OS IN01.

Using an independent agent, or occasional premises such as a hotel room, does not count as setting up a UK establishment. If you are unsure whether your arrangements count, speak to a UK lawyer before you open.

A UK establishment is not a UK subsidiary

Registering a UK establishment does not create a new company. The establishment is part of your overseas company, which stays responsible for its debts and obligations.

Many founders find a separate UK limited company simpler: it has its own legal identity, its own UK accounts and is often easier for UK banks and customers to understand. If that suits you better, see our Non-Resident Package. For tax treatment of either option, speak to an accountant.

When to register

You must file OS IN01 within one month of opening the UK establishment. The Companies House fee is £124, and this form can only be filed on paper.

What you need to provide

• a certified copy of the company's constitution (for example, its articles or by-laws)
• a certified English translation, if the constitution is not in English
• the company's latest accounts, if the law of its home country requires accounts to be prepared and disclosed
• details of the company and of the UK establishment, including its address and the people authorised to represent it
• each director's identity verification details and personal code

Translation and certification costs are not included in our price. We can help arrange notarised documents or a certificate of incumbency where these are useful.

Identity verification for directors

Every director of an overseas company with a UK establishment must verify their identity with Companies House. The company confirms this on form OS VS01 by the anniversary of the date the UK establishment was opened. As a Companies House Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), we can help directors verify and get their personal codes, or they can verify through GOV.UK One Login.

How it works

1. You tell us about your company and the planned UK establishment.
2. We confirm what documents are needed and check them when you send them.
3. We collect director details and personal codes.
4. We prepare form OS IN01 and send it to you to sign.
5. We send the form to Companies House and deal with any queries.
6. We send you confirmation once the establishment is registered.

Ongoing duties after registration

• Report changes to the company or establishment details within 14 days.
• Confirm directors' identity verification on OS VS01 by the anniversary of opening.
• File accounts with Companies House. If home-country law requires audited, disclosed accounts, file them within 3 months of the date they are disclosed there, on form OS AA01. Otherwise, accounts are due within 13 months of the end of the accounting reference period.

The accounts filing fee is £50 online or £110 on paper. You may also have UK tax duties; an accountant can advise.

Common mistakes

• Missing the one-month deadline after opening
• Sending an uncertified copy of the constitution, or no translation
• Forgetting that accounts may be required with the first filing
• Treating the establishment as a separate company for contracts and banking

Frequently asked questions

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