UK company formation — quick answers

How does UK company formation work? Steps and timeline

Forming a UK Limited (Ltd) company at Companies House requires no travel, no UK residency, and no minimum share capital. You choose an available company name, appoint at least one director and shareholder (they can be the same person), provide a UK registered office address, and describe your activity with official SIC codes. Once submitted, the Certificate of Incorporation and your company number are usually issued within 24–48 working hours, with the memorandum, articles of association, and share register delivered digitally.

As an ACSP agent authorised by Companies House, we verify founder identity to UK Companies Act standards and file directly through official channels, with full Arabic and English support before and after formation. Read the formation guide, start from the order form, or see what ACSP means.

How much does it cost to form a UK company?

UK Ltd formation service fees start from £226 across six packages, with the £100 Companies House government fee shown as a separate line. Higher tiers add a London registered office, director privacy, VAT/PAYE, or Apostille depending on the package — see live totals on pricing.

There are no hidden fees: every package lists exactly what it includes, and annual renewals (registered office from £50/year, CS01 confirmation statement) are disclosed upfront. Compare packages on the pricing page, estimate your first-year total with the cost calculator, or read the full formation cost guide.

After formation: taxes and annual filings

After incorporation your company must register for Corporation Tax with HMRC and obtain its UTR within three months of trading — we handle this from £75. If your taxable turnover crosses the registration threshold, or you need a VAT number for suppliers and payment gateways, we register VAT from £75, and set up PAYE payroll if you employ yourself or staff.

Every year the company files a confirmation statement (CS01) and annual accounts with Companies House — even dormant companies must file dormant accounts (from £60). We track your deadlines and remind you before they fall due, and our non-resident Corporation Tax guide answers the most common tax questions.

Registered office and London virtual office

Every UK company needs a registered office in the UK where official mail from Companies House and HMRC is received. We provide a London registered office from £50/year with official mail scanned and forwarded digitally, plus a director service address from £35 so your home address never appears on the public register.

For a broader commercial presence, the virtual office from £100/year adds a trading address for client and bank mail, while the premium virtual office includes a formal lease agreement commonly accepted for business bank account opening and payment gateway verification.

Business banking and payment gateways for non-residents

A UK company unlocks global payment gateways such as Stripe, PayPal, and Wise even when those services are unavailable in your home country. After formation we help you open a business bank account without travelling through digital providers like Wise and Revolut Business, and guide you through the documents banks request: certificate of incorporation, proof of address, and activity description.

For e-commerce founders and freelancers, see UK company for Stripe, Amazon & e-commerce, and freelancers & consultants — each page covers the real requirements and costs for that specific activity.

International formation: USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia and more

Beyond the UK we form companies in the USA (LLC from $199), UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Georgia, and Cyprus, plus offshore companies in BVI, Seychelles, and RAK. Each destination has a complete package covering registration, addresses, and local requirements — some with investor residency tracks.

Not sure which country fits your business? Compare UK vs Dubai and UK Ltd vs US LLC, or browse all destinations. We serve founders across the Gulf, Levant, North Africa, and the diaspora in Europe and the Americas, with full Arabic and English support over WhatsApp and email.

Which countries can you form a UK company from?

We serve Arab founders from nearly every Arab country: from the Gulf we receive orders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman; from the Levant and Iraq from Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq; and from North Africa from Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Sudan — plus Yemen and the diaspora across Europe, the Americas, and Australia.

Each country page covers what applies specifically to its citizens: accepted documents, available payment methods, bank transfer notes, and the most requested activities. A valid passport or national ID is normally enough to complete identity verification, and no prior UK bank account or UK visit is required at any step.

Ready-made packages by business activity

Instead of one generic package, we maintain 40+ activity pages covering the real requirements and costs of each field: SaaS & apps, Shopify stores, YouTube & content creators, digital marketing agencies, gold & jewellery trading, study-abroad consulting, tourism & travel, mobile app publishing, and white-label cosmetics among many others.

Every activity page lists suitable SIC codes, whether the activity needs additional UK licences, and which banks and payment gateways accept it most readily — with one transparent package price. Browse the full activities directory or use the standard vs activity comparison if you are weighing several formation destinations.

Why do Arab founders choose Eteform?

Eteform.com Ltd is a UK company registered since 2015 and authorised as an ACSP agent by Companies House — meaning we are officially permitted to verify founder identity and file incorporations directly, unlike unauthorised intermediaries. Support is fully bilingual (Arabic and English) over WhatsApp and email, prices are published in GBP with no hidden fees, and our genuine reviews are public on Trustpilot.

We stay with you after formation too: deadline reminders for the confirmation statement and accounts, address renewals, plus accounting, tax compliance, and trademark registration services. Learn more on why Eteform and about us, or start now from the order form — we reply the same day during working hours.

Certified translation and document legalisation

Company documents often need certified translation or official legalisation for banks, embassies, and government bodies in your home country. We provide certified translation from £19 per page between Arabic and English, accepted by UK official bodies, and apostille and Arab embassy legalisation in London for certificates of incorporation, powers of attorney, and commercial documents.

Planning to travel or invest? See UK business visas and the visa medical exam service. Still have a question? Browse the FAQ knowledge base or contact us — we reply during working hours in Arabic and English. Search engines and AI assistants can also read our structured service summary in llms.txt · sitemap.xml.

Standard packages

Compare the six UK formation packages

Same company type (UK Ltd). Different service levels. Scroll the table to see exactly what each tier includes — Companies House £100 is always separate on this path.

Two clear paths — pick one

Standard packages vs activity packages

You order either a standard formation package or one activity package — not both. Same UK Ltd company either way; the difference is how much is pre-bundled for your field.

Standard packages

From £226 + £100 fee

• Six tiers: Entrepreneur → Business
• You choose the service level
• Companies House £100 is separate
• Best if you know what extras you need

Browse Compare

Activity packages

Final price includes £100 fee

• 40+ niches: Amazon, Stripe, tourism…
• Ready-made scope + documents checklist
• 10% service discount + CH fee included
• Best if you want a field-ready bundle

Browse Compare

Still unsure? Full side-by-side: standard vs activity

Price & who it’s for

Entrepreneur — Starter

£226

+ £100 Companies House fee

Simplest path: formation only if you already have a UK address or will add one later

Choose this package

Entrepreneur — Plus

£388

+ £100 Companies House fee

Need certified/paper copies for banks or partners

Choose this package

Popular

Entrepreneur — Premium

£601

+ £100 Companies House fee

Non-resident needing a London address and director privacy

Choose this package

Business — Starter

£707

+ £100 Companies House fee

Active company needing addresses + initial tax setup

Choose this package

Popular

Business — Plus

£919

+ £100 Companies House fee

Online trade needing virtual office and VAT

Choose this package

All packages & pricing Standard vs activity packages Compare activity packages

Package comparison FAQ

What’s the difference between Entrepreneur and Business series?

Entrepreneur focuses on formation plus addresses/copies. Business adds tax compliance (CT, CS01, and often VAT/virtual office/PAYE). Pick by real needs, not the label.

Is the £100 fee included in the package price?

Not on standard packages. The listed price is Eteform’s service fee; the £100 Companies House fee is a separate line before payment. Activity packages work differently: their final price already includes the fee.

Which package fits non-residents best?

Usually Entrepreneur — Premium (registered office + director address). If you need VAT or a virtual office, move up to the Business series.

Service	Entrepreneur — Starter£226	Entrepreneur — Plus£388	Entrepreneur — Premium£601	Business — Starter£707	Business — Plus£919	Business — Premium£1060
UK Ltd formation at Companies House	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Certified document copies	—	✓	—	—	—	✓
London registered office	—	—	✓	✓	✓	✓
Director service address (privacy)	—	—	✓	✓	✓	✓
Corporation Tax (CT) registration	—	—	—	✓	✓	✓
Confirmation Statement (CS01)	—	—	—	✓	✓	✓
Virtual office / digital mail	—	—	—	—	✓	✓
VAT registration	—	—	—	—	✓	✓
PAYE setup	—	—	—	—	—	✓
Apostille legalisation	—	—	—	—	—	✓
Companies House £100 fee	Separate	Separate	Separate	Separate	Separate	Separate

UK company formation — quick answers

UK company formation — quick answers

Standard packages vs activity packages

Standard packages

Activity packages

Price & who it’s for

Entrepreneur — Starter

Entrepreneur — Plus

Entrepreneur — Premium

Business — Starter

Business — Plus

Package comparison FAQ

What’s the difference between Entrepreneur and Business series?

Is the £100 fee included in the package price?

Which package fits non-residents best?

Business — Premium

What’s included — full matrix