Company formation

UK Ltd filing package at Companies House

Register a Private Limited Company at Companies House with a CRN and a digital Certificate of Incorporation. For the full commercial offer start at /uk-company-formation — this page is the filing package itself.

Fromمن $299

How remote UK company formation works in practice

A UK Private Limited Company (Ltd) is a separate legal entity registered at Companies House. Non-resident founders can form one remotely through structured identity verification support. Eteform handles the filing and checks in 24–48 working hours. Six service packages start from $299; the $135 Companies House fee is shown separately.

After incorporation you receive a CRN and digital documents. Many founders then open Wise Business or Revolut Business, set a London registered office if needed, and prepare for Stripe, Shopify or Amazon using matching company details. Annual duties typically include the Confirmation Statement (CS01), accounts, and Corporation Tax registration with HMRC when trading starts. Dormant companies still have lighter filing duties — they are not a full exemption from Companies House.

UK company formation does not grant UK residency or a visa. Eteform guarantees legal, complete execution of every request, and bank or payment-gateway approval when all requirements are fully met — with a correctly filed, transparent entity and Arabic support from order to certificate. Compare packages, read the formation guide, or start your order with clear USD pricing.

See also UK company formation, 2026 cost breakdown, and the full guide.

Who needs a British company?

The freelancer who wants invoices in a company name; a Shopify/Amazon seller who needs a payment gateway in a supported country; a consultant contracting with European clients; a SaaS founder who wants a trusted entity for Stripe; and anyone combining a local licence (such as a Free Zone) with a separate international entity. It is not a substitute for a UK visa or residency, and it is not a way to avoid tax in your country of residence.

What you actually receive after registration

After the application is accepted, Companies House issues the Certificate of Incorporation and the Company Registration Number. With that number you can open digital accounts, apply for Stripe or platforms, and prove a legal entity separate from you personally. Documents are delivered digitally to your email and client area; printed copies are available in higher packages.

Formation steps from application to certificate

Propose an English name and check obvious conflicts on the register
Confirm directors, shareholders and share percentages
Choose a SIC Code that describes the real activity (important later for banks and tax)
Verify identity remotely — mandatory since 2024
File IN01 and pay the Companies House government fee
Receive digital documents: certificate and articles of association

Documents and data we need from you

A valid passport for each director/significant shareholder, recent proof of address in your country of residence, and the full name in Latin characters as it will appear on the register. A British director or UK residency is not required. The registered office must be inside the United Kingdom — if you do not have one, it is added from an address package or a privacy package.

Price and timeline, clearly

Standard path: 24–48 business hours after a complete file and payment. Digital formation packages from £226 for our service; government fees are separate (£100) at the Companies House rate at filing time. Same-Day is an add-on with its own page and conditions. Prices are in sterling on /packages and /en/packages — any local-currency conversion is approximate at the day’s rate.

Common mistakes that delay or complicate formation

An Arabic name or symbols the register will not accept — names must be Latin characters only
A SIC Code that is too generic or will not match what you tell the bank later
A residential address outside the UK as the registered office (not accepted)
Unclear passport scans or details that do not match the passport literally
Assuming the certificate alone replaces Corporation Tax and CS01 later

After the CRN? A first-90-days map

Arrange the registered office if it was not in the package, open a banking channel suited to your activity, watch the Corporation Tax registration deadline, and do not postpone understanding Confirmation Statement dates. If the company has no transactions yet, the dormant accounts path differs from an active company — see the Dormant and Corporation Tax pages for your situation.

FAQ about this service

Is remote formation legal for non-residents?

Yes. A non-resident can be a director and shareholder. Identity verification is done through an ACSP, and the registered office must be in the UK.

What is the minimum share capital?

You can form an Ltd with nominal shares (for example £1). Large capital is not a registration requirement, but banks may ask about the source of funds later.

Is a paper certificate necessary?

The digital copy is enough for most platforms. A “digital + print” package adds printed copies and a stamp if you need them for embassies or bodies that require paper.

Does forming a company grant a UK visa or residency?

No. Commercial registration is entirely separate from immigration. Any visa route has its own Home Office conditions.

How long does formation take and what do I pay?

Usually 24–48 business hours after complete data and payment. Our digital package starts from £226 + Companies House government fees (£100). See /packages or /en/packages for current details.

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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. To order filing, start at UK company formation.

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 $299 across six packages, with the $135 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 $69/year, CS01 confirmation statement) are disclosed upfront. Compare packages on the packages 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 $69/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 $69/year adds a trading address for mail, while the real commercial address (tenancy) provides a defined Central London suite with a Commercial Tenancy Agreement in your company name — the file banks and payment gateways typically need for KYC.

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.

UK formation only — from wherever you live

Our focus is remote UK Ltd formation, with London address and compliance add-ons when needed. Start from UK company formation, then the address and tax services, browse all packages, or compare packages.

We serve founders across the Gulf, Levant, North Africa, and the diaspora — with Arabic and English support over WhatsApp and email. Origin pages such as Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia explain forming a UK company from your country, not forming a local company there.

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 activity packages or use the full package comparison.

Why do Arab founders choose Eteform?

Eteform.com Ltd is a UK company registered since 2015. 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.