Setting Up a Business in the UK: A Step-by-Step Guide

Setting up a UK limited company starts with registration at Companies House, which can be completed online in as little as a few hours once you have your proposed company name, registered office address, and director/shareholder details ready.

Choosing a registered office address matters beyond just the paperwork — it needs to be a physical UK address where statutory mail can reliably reach you, which is why many overseas founders use a registered agent service rather than a personal address.

Once incorporated, you'll need to register for Corporation Tax with HMRC within three months of starting to trade, and separately register for VAT once your taxable turnover crosses the current registration threshold (or earlier, voluntarily, if it benefits your input VAT position).

Opening a UK business bank account as a non-resident director can be the slowest step in the process — banks vary significantly in their requirements, and having your company formation, registered office, and initial accounting set up correctly in advance meaningfully speeds up the account approval process.

Budget roughly 5–10 business days for formation itself, though the full path to a fully operational company — bank account included — typically takes several weeks when starting from outside the UK.