No apostille, but identity now checked
Company Documents & Identity Verification in the United Kingdom
The UK asks for no attestation or legalisation. What it now asks for is verified identity.
GCC business setup specialists
The document burden moved, not disappeared
For years a UK company could be formed with almost no documentary proof of who was behind it, and no foreign paperwork needed legalising. The first half still holds: there is no apostille chain here. The second has changed. Identity verification for directors and people with significant control is being brought in, alongside a requirement that the registered office be an address where documents can actually be delivered and acknowledged.
- No legalisation chain to manage, unlike most jurisdictions
- Identity verification handled rather than discovered mid-filing
- A registered office that satisfies the appropriate address rule
20+
Mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions we file in — so the recommendation is based on your activity, not on which authority we happen to be registered with.
7,000+
Companies successfully established.
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What is required
The UK document position
Light on paper, increasingly firm on identity.
| Item | Position |
|---|---|
| Apostille or legalisation | Not required. |
| Certified translations | Not required for incorporation. |
| Identity verification | Required for directors and people with significant control. |
| Registered office | Must be an address capable of receiving and acknowledging post. |
| Articles of association | Model articles, or bespoke where needed. |
| Statutory registers | Maintained, including the register of members. |
Identity verification and registered office requirements were introduced by recent corporate transparency legislation and are being phased in, with the detail and timing set by Companies House. We confirm what applies at the time you file.
How it works
Getting the paperwork right
Identity and address first.
01
Verify identity
Identity verification arranged for each director and person with significant control, before it blocks a filing.
02
Settle the address
A registered office that meets the appropriate address requirement, with service of documents genuinely possible there.
03
Document the company
Articles chosen or drafted, registers established and the statutory records set up correctly from incorporation.
- Proposed company name
- Identity documents for each director
- Identity documents for each person with significant control
- Service address for each officer
- Registered office address that can receive post
- Shareholders and their shareholdings
- Share class structure
- Whether model or bespoke articles are wanted
- SIC codes for the activities
- Accounting reference date preference
- Details of any corporate director or shareholder
- Any existing group documentation
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Identity verification co-ordination
- Registered office guidance against the appropriate address rule
- Articles of association, model or bespoke
- Incorporation filing at Companies House
- Statutory registers established
- Register of people with significant control
- Share certificates and first board minutes
- Guidance where a filing is rejected
Not included, quoted separately
- Companies House fees, paid at cost
- Identity verification provider charges
- Registered office service unless quoted
- Bespoke articles drafted by a lawyer
- Shareholders’ agreements
- Notarisation, where needed for use abroad
- Apostille for UK documents used overseas
- Accounts preparation
Verify independently
Relevant UK authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Companies HouseHM Revenue & CustomsUK Visas and ImmigrationIntellectual Property OfficeInformation Commissioner’s OfficeThe Pensions Regulator
Questions
UK company documents — FAQs
Do I need to legalise my passport or company documents?
No. The UK requires no apostille or attestation chain to incorporate, which is a substantial saving in both time and cost compared with most jurisdictions.
What is identity verification?
A requirement for directors and people with significant control to have their identity verified, introduced by recent corporate transparency legislation and phased in. It is now the main documentary step.
Can I use a PO box as my registered office?
The address must be one where documents can be delivered and receipt acknowledged, so an address with no effective delivery will not satisfy the rule.
Should I use model articles?
They suit most straightforward companies. Bespoke articles are worth it where there are multiple share classes, investor rights or unusual control arrangements.
What if I need UK documents for use abroad?
Then you may need notarisation and an apostille on the UK documents themselves. That is the reverse direction, and we can point you to it.
Go deeper
More United Kingdom services
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