Company registration, Other Legislation : Overseas Companies registered in the UK

This guide will assist you in taking the basic steps in setting up an overseas company in UK and registering it lawfully.

How to register an establishment in UK?

If you have opened up an establishment in UK then you must deliver some information to the Companies House within one month of the opening. The information required is as follows,

• The prevailing registration fee
• The completed application for ‘registering an overseas company opening an establishment in UK

If it is the first establishment of the company registered in UK then few other information is also required to be delivered to Companies House. They include,

• A copy of the latest set of accounts of the company bearing a translation in English, which is certified in case the original one is in a language which is not English. 
• A certified copy of the constitutional documents of the company, such as, article of association, charter status or memorandum also need to be submitted with a certified translation in English or in any other language other than English.

The benefit of this happens to be that when afterwards another UK establishment registers another UK establishment then it is no more required to deliver the documents again and it is sufficient to represent in the returns that they have been delivered in respect of another establishment in UK by providing the number of registration of the other establishment.

 Where to  send the registration documents?

It is ok if the registration document is to be sent to the registrar’s office at Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Belfast or any other place the establishment at UK is actually located. In case of urgency, there is an option to avail the premium “Same Day” service. The only requisite happens to be that the document must reach the office before 3 pm between Monday-Friday. There is a specified service fee and the service can only be provided on the day of the receipt of the document. There are necessary hazards like postal delays and other factors. It is mandatory that the envelope should be marked as “Same Day Registration”.

Do the overseas companies need to send other documents to Companies House after registration?

It is mandatory on the part of an overseas company to notify any changes in the original information to the Companies House. This signifies the information that needs to be delivered for the purpose of registration, as the changes occur. The changes include,

• Details of directors, secretaries or authorised persons for acceptance of service or represent the company
• company constitution
• company information such as accounting requirements or the extent of the powers of directors or secretaries to represent a company
• Change of corporate or alternative name having a UK registration
• UK establishment name, address or the business activities

What details needs to be displayed by the overseas company on its business communications and website?

The overseas company must include the name of the company in the various forms of business correspondence and documentation for carrying on business activities in UK and the information that need to be displayed include,

• The country where the company has been incorporated
• The number with which the company is registered in that registry
• The legal form of the company
• Whether the liability of the members of the company is limited, whether the company is limited
• Whether the company is being wound up or is subject to other insolvency proceedings
• If there is a reference to the amount of share capital on business letters, order forms or websites, the reference must be shown as paid up share capital.
• The identity of the registry, if any, in which the company is registered in its country of incorporation;
• The location of its head office