- Companies House issues your certificate free, usually within 24 hours online
- Certified copies cost £22 standard or £65 express, or £44 for the full pack
- The certificate proves your company exists, not that it's trading, solvent or up to date
The certificate of incorporation UK companies receive is issued free by Companies House on registration, usually within 24 hours online. You can download another copy from the register any time, and incorporating your company with Sleek keeps it stored in your account.
This guide covers certified copies, apostilles and who’ll ask to see it.
What is a certificate of incorporation?
A certificate of incorporation is the document Companies House issues when it registers a company under the Companies Act 2006. It’s the company’s birth certificate, and it’s issued once, on the day the company comes into existence.
Under section 15 of the Act, the certificate is conclusive evidence that the company has been properly registered. That’s why banks, landlords and overseas partners treat it as the starting point for checking who you are.
What does a certificate of incorporation show?
Every Companies House certificate of incorporation follows the same layout, and each field answers a question someone checking your company will ask. You’ll find:
- Company name. The exact registered name, including “Limited” or “Ltd”.
- Company number. An eight-character reference that stays with the company for life, even if the name changes.
- Date of incorporation. The day the company legally came into existence, which is also the start of its first accounting period.
- Company type. For most small businesses, a private company limited by shares.
- Jurisdiction. Whether the registered office is in England and Wales, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
- Registrar’s seal. The official seal or authentication from the Registrar of Companies.
On any incorporation certificate UK registers issue, the company number is the field people ask about most, and our guide to your company registration number explains how it’s structured and where else it must appear.
What’s missing matters too. The certificate doesn’t list directors, shareholders or people with significant control, so anyone checking those will look at the public register instead.
When do you receive your certificate, and what if it hasn’t arrived?
If you register online, Companies House emails the certificate as a PDF as soon as the company is approved, and most online registrations are done within 24 hours. Paper applications take longer, and the certificate is posted to the registered office.
If a day or two has passed with nothing in your inbox, check these in order:
- Search the company name on the register. If it shows a company number and “Active” status, you’re incorporated and can download the certificate yourself.
- Check your spam folder and the email address used on the application, which may belong to whoever filed it for you.
- Check that every director has a personal code from Companies House identity verification, because a missing code is now one of the most common reasons an application stalls.
- If the application was rejected, Companies House will tell you why, and you’ll need to correct it and resubmit.
How do you download a free copy from Companies House?
You don’t need the original to get another Companies House certificate of incorporation. It keeps a scanned copy of every incorporation certificate on the public register, and downloading it is free.
- Go to Find and update company information on the Companies House website.
- Search for your company name or number and select it.
- Open the “Filing history” tab.
- Scroll to the earliest entry, marked “Incorporation”, and select “View PDF”.
- Save the PDF or print it.
That free PDF covers most day-to-day requests, such as a supplier confirming your company number. It isn’t a certified copy, so if someone has asked for an official or certified version, you’ll need to order one.
How do you get a certified copy of your certificate?
A certified copy is signed and stamped by Companies House, which is what banks, courts and overseas authorities usually want. You order it through the “More” tab on your company’s page on the register, or by calling the Companies House contact centre on 0303 1234 500.
Here’s how the versions compare, so you can match what you order to what you’ve been asked for.
| Version | Cost | Speed | Usually accepted by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free PDF from the register | Free | Instant | Suppliers, most UK banks, your own records |
| Certified copy of the certificate | £22 standard, £65 express | Within 10 working days, or same day if ordered by 11am | Banks, lenders, solicitors |
| Certified incorporation pack | £44 standard, £130 express | As above | Due diligence, investors, some overseas bodies |
| Apostilled certified copy | Certified copy fee plus £45 FCDO fee | Up to 15 working days at the FCDO | Overseas banks, courts and authorities |
These are the Companies House certified copy fees for standard and express dispatch. The pack includes the certificate plus every document filed when the company was formed, such as the articles of association.
Orders can go to a UK or international address. For the wider list of statutory charges, see our breakdown of Companies House fees.
How do you get an apostilled certificate for use abroad?
Overseas authorities often won’t accept a UK certificate of incorporation until it’s been apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. An apostille is a stamped certificate confirming the signature on your document is genuine.
The FCDO can only apostille a Companies House document that carries an original official signature. So you’ll need to order a certified copy first, because the free PDF won’t qualify.
- Standard paper apostille. £45 per document, plus courier or postage, processed within 15 working days.
- e-Apostille. £35 per document, processed within 2 working days, for PDFs electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor.
If the destination country hasn’t signed the Hague Convention, an apostille alone may not be enough. Ask the person requesting it whether they also need embassy legalisation before you start.
Who will ask to see your certificate of incorporation?
Most requests come in the first few months after incorporation, when you’re setting up the accounts and contracts the business runs on. The usual askers are:
- Banks. Almost every bank asks for company documents when you’re opening a business bank account, although many now check the register directly and only want a certified copy for higher-risk or overseas applications.
- Landlords and letting agents. A commercial lease in the company’s name usually needs proof the tenant legally exists.
- Payment processors. Card and online payment providers verify the company before they’ll release payouts to it.
- Suppliers and trade credit. Suppliers running due diligence want to see the incorporation certificate UK law requires, alongside your company number and registered office.
- Overseas counterparties. Foreign banks, distributors and marketplaces often want a certified or apostilled copy.
- Investors and lenders. Due diligence usually asks for the full certified incorporation pack.
Before ordering a certificate of incorporation Companies House can certify, ask the requester exactly which version they need. A free download is often fine, and ordering the wrong certified document wastes both time and fees.
What doesn’t the certificate prove?
The certificate proves your company was registered on a given date. It doesn’t show that the company is trading today, that it’s solvent, or that its accounts and confirmation statement are up to date.
That catches people out on both sides. A company incorporation certificate issued years ago looks exactly the same whether the business is thriving, dormant or about to be struck off.
So anyone relying on a company incorporation certificate should also look at the live register, where they can see:
- The current status, such as “Active”, “Dissolved” or “Active: proposal to strike off”
- Whether accounts or the confirmation statement are overdue
- The current directors and people with significant control
- Every name the company has used
What happens to the certificate if you change your company name?
The original certificate of incorporation Companies House issued is a historical record, so it’s never edited or reissued. When you change the name, Companies House issues a separate certificate of incorporation on change of name, and under section 81 of the Companies Act 2006 the new name takes effect from the date on that certificate.
Keep both certificates together. Banks and overseas partners often want to see the full chain linking the old name to the new one.
What if there’s a genuine error on your certificate?
A mistake made at registration is different from a detail that’s changed since. Contact Companies House directly to have the record corrected, rather than ordering copies of a certificate that’s wrong.
Where does the certificate fit in incorporating a company?
The certificate is the last step of the application, not a separate one. You submit the company name, registered office, directors and shareholders, every director verifies their identity, and when Companies House approves it the certificate and company number are issued together, so when you’re incorporating your company there’s nothing extra to apply for.
After that, the real work starts. Online registration usually sets the company up for Corporation Tax at the same time, and our guide to registering for corporation tax covers what to check, while accounting for a newly incorporated company keeps your first year’s filings on track as you grow.
How Sleek helps with your certificate of incorporation
Sleek is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider registered with Companies House, so we can verify identities and file your application in one go. When the company’s approved, your certificate, company number and incorporation documents land in your Sleek account, ready for the bank or landlord that asks.
If you need a certified or apostilled copy later, our team will tell you which version the requester actually needs and help you order it. Your accountant then picks up your first filings, with AI doing the bookkeeping and a qualified accountant checking every return.
Get your certificate of incorporation without the chase
FAQs on certificate of incorporation uk
What's the difference between a certificate of incorporation and a summary statement?
A certificate of incorporation shows the company as it was on the day it was formed. A company certificate with a summary statement, previously called a statement of good standing, confirms the company has existed continuously since then and that no strike-off action is under way. Companies House only issues a summary statement if the company is up to date with its filings, and it costs £22 standard or £65 express.
Can I add extra details to a certified certificate?
Yes, when you order a company certificate you can ask for certain certified facts, such as the registered office address or directors’ names. You can’t add information on shareholders, shareholdings or people with significant control. Check the details on the register are current before ordering, because the certificate is taken from the filing history on the day you order.
Can anyone order a copy of my company's certificate?
Yes, the certificate sits on the public register, so anyone can download it free or order a certified copy. That’s why suppliers and banks often skip asking you and check the register themselves. You can’t stop this, but it’s a good reason to keep your registered office and other public details accurate.
Do sole traders or partnerships get a certificate of incorporation?
No, sole traders and ordinary partnerships aren’t incorporated, so there’s no certificate to issue. Limited companies, limited liability partnerships and community interest companies all get one when they register. For more on choosing a structure, see our questions about starting a business in the UK.
Why does my certificate say England and Wales rather than the UK?
The UK has three company jurisdictions, and each has its own Registrar of Companies in Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast. Your certificate names the jurisdiction where your registered office sits. A company registered in England and Wales can still trade anywhere in the UK and abroad.
