Starting a business in the UK can be relatively quick, especially if you are setting up a standard private limited company. However, the exact time depends on the type of business you are creating and how quickly you have your information ready.
For a typical private limited company registered online with Companies House, the official government guidance says the application is usually processed within 24 hours. (GOV.UK)
That does not necessarily mean every part of starting a business is completed within 24 hours. Registering the company is one step. Setting up taxes, banking, licences and other requirements can take additional time.
What is Companies House?
Companies House is the UK government organisation responsible for registering companies and keeping information about them.
Think of it as the UK’s official company register. When a limited company is successfully registered, information about the company becomes available on the public register.
The public can search the register for company information, including the company’s name, registration number and certain information about its directors and people who control it.
How long does UK company registration take?
For a standard private limited company:
| Method | Typical processing time | Current fee |
|---|---|---|
| Online registration | Usually within 24 hours | £100 |
| Software filing | Normally within 24 hours | £100 |
| Same-day software service | Same day if eligible and submitted by 3pm Monday to Friday | £156 |
| Paper application | Generally slower | £124 |
The £100 online incorporation fee has applied since 1 February 2026.
The important point is that 24 hours is the normal processing time, not a guaranteed maximum. Companies House says an application can take longer if it is complex.
There is also an important distinction between the online service and the same-day service. The standard online service costs £100 and is normally processed within 24 hours. The same-day service is a separate software-based service costing £156 and has a 3pm Monday to Friday deadline.
The UK business registration process
For someone starting a normal private limited company, the process can be broken down into several steps.
1. Decide what type of business you want
You first need to decide on your business structure.
Common options include:
- Sole trader
- Private limited company
- Partnership
- Limited liability partnership
- Public limited company
These structures have different legal and tax requirements.
If you are specifically asking about company registration with Companies House, the private limited company is one of the most common structures.
A sole trader is different because you do not create a separate limited company in the same way.
2. Choose your company name
You need to choose a name that follows the Companies House rules.
The name should generally not be the same as, or too similar to, another registered company where the rules prohibit it.
It is also sensible to check trademarks before committing to a name.
This is important because company-name availability and trademark protection are not the same thing.
For example, a name might appear to be available as a company name but still cause problems because another business owns a trademark for that name.
3. Decide who will run and own the company
You need to provide information about the company’s people.
For a company limited by shares, this normally includes:
- Directors
- Shareholders
- People with significant control
A shareholder is someone who owns part of the company.
A director is responsible for managing the company.
A person with significant control, commonly called a PSC, is someone who has significant ownership or control of the company. For example, this can include someone who owns more than 25% of the shares or voting rights.
One person can be the sole shareholder and the sole director of a company.
4. Verify your identity
Companies House now requires identity verification for relevant people involved in companies.
This includes directors and people with significant control in circumstances covered by the new requirements.
You may need to complete identity verification before registering the company, depending on your situation and how you are registering. GOV.UK says you may need the personal code received after verifying your identity when registering a company.
This means identity verification should be considered part of the preparation process rather than something to ignore until the last minute.
5. Decide on the registered office address
A limited company needs an official registered office address.
This is the address used for official company correspondence.
There is an important privacy point here. Information supplied to Companies House can become public.
For example, if you use your home address as the company’s registered office, that address can appear on the public register.
Some businesses therefore use an appropriate business or registered-office service instead, provided it meets the legal requirements.
6. Choose what the company does
You will need to choose a SIC code.
A SIC code is simply a number used to describe the main type of business activity your company carries out.
For example, a company involved in software development will have a different SIC code from a company involved in publishing or construction.
Choosing the appropriate code is part of the Companies House registration process.
7. Prepare the company’s documents
A limited company needs documents describing how it is formed and operated.
Two important documents are the memorandum of association and articles of association.
The memorandum is essentially the formal statement by the original shareholders or guarantors agreeing to form the company.
The articles are the rules for running the company.
If you register online using the standard process, the memorandum is created automatically. You can generally use standard articles, known as model articles, rather than creating completely customised rules.
For a company limited by shares, you also provide information about its shares and shareholders.
8. Submit the application to Companies House
Once your information is ready, you submit the application and pay the registration fee.
The current standard online fee is £100.
Companies House says online applications are normally processed within 24 hours.
For many straightforward applications, this means you could potentially complete the application and have a legally incorporated company within about a day.
9. Receive the certificate of incorporation
If Companies House accepts the application, you receive a certificate of incorporation.
This is the official document confirming that the company legally exists.
It includes important information such as:
- The company’s name
- Company number
- Date of incorporation
At this point, you have successfully incorporated the company.
Does registering the company mean everything is finished?
No.
This is one of the most important things to understand.
There is a difference between incorporating a company and fully setting up a business to operate.
You could register a company today but still have other things to arrange.
Depending on the business, these could include:
- Corporation Tax arrangements
- PAYE if you employ people
- A business bank account
- Accounting systems
- Business insurance
- Industry-specific licences
- Data protection requirements
- VAT registration, if required
- Contracts and terms of business
- Website and business email
- Bookkeeping
- Payroll
Some of these are only necessary depending on what the company does.
What happens with Corporation Tax?
When you use the GOV.UK service to register a private limited company, the company is usually set up for Corporation Tax at the same time, unless the company is dormant.
Corporation Tax is the tax a company generally pays on its taxable profits.
You may also be able to register for PAYE during the process if the company will employ people, including a director who is the only person working for the company.
However, registering the company does not mean you can ignore your ongoing tax and reporting responsibilities.
How quickly can someone realistically start?
For a straightforward private limited company, a reasonable example could look like this:
Day 1: Preparation
You choose the name, decide who the directors and shareholders are, prepare the necessary information, verify identities where required, choose the registered office and select the appropriate SIC code.
Day 1: Application
You submit the application online and pay the £100 fee.
Within about 24 hours
Companies House normally processes the application.
After approval
You receive the certificate of incorporation and can begin dealing with the company as an incorporated legal entity.
But the business may still need additional registrations, licences, banking arrangements and other practical preparations before it is ready to operate.
What can make registration take longer?
Although 24 hours is the normal processing time for many applications, delays can happen.
For example:
Incorrect information
Errors in the application can cause problems or rejection.
A complicated application
Companies House specifically says complex applications may take longer than the normal processing period. (GOV.UK)
Identity verification
If required identity checks have not been completed properly, this can affect the registration process.
Company name problems
A proposed name that does not meet the rules can prevent successful registration.
Special types of companies
Some types of organisations have additional requirements compared with a straightforward private limited company.
For example, a community interest company has additional requirements and cannot simply use the standard model articles used by ordinary companies.
What is the fastest way to register a UK company?
For a straightforward company, online registration through GOV.UK is generally the simplest option.
Companies House describes the online service as the quickest and easiest way to incorporate a company. The standard online fee is currently £100 and the normal processing time is within 24 hours.
If you need a same-day service, Companies House also offers a same-day incorporation service through software. It costs £156 and applications must be submitted by 3pm Monday to Friday.
A simple example
Imagine Sarah wants to create a UK company called Sarah Digital Ltd.
She could:
- Check whether the proposed name can be registered.
- Decide that she will be the director.
- Decide how many shares she will own.
- Provide the required shareholder information.
- Identify herself as a person with significant control.
- Complete any required identity verification.
- Choose a suitable registered office address.
- Select the appropriate SIC code for the company’s activities.
- Submit the application online.
- Pay the £100 incorporation fee.
- Wait for Companies House to process the application.
- Receive the certificate of incorporation if the application is accepted.
For a straightforward application, the official expectation is normally within 24 hours.
So, how long does it take overall?
The answer depends on what you mean by “business registration.”
Registering a standard private limited company: usually within 24 hours online.
Same-day incorporation through the eligible software service: potentially the same day, if the application meets the requirements and is submitted by the 3pm deadline.
Getting the business completely ready to operate: potentially longer, because banking, tax, licences, insurance and other requirements can take additional time.
So, if all your information is ready and you are creating a straightforward private limited company, the actual company incorporation can be completed very quickly, potentially within a day.
Sources
All sources below are official UK government or Companies House sources.
- Companies House. (2026). Set up a private limited company: Register your company. GOV.UK. GOV.UK: Register your company
- Companies House. (2026). Incorporation and names. GOV.UK. GOV.UK: Incorporation and names
- Companies House. (2026). Companies House fees. GOV.UK. GOV.UK: Companies House fees
- GOV.UK. (2026). Set up a limited company: Step by step. GOV.UK: Set up a limited company
- Companies House. (2026). Your personal information on the Companies House register. GOV.UK. GOV.UK: Your personal information on the Companies House register
- Companies House. (2026). Filing your Companies House information online. GOV.UK. GOV.UK: Filing information online
