How Can I Get A Copy Of My Certificate Of Incorporation?

Q: Did we form your company?

Login to your account dashboard and find the Download button

Q: Is your company not yet registered in the UK?

→ Register a UK company here

 

 
Sample Incorporation Certificate 


Q: Where can I get the original copy of my certificate?

There's no such thing. A certificate of incorporation is not like a birth certificate or a passport; it's not unique and precious. One A4 copy has just as much value as another.

A paper copy is useful in that you can hand it over at a bank when you go to open a bank account; it's immediate in a way a digital file is not. Be sure that the bank will do standard checks to see if what you've presented matches what's on file at Companies House, but otherwise having a paper copy is just reassuring, to them and to you.

You keep a copy in your filing cabinet, as digital files can disappear. Otherwise, you will not use the Certificate much. The British system is pretty minimal and efficient compared to other jurisdictions.

Q: What is it typically used for?

- Opening a business bank account;
- Applying for any kind of finance in your company name;
- Renting or buying property in your company name;
- Setting up an overseas operation in your company name;
- Selling company shares to new investors;
- Selling the company itself.

Q: What information is on it?

- Company name;
- Company registration number (CRN);
- Incorporation date;
- Jurisdiction (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland);
- Structure (limited by shares or limited by guarantee);
- Registrar (Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast);
- Act under which the company was registered (Companies Act 2006);
- Seal of the Registrar of Companies (Companies House);
- Royal Coat of Arms.

Q: Did someone else form your company?

Go here, search on your company name, click on 'Filing History' and then click on the oldest PDF document listed.

The first page of that document is your incorporation certificate.

→ Need more help? Contact us