UNITED KINGDOM (UK) COMPANIES HOUSE

Inside the UK Companies House Register

UK company verification works through the Companies House “Find and update company information” service, where users can search companies, review filing history, inspect accounts, check officers, verify charges and compare official registry details with contracts, invoices and payment instructions.

Search a UK Company Before Signing an Agreement

Before signing with a UK company, search by exact company name or company number, then compare the register result with the contract, invoice, registered office, directors, PSC data, filing history, VAT number, FCA status and bank-payment details.

Information Delivered by the UK Company Register

The register information can show the following essentials:

• Business or company name;
• Company number;
• Company status;
• Company type, such as LTD, PLC or LLP;
• Registered office address;
• Date of incorporation;
• Directors, secretaries and officers;
• Persons with significant control;
• Share capital where applicable;
• Shareholders or share information from filings where available;
• Standard Industrial Classification codes describing business activity;
• Accounts, confirmation statements, charges and filing history.

What a Companies House Record Can Confirm

A Companies House record can confirm the official company identity, company number, registered office, incorporation date, officers, filings and status, making it stronger than invoices, email signatures, websites or privately supplied certificates that have not been checked.

Verify Whether a UK Company Is Active or Risky

To verify whether a UK company is active, dissolved, in liquidation, overdue with filings or commercially risky, review its Companies House status, accounts, confirmation statements, charges, PSC information, registered office changes and FCA authorisation where financial activity is claimed.

Why Investors Should Check UK Registry Records

Investors should check Companies House records before funding, acquiring or partnering because official data may reveal director resignations, overdue accounts, charges over assets, share-capital changes, PSC concerns, strike-off notices or inconsistencies with the investment memorandum.

Identify Directors, PSCs and Signing Authority

UK due diligence should identify directors, officers, persons with significant control and authorised signatories through Companies House records, board resolutions, articles, contracts and mandates, because being a director or PSC does not automatically prove authority for every transaction.

Official UK Company Documents Available

Useful verification documents can include incorporation documents, certificates, certified copies, accounts, confirmation statements, appointment and resignation filings, registered-office updates, charge documents, PSC filings, articles of association and financial-regulator confirmations where regulated activity is claimed.

Due Diligence Uses of the UK Company Register

Companies House checks support KYB onboarding, supplier approval, investor screening, credit review, procurement control, AML documentation, lending files and fraud prevention by creating an official UK company baseline before tax, licence, ownership and sanctions checks.

How the UK Register Reduces Fraud and Commercial Risk

The UK register reduces risk by exposing false names, dissolved companies, mismatched company numbers, suspicious addresses, unauthorised officers, overdue filings, asset charges, unclear control information and financial-service claims requiring separate FCA Register verification.

UK-Specific Point: Company Number, PSC Register, SIC Codes and FCA

UK verification should combine the company number, Companies House filing history, PSC register, SIC codes, VAT checks and FCA Register where relevant, because incorporation, beneficial control, business activity, tax identity and financial authorisation are separate verification layers.

Key Sources for United Kingdom Company Register Information

Companies House — Find and Update Company Information

Website: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/

The Companies House search service provides free company information, including registered office address, filing history, accounts, officers, charges and persons with significant control, making it the main UK source for company-register verification.

Companies House — Certified Documents and Certificates

Website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/order-certified-copies-and-certificates-from-companies-house

Companies House certified documents and certificates are useful when a counterparty, bank, investor or foreign authority needs official evidence of company facts or certified copies of documents held on the public register.

Companies House — People with Significant Control

Website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-significant-control-pscs

The PSC guidance explains who owns or controls a UK company, helping due diligence teams distinguish directors, shareholders, beneficial owners and controlling persons when reviewing ownership transparency or AML risk.

HMRC — Check a UK VAT Number

Website: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number

HMRC’s VAT number check helps users verify whether a UK VAT registration number is valid and confirm the business name and address linked to that VAT number before approving invoices or payments.

FCA — Financial Services Register

Website: https://register.fca.org.uk/s/

The FCA Financial Services Register should be checked when a UK company claims financial services, investment, insurance, payments, lending or advisory activity, because Companies House incorporation alone does not prove regulated authorisation.