A certificate of incorporation is a document that is issued to a UK company when it is registered with Companies House. This certificate confirms that a business has been incorporated under the Companies Act 2006 as a legal entity with its own identity.

Companies House issues a certificate as soon as your company registration application has been approved. If you submit your company registration online, you will receive the certificate in digital (PDF) format via email as soon as your registration is approved.

If you register your company using the IN01 form, your certificate will arrive by post within 8-10 working days after Companies House approves your application.is shown on a Certificate of Incorporation?

The following information is shown on a Certificate of Incorporation:

1. Registered company name.
2. Company registration number
3. Date of incorporation (when was the company formed)
4. Company structure
5. Where is the company registered
6. Issuing Registrar (Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast)
7. The Companies Act under which the company is registered
8. Official seal of the Registrar of Companies
9. Royal Coat of Arms.

Certificate of Incorporation is the proof that your company was formed at Companies House and is a legal entity. It also proves that company’s details have been added to the public register of companies, which anyone can view online.

You may also require your Certificate of Incorporation when you go to open a bank account, apply for a loan, sell shares to an investor or if you wish to sell the company.

What happens if you lose your certificate of incorporation? If you registered your company online, your certificate PDF format) will be sent to email as soon as your registration is approved (Usually within 3-4 minutes).  If not, you can contact Companies House and for an additional fee, they can send you a certified certificate to your company’s registered address.

You might want to change your company’s name at one point. If this is the case and you successfully change your company’s name, Companies House will provide you with a Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name. Apart from the company name, all other details stated on the new certificate will be the same as the original certificate, including the company registration number and date of incorporation. You need to keep copies of both the old and new certificate at your company’s registered office address in case someone later requests to view it.

If you require any assistance in obtaining your certificate of Incorporation, or if you require the certificate to be apostilled 1Office UK we would be happy to assist you.