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From start to finish, it normally takes 3 to 6 working hours to set up a company if you do it online. In most cases, you can complete a company formation application in 5 to 10 minutes and register a ready-to-trade company on the same day.
So, let’s take a brief look at the information you need to set up a company, how long the company formation process takes, and how quickly Companies House approves online applications.
Information you need to set up a company
To register a company, you must supply certain details on a company formation application form. The information required to set up a company is as follows:
- Company name
- Registered office address
- Business activity
- Directors’ details (minimum of 1)
- Shareholders’ details (minimum of 1)
- Company secretary’s details (optional)
- Details of people with significant control (PSCs)
The same individual can be a director, shareholder, secretary, and PSC – you don’t need different people for each role. Essentially, this means that you can form a company by yourself.
If you’re going into business with other people, the same individuals can assume more than one position in the company, or different people can take on different roles. It’s entirely up to you.
How long does it take to set up a company?
The process of setting up a company, also known as the company formation process, doesn’t take very long if you complete and file an online application form through Rapid Formations.
Generally, it only takes only 3 to 6 working hours in total, from choosing a company name to getting your application approved at Companies House. However, occasionally the Companies House approval process may take up to 24 hours, especially during peak filing periods.
Complete our online application process in 10 minutes
If you have all of the required information ready, you can complete our very simple online application process in approximately 10 minutes.
Each section is easy to understand and navigate, with explanations provided along the way. But if you get stuck, our friendly team of company experts is available to assist – by telephone or live chat.
Companies House approval and registration
When you’ve filled in your application, we will then submit it to Companies House (the UK register of companies) for approval. As stated above, this will only take a matter of hours.
It is worth considering purchasing our Pre-Submission Review service at a cost of £4.99 and having one of our company experts review your application for any errors and omissions before we submit it to Companies House. This will greatly reduce the chance of your company being rejected at Companies House – avoiding the need for re-submission.
When your company has been successfully registered, we will send you a confirmation email with digital copies of your company formation documents, including the certificate of incorporation.
You can then start trading through your new limited company whenever you want.
So there you have it…
We’ve outlined the information required to set up a company and explained how long the company formation process takes, including Companies House processing time.
If you have any questions or need help forming a company, please contact our company formation team at 020 7871 9990 or leave a comment below.
