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How to change a registered business address (Companies House)

There are several addresses that must be supplied and held by Companies House when a new company is formed.

Inevitably, these addresses may change during the lifetime of the company.

So, how would you go about updating Companies House with a change of registered business address?

Thankfully, the process is fairly simple and only mildly time consuming.

FAQ

What is a registered business address?



A registered office address refers to a place where companies receive official mail correspondences from Companies House, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and other government agencies.
 
It’s a mandatory requirement for all UK businesses to have a registered office address, under the UK Companies Act, section 86.
 

Why change a registered business address?

There are several possible reasons a business may look to change their registered business address. Below are a few such scenarios where it makes sense to change a registered business address:
 
  • Relocation due to expansion or a change in rental agreement, within the same UK jurisdiction (England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland)
  • Your current business address may be residential, and you’d like it to become private
  • Your current business address is negatively affecting your credibility with potential customers
 

Rules around moving your address

If changing your registered office address online or by post, your new address MUST be located within the same part of the UK as where it was initially registered and NOT be a PO box address. If this is the case, the process is easy, and the change of address will follow the standard procedure as detailed later in this article.
 
However, if you want to move to a different jurisdiction, for instance, from England to Northern Ireland, the process is different. Your business will need to be re-incorporated within the same region as your new address. That is to say, if your business address is changing to Northern Ireland, having originally been registered in England, you’re required to re-incorporate your business under Northern Ireland instead.
 

 

 

 

 

What documents are required to change address?


During the submission of your application, you will need to provide the following information to Companies House:
 
  • Your company name in full
  • Your company number
  • Your new registered office address in full
 
It should be noted that if there’s a dispute over the address, you may be required to provide additional evidence as proof of occupancy. For this reason, it’s a good idea to have recent utility bills or relevant contracts to hand.
 

How do you change your company’s registered office address?

Changing your registered office address is quick and easy and can be done online. There’s no fee to change your registered office address, but you’ll need your email address and your authentication code.
 
  1. Go to the Find and update company information page.
  2. Find your company using the search function.
  3. Click on the ‘file for this company’ tab and follow the instructions.
  4. Enter your new building name or number and postcode. You can find the address or enter it manually.
  5. Submit your changes.
 
You should receive a confirmation email within a few minutes of making the change. Remember, however, your address will not officially change until it’s registered with Companies House.
 

How long will it take?

Changes to your registered office address will only take effect after Companies House has registered it. The online application process will take about 1-3 days for Companies House’s to process and approve.
 
However, if you prefer to submit a paper form, you can download this AD01 - Change of Registered Address form and return it to Companies House. However, it will take longer for physical application forms to be processed and it must be completed within 14 days of the change of address taking place, so keep this timeframe in mind.
 

Who do you need to notify after the change of registered office address?

 
When you’ve changed your registered office address, you will need to inform and update government agencies, relevant stakeholders, and other business asset documents.
 
Here is a quick list to get you started:
  • HMRC - You will need to inform them of any changes to your registered office address within 30 days. Failure to do so leaves you at risk of receiving a financial penalty.
  • VAT – This is important, as this will affect your VAT registration. You may apply changes to your registered office address through completion of the VAT484 form, sent via post.
  • PAYE & National Insurance
  • Banks & auditors
  • Accountants
  • Insurance providers
  • Customers & suppliers
 
Apart from informing stakeholders about the change of registered office address, you must also update your business assets. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
  • Your company website
  • Your company email signatures
  • Your company’s stationery, including letterheads, name cards and addressed envelopes
  • Order and invoice documents
 
Updating your address in relevant locations is critical. If this step is missed or fulfilled incorrectly, miscommunication may occur, or vital correspondence may go unread.

Privacy concerns surrounding registered business addresses


The registered office address and the directors’ service addresses are available on the public register, so they can be viewed by anyone.
 
Oftentimes, when companies are initially incorporated, personal residential addresses are used during the company formation process. Most of the time, both the directors address and registered office address will be linked to the home address of a director, all of which is visible to the public. Not only does this open the door to receive unsolicited mail, it can also have a negative impact on how customers perceive the credibility of their business.
 
This often leads business owners to want to change their address with Companies House for purposes of privacy, so that their home address can be removed from the public register. However, what if they don’t have a commercial business address in which they can use instead?
 
In this scenario, the solution is to use a professional address service, where a third party such as a company formations agent, provides a valid geographical address for use by a company and/or its directors.
 

How I-Support Business Can Help

 
I-Support Business offers the following professional address services:
 
  • Registered office address service – companies that do not have a commercial office can use our registered office address service, with virtual offices in London and Sussex.  All official government correspondence received at this address is scanned and emailed, free of charge. We will also update your address within Companies House for you, please select this option when you sign up for our services.
  • Directors’ service address – company directors who would otherwise need to use their home address as their correspondence address, can use our service address product. This can be used as the director’s statutory correspondence address for the receipt of official government mail.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to change your registered office address?

There is no fee for changing your registered office address if you complete this yourself using the webfiling service.

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When does your company need to notify authorities of a change in address?

You will need to inform Companies House within 14 days after the changes have taken place. This is so that Companies House can update the changes in their records.

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