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United Kingdom

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Common lawUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchyReviewed· 2026-06-20
Capital
London
Population
68,500,000
Languages
English, Welsh
Currency
GBP

United Kingdom · Business

Business in United Kingdom

What the atlas records on business in United Kingdom, checked against the primary sources cited below.

Business

Same-day online company formation at Companies House

Reviewed· 2026-08-03

A private limited company can be incorporated online within 24 hours with no minimum capital. Directors and people with significant control are on the public register, now subject to stricter identity verification.

Key rules

  • At least one natural-person director is required; there is no minimum share capital.
  • Persons with significant control (PSC) must be identified and registered.
  • The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced mandatory identity verification.

Governing law

  • Companies Act 2006
  • Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023

In practice

Identity verification at Companies House is being phased in, adding a step that used to be near-instant online formation.

Sources

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