Establish the organisation before selecting the filing route

The first question is what you are actually trying to establish. The appropriate organisation or entity should be determined before a formation package, filing instrument or incorporation route is selected. The people participating in that structure should then be identified in their correct legal capacities.

Companies ordinarily have directors and may have People with Significant Control (PSCs). LLPs have members rather than directors. Limited and general partnerships are not companies, and not every structure has directors or PSCs. The applicable identity-verification requirements therefore follow the participant's role and the relevant Companies House framework rather than simply the name of the organisation.

Established formation and company-secretarial capability

Coddan provides company-formation, corporate and company-secretarial services alongside its Companies House-registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) function. These capabilities can be coordinated where the selected service requires them, but formation, identity verification and Companies House registrar decisions remain separate functions.

Companies House lists Coddan CPM Limited E-Quick Package among providers with software capability to submit electronic incorporations. Companies House separately lists CODDAN CPM LIMITED ACSP on its published ACSP register. These are distinct records and should not be presented as Companies House approval, accreditation, recommendation or government endorsement.

Companies limited by shares

The ordinary company structure for many commercial ventures. Proposed directors and, where applicable, PSCs should be identified and their separate Companies House requirements considered.

Companies limited by guarantee and CICs

These remain companies, but their objects, membership and governance arrangements may differ. A specialist formation route may therefore be more appropriate than transferring an ordinary private-company assumption.

PLCs and unlimited companies

These are distinct company structures with their own formation and governance considerations. The appropriate specialist formation destination should be used where the proposed structure is not a straightforward private company.

LLPs

An LLP has members rather than directors. Director-specific requirements must not be transferred mechanically to LLP members; the applicable Companies House framework for the relevant registrable individual must be considered instead.

Limited partnerships

A limited partnership is not a company and has its own formation and registration framework. Later implementation requirements should not be presented as already commenced without current official confirmation.

Overseas-company UK establishments

A UK establishment of an overseas company is not the same legal proposition as incorporating a new UK company. Use the specialist route where the intended structure is an overseas-company establishment.

Organisation

Determine what is being established.

Participants

Identify directors, PSCs, members or other relevant persons.

Verification

Establish who has verified and who still needs to address an applicable requirement.

Personal Code

Companies House issues the code after successful verification.

Incorporation

The incorporation application is submitted and independently considered by Companies House.

Questions for each proposed director

• Has the individual been identified as a proposed director of the new entity?
• Does the applicable identity-verification requirement apply to that appointment?
• Has the individual already completed Companies House identity verification?
• Does the individual already have their Personal Code?
• Do the individual's personal details and evidence correspond with the information intended for the formation application?

Participant responsibility

The Participant supplies accurate information, provides suitable evidence, identifies relevant roles and circumstances, confirms formation instructions and addresses tasks that remain personal to them. Professional coordination does not transfer those responsibilities to the formation agent or ACSP.

Determine the entity

Establish the legal structure and the intended formation route.

Identify participants

Identify proposed directors, PSCs, members, partners and other relevant participants.

Establish verification status

Separate participants who have already verified from those who still need to address an applicable requirement.

Select the route

Use the free GOV.UK route where suitable or select an optional ACSP route.

Prepare and verify

Prepare the appropriate information and evidence and complete the applicable verification process.

Receive the Personal Code

Companies House issues the Personal Code following successful verification.

Submit the incorporation

Prepare and submit the formation application through the appropriate route.

Establish what follows

Identify any later corporate, filing or company-secretarial requirement, or conclude with Nothing Further Required where appropriate.

Free GOV.UK route

The free GOV.UK identity-verification route remains a legitimate choice where suitable. The Post Office pathway, where offered through the government process, is part of the GOV.UK One Login route rather than a separate private verification regime.

Read the official GOV.UK identity-verification guidance.

Optional Coddan ACSP route

A Participant may select an ACSP route where it is suitable, the required evidence is available and professional support is relevant. Support Available does not mean Support Required.

Within the described Coddan-supported route, verification technology performs the applicable identity and document checks; Coddan reviews the resulting information; Coddan determines whether it is satisfied that the Companies House standard has been met; and, following a successful outcome, Coddan performs its applicable notification responsibility.

Participant

Supplies accurate information, suitable evidence and formation instructions and participates personally in the applicable verification process.

Verification technology

Performs the applicable identity and document checks within the described Coddan-supported route.

Coddan

Reviews the resulting information, determines whether it is satisfied that the applicable Companies House standard has been met, performs the applicable notification responsibility and coordinates selected formation work.

Companies House

Maintains the register, issues the Personal Code following successful verification, considers incorporation and determines filing acceptance.

What it is

An individual identifier issued by Companies House following successful identity verification.

What it is not

It is not a company number, a company asset, a general filing credential or proof that every role and filing has been completed.

Who controls it

Companies House issues and manages the code. Coddan does not create, issue or guarantee it.

Across companies

The same verified individual normally uses the same Personal Code across relevant Companies House procedures for multiple companies.

Identity-verification preparation

• Accurate legal name and personal details.
• Appropriate identification evidence for the selected route.
• Information that corresponds with the identity being verified.
• Any additional information requested by the applicable verification process.

Formation preparation

• Proposed entity and company name.
• Proposed directors and other relevant participants.
• Shareholder, member or guarantor information where applicable.
• Registered-office information and other incorporation particulars.
• Business or organisational information required by the chosen formation route.

First-time founder

Determine the structure, identify the proposed participants, establish the verification position and then coordinate the formation route.

Existing business owner

An already verified individual may use the existing Personal Code where applicable rather than assuming that another identity verification is required.

Multiple directors

Each proposed director remains an individual Participant with their own verification position and Personal Code.

Overseas founder

Residence outside the UK does not itself create a separate Companies House standard. Genuine international document or cross-border complexity may justify specialist guidance.

Professional adviser

Advisers supporting several formations should keep each client's entity, participants and verification position distinct rather than treating the work as one generic process.

Existing company instead

If the company already exists and the task is appointing a director, changing a director or handling another corporate event, use the appropriate existing-company destination rather than this formation page.

The corporate road after formation

Coddan's formation work can connect naturally with later company-secretarial work, but no later service is automatic. Appointments, resignations, PSC changes, Confirmation Statements, corrections, outstanding filings and restoration each remain separate professional jobs. The next destination should be selected only when that job actually exists.

Director or PSC change

A later appointment, resignation, change of director particulars or PSC change is a separate corporate event.

Personal Code use

The verified individual may need to use the Personal Code for another applicable role or Companies House procedure.

Filing or correction

An outstanding filing or inconsistent company information may require a separate correction or filing destination.

Nothing Further Required

Where the formation, applicable verification and connected role work are complete and no related task remains, no additional formation-connected action may be required.

A separate filing event that should not be confused with the original incorporation.

Appointments, resignations and changes to particulars follow their own corporate routes.

PSC status and related verification requirements remain distinct from director formation work.

Accurate statutory information and corporate records may require continuing administration.

An outstanding filing is a separate task with its own requirements and responsible party.

A dissolved company or LLP requiring restoration should move to the appropriate specialist route.

Clarify what the Participant is trying to establish and which legal stages are involved.

Identify the entity, participants, legal capacities and existing verification position.

Select the appropriate formation destination and free or optional professional verification route.

Coordinate the selected formation and verification work without merging their legal functions.

Identify the appropriate later destination or conclude with Nothing Further Required where no connected task remains.

I am forming a new UK company

Continue with the appropriate company formation route once the intended structure and participants have been established.

I need director identity-verification guidance

Use the director identity-verification reception where the entity has already been established or the formation question is no longer the principal task.

I am forming from overseas

Where there is genuine international complexity, continue to the international director identity-verification destination.

The company already exists

A new director appointment to an existing company is a different event. Use the existing-company director route rather than this formation page.

Straightforward formation

Appropriate where the Participant has already chosen the structure, identified the participants, understands the applicable requirements and mainly requires formation submission support.

Coordinated formation and verification

Appropriate where the Participant wants formation and an optional ACSP verification route considered together, while keeping each legal stage distinct.

Specialist destination

Appropriate where the intended entity or participant circumstances fall within a specialist formation, international or existing-company route rather than this general formation-connected destination.

Code not yet received

Do not assume that verification must be repeated. First establish whether the Personal Code is still being issued or whether a separate reconciliation task exists.

Code received

Use the individual's 11-character Personal Code where the new-company registration procedure requests it; the code remains personal to that individual.

Director and PSC

A person holding both roles ordinarily verifies once, but the director and PSC requirements remain separate and must be treated in the correct procedure.

Formation submission

The incorporation application is a separate submission. Companies House independently determines whether it is accepted.

New entity not yet formed

Confirm the entity, participants, verification position and formation route before submission.

Verification still outstanding

Use the legitimate GOV.UK route or select an appropriate optional ACSP route.

Formation completed

Identify whether a later director, PSC, filing, correction, Confirmation Statement or company-secretarial task actually remains.

Nothing Further Required

If the applicable formation, identity-verification, Personal Code and role-related work is complete and no connected task remains, no additional formation-connected service needs to be imposed.