UK company formation · 1st Formations
Form a UK company from abroad, with ID verification handled.

1st Formations is a UK company formation agent. Here is who it suits, who should skip it, and what its packages cost on 22 October 2026.

Try 1st Formations

Prices read from 1st Formations’ own site on 22 October 2026. Check the page before you buy.

The 30-second verdict

Use it if

  • You live outside the UK and want a UK limited company formed online
  • You want Companies House identity verification handled by the agent, which 1st Formations says it does as an authorised agent
  • You want a registered office or address service bundled with formation
  • You are happy to compare accounting and tax support separately

Skip it if

  • You are comfortable forming directly with Companies House (the fee is £100) and handling the filings yourself
  • You want accounting and tax advice included from day one: compare accountants first
  • You want one app for formation, registered address, deadlines and filings: compare Osome
  • You do not yet know you need a UK company
How we wrote this

The facts below come from 1st Formations’ own pages on 22 October 2026, attributed and dated. The skip list, the steps and the mistakes to avoid are ours.

What it costs

Packages, read from their site

Package Price What it includes
Digital £102.99, including the £100 Companies House fee Basic formation, company registration with ID verification and personal code, free online company manager
Privacy £117.99, including the £100 fee Adds a central London address service for 12 months
All Inclusive £139.99, including the £100 fee Adds a compliance service, VAT registration and meeting-room hours
Non-Residents £199.99, including the £100 fee Online registration, UK business banking referral, address services, compliance support, free VAT registration, free Companies House ID verification
All Inclusive with Accounting £39.99 today, nothing for a month, then £49 a month, rolling monthly; the £100 fee is covered Includes an accounting plan with Xero. Check the total over a full year

Prices from 1st Formations’ site on 22 October 2026, in pounds. Accounting, tax and renewal costs can add up: ask for the full first-year and second-year cost in writing.

What to do

From idea to registered company

  1. Decide whether you need a UK company, and who the directors and shareholders will be.
  2. Choose the package and read what is included and what is extra.
  3. Check the company name is available and prepare your identity documents.
  4. Complete verification and sign the filings online.
  5. Open a business account and diarise the confirmation statement and accounts dates.
Avoid these

Mistakes to avoid

  • Choosing the cheapest package without checking what is extra
  • Forgetting the yearly costs: confirmation statement, accounts and any accountant
  • Assuming a banking referral guarantees an account: the bank decides
  • Using a registered office address where you cannot actually receive post
Questions

FAQs

Is the Companies House fee included?

1st Formations says its package prices include the £100 Companies House fee. Check the package page before you pay.

Can a non-UK resident use it?

1st Formations offers a Non-Residents Package. Rules differ by country and by director, so check eligibility and banking before you commit.

Do you earn from this link?

We may receive a referral reward from 1st Formations if you sign up through our link. We say so wherever we share it.

Is this advice?

No. It is general information, not legal or tax advice.

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Disclosure: this page contains a referral link. If you sign up through it we may receive a referral reward from 1st Formations. Check 1st Formations’ current terms. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. See our editorial standards.