Virtual office for non-UK residents: setting up from abroad
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Prices referenced were read from providers' own websites on 8 September 2026.
A non-UK resident can own and direct a UK limited company without living in the UK, but the company must have a UK registered office in the part of the UK it was incorporated in, and the director must pass identity checks both with Companies House and with whoever provides that address. Getting the address from abroad has a handful of frictions that are worth knowing about before you start.
Quick answer: Buy a UK virtual office that scans post rather than forwards it, in the right part of the UK for your company, from a provider that verifies identity digitally. Expect to upload a passport and a recent proof of address, expect a liveness check, and expect some providers to charge an extra fee or refuse companies that are not yet incorporated.
What must a non-UK resident have to run a UK company?
A non-UK resident running a UK company needs five things: a UK registered office, a service address for each director, a registered email address, Companies House identity verification, and a provider that has passed its own anti-money-laundering checks on you. None of them requires you to be in the UK.
| Requirement | Rule | What it means from abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Registered office | A physical address in the same part of the UK as the incorporation, passing the appropriate address test | A virtual office provider holds it and signs for post |
| Director's service address | Public address for each director; can be anywhere in the world | A UK one keeps your overseas home off a UK register |
| Registered email address | Required since 4 March 2024; not published | Use one you read daily |
| Identity verification | Mandatory for directors and people with significant control since 18 November 2025 | Done through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider or directly |
| Provider AML checks | Every address provider is a supervised trust or company service provider | Passport, proof of address, often a liveness check |
The service address is the one to think about. It can be your home abroad, and that address will then appear on the UK public register against your name. A UK service address from the same provider keeps it private, and changing both public addresses with AD01 and CH01 is free if you got it wrong at incorporation.
Which part of the UK should the registered office be in?
The registered office must be in the jurisdiction the company was registered in: England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. An England and Wales company can use an address in either country; a Scottish or Northern Ireland company cannot use a London address at all.
Most non-resident founders pick England and Wales and take a London registered office, which is where the cheapest and most competitive supply is. Companies MadeSimple sells an International Package at £199.99 a year covering the registered office, a director's service address and mail forwarding7, and the Cardiff virtual offices we list serve the same jurisdiction at regional prices. For a Scottish company, Clyde Offices in Glasgow charges £19 a month plus VAT and includes two director names9, MYCO Works, whose three addresses include one in Edinburgh, sells a registered office at £49.99 a year plus VAT9, and our Edinburgh providers for a Scottish company page lists the rest. Northern Ireland has the thinnest supply: Titanic Suites in Belfast starts at £45 a month ex VAT9, and Coddan sells a Belfast registered office at £280 plus VAT a year8. The full jurisdiction rule is explained in our guide to the same-part-of-the-UK rule for registered offices.
What identity checks will a provider run on someone abroad?
Every UK address provider must verify who you are before acting for you, because providing a registered office is a regulated activity under the money laundering regulations. From abroad that means a passport, a proof of address dated within the last three months, and usually a liveness check on your phone. Documents not in English commonly need a certified translation, and that is the single most frequent delay.
The friction differs sharply between providers. Virtual HQ charges non-UK businesses a £100 non-refundable setup fee for its additional checks1, so Virtual HQ's £100 overseas setup fee needs adding to its £7.99-a-month registered address before you compare it. Work.Life charges everyone £50 and will only take a company that already exists, so Work.Life, which only takes incorporated companies, cannot be your address at the point of formation2. Wizu Workspace wants photo ID from every owner holding 25 per cent or more3. The Hoxton Mix verifies with a liveness check and a proof of address and is typically live within one business day4. Fastest of all on its own figures is Uniwide's three-to-24-hour onboarding, and because Uniwide is registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider it can complete your Companies House identity verification at the same time5. If you are forming the company anyway, that saves doing the checks twice.
Why should you choose scanning over forwarding?
Choose scanning because an HMRC or Companies House letter forwarded overseas can take longer to arrive than the deadline it contains. A scanned letter reaches you the day it lands. International forwarding is charged at cost plus a handling fee, is rarely included in any plan, and gives you nothing a scan does not.
Scanning is now the default on the digital-first tier. The Hoxton Mix includes it at £24.99 a month4, W1 Virtual Office's VO Scan tier is £25 a month with VAT included10, and Kollider in Sheffield includes unlimited scanning at £20 plus VAT11. ANNA's app-based virtual office scans post into the same app that runs its business account, from £180 a year on its entry offer6. Ask whether the provider scans the contents or only the envelope, and ask how quickly; the mechanics and prices are in our guide to how scanning and forwarding are charged.
Can a virtual office get you a UK bank account?
No. A virtual office gives you a compliant address; it does not open a bank account, and most UK high street banks want a UK-resident director. Fintech providers are more flexible, and two of them sell the address and the account together.
Tide's Virtual Office Address costs £22.99 plus VAT a month or £190 plus VAT a year, is powered by The Hoxton Mix, and sits alongside company registration at £14.9912. ANNA offers company registration with identity verification and its virtual office together6. Neither guarantees an account for a non-resident; both run full know-your-customer checks as regulated account providers. Have evidence of what the company will do and where its customers are before you apply anywhere.
Which providers suit non-UK residents?
The providers that suit non-UK residents verify identity digitally, scan contents rather than envelopes, state their fees and turnaround, and can act as an ACSP if you are forming the company at the same time. Six from our data meet most of those tests.
| Provider | Why it suits you | Price | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hoxton Mix | Liveness check, scanning included, live within a business day | £24.99 a month ex VAT4 | No parcels; director's address £3 a month each |
| Uniwide | ACSP, 3 to 24 hour onboarding | £69 a year plus VAT5 | Charges to forward statutory mail |
| Companies MadeSimple | International Package bundles all three addresses | £199.99 a year7 | Dearer than rivals for the registered office alone |
| ANNA | Same-day scanning into a business account app | From £180 a year6 | VAT basis not stated on the entry offer |
| W1 Virtual Office | Mayfair address, all three addresses included, VAT in the price | £25 a month for VO Scan10 | Passport and proof of address within three months |
| Virtual HQ | 152 UK locations if you need a specific town | £7.99 a month plus £8.99 for scanning1 | £100 non-refundable fee for non-UK businesses |
Compare on the annual total including the identity fee, the scanning charge and VAT where it is not stated, not on the monthly headline. The comparison tool lets you compare UK virtual offices that scan post and prices the extras in. Some providers pay us if you buy; our disclosure on provider commission explains why that never changes the ranking. Northern Ireland founders should note that Belfast addresses for Northern Ireland companies are few, so book before you incorporate rather than after.
Where these figures come from
Prices were read from each provider's own website on 8 September 2026.
- Virtual HQ services pages: registered business address £7.99 a month, mail forwarding and scanning £8.99; non-UK businesses pay a £100 non-refundable setup fee for additional anti-money-laundering checks; the site claims 152 UK locations. VAT basis not stated.
- Work.Life virtual office page: Entry Virtual Address £31 a month; £50 non-refundable AML and KYC fee; the company must already be incorporated; most members approved within 24 hours.
- Wizu Workspace virtual office terms: photo ID from all beneficial owners of 25 per cent or more plus proof of address dated within three months.
- The Hoxton Mix help centre: £24.99 a month ex VAT with scanning included; identity by liveness check plus proof of address; setup typically within one business day; director's address £3 a month per director; parcels not accepted.
- Uniwide registered office page: £69 plus VAT a year; the site states Authorised Corporate Service Provider status and onboarding of 3 to 24 hours; statutory mail forwarded at Royal Mail rates plus 15 per cent.
- ANNA Money virtual office page: virtual office entry offer £180 a year, VAT basis not stated; same-day scanning into the ANNA app; company registration offered with identity verification.
- Companies MadeSimple renewals page: International Package £199.99 a year covering registered office, director's service address and mail forwarding.
- Coddan registered office page: Belfast registered office £280 plus VAT a year.
- Clyde Offices Glasgow: £19 a month plus VAT including two director names. MYCO Works: registered office £49.99 a year plus VAT with an Edinburgh EH2 address among its three locations. Titanic Suites Belfast: Silver £45 a month ex VAT.
- W1 Virtual Office homepage: VO Scan £25 a month inc VAT; identity requirement stated as a valid passport plus proof of address dated within the last three months.
- Kollider virtual office page: £20 a month plus VAT with unlimited mail scanning.
- Tide support pages: Virtual Office Address £22.99 plus VAT a month or £190 plus VAT a year, a service The Hoxton Mix states it powers; company registration £14.99.