AAT Regulated · ACCA-Qualified Accountants · Companies House ACSP
The questions we hear most from UK company owners in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, with a short answer and the page that covers the detail.
Yes. There is no residency requirement for directors or shareholders. The company needs a UK registered office address, Companies House charges £100 to incorporate online, and every new director verifies their identity first.
Company formation →It can be possible, but it is not guaranteed. Some digital providers accept online applications from eligible directors abroad, but the rules differ by country of residence, company and provider: Revolut's UK-company route, for example, accepts applicants only from the countries of residence on its list. Each provider decides after its own checks, which the director passes personally. High-street banks usually expect a UK address and credit history.
Bank account help →Yes. New directors have had to verify since 18 November 2025, and existing directors verify with their company's next confirmation statement during the transition, which ends on 18 November 2026. A current passport from any country works; a national ID such as an Emirates ID is first checked against the current Companies House standard.
Director ID verification →19% on profits up to £50,000 and 25% above £250,000, with marginal relief in between. The tax is due 9 months and 1 day after the end of the accounting period, and the CT600 return 12 months after it.
Corporation Tax calculator →Generally not, if you are non-UK resident: the UK deducts no tax from ordinary dividends and limits a non-resident's UK tax on them to tax deducted at source. The company still pays Corporation Tax on its profits, and your residence depends on the Statutory Residence Test.
GCC treaty and residency finder →A UK company registers once its taxable turnover passes £90,000. A business established outside the UK has no threshold and must register from its first taxable UK sale.
VAT threshold checker →A yearly check that the company's details on the public register are right. It is due within 14 days of the end of each 12-month review period, and the Companies House fee is £50 online. Not filing it is an offence, and Companies House can start striking the company off.
Confirmation statement service →Companies House charges a private company an automatic penalty: £150 up to one month late, rising to £1,500 over six months late, doubled if the previous year's accounts were also late. Continued failure can lead to the company being struck off.
Late filing penalty calculator →General information, not advice. Penalties, tax and eligibility depend on each company's case.
