Company formation: Can I get a Certificate of Incorporation?

When you form your business with us you are all ready to start trading as soon as your documents are done. But that still leaves you with a bit to do – and you might have a few questions. One of the most common queries we get is ‘Can I get a Certificate of Incorporation?’.

Certificates of Incorporation are legal documents that are sometimes required by banks when opening accounts or when getting insurance. As a result, there is considerable importance attached to them – but what are they and how do you get one if you need one?

In this blog we will look at exactly what a Certificate of Incorporation is and how to get one for your business in a bit more detail so that once your company formation is complete you are equipped with all the knowledge you need.

First off – What is a Certificate of Incorporation?

The obvious question is – what is a Certificate of Incorporation and why would I need it? Well, it might sound a bit official and hard to understand, but it’s actually very easy.

Your Certificate of Incorporation is a legal document that is related to the forming of your company. It works like a licence. It confirms that you are incorporating under the Companies Act 2006 and has a great significance for confirming that you really are a legal company that is permitted to operate in the UK.

So, it’s safe to say that it’s quite important. You will be issued a certificate by Companies House  and when you register your limited company with us you will receive a digital copy with all of our packages.

Secondly – What does a Certificate of Incorporation actually include?

The next question, apart from what exactly its purpose is, would be what does a Certificate of Incorporation actually say? Many official aspects of your business are reflected in your certificate.

There are numerous things included on a certificate such as the following:

• Company Name & Number – Your registered company name and registration number is on your certificate. This is the registered company name and not necessarily your brand name.
• Time & Place – The country where the company is registered (England, Scotland or Wales) as well as the date of incorporation when your company was formed.
• Company Details & Legal – Details about the issuing registrar, which act the company is under (presently forming a company will mean that it is under the latest Companies Act 2006) as well as the official Companies House seal are also included.

So there you have some understanding of what purpose the Certificate of Incorporation actually serves in addition to what is included. But what about actually getting one?

Thirdly – How can I get one?

If you form your company with us you will automatically get a digital certificate, but you may need a physical copy for things like business bank accounts and other legal or financial procedures that require the certificate.

Well the first way to get one is to use a formation package that includes a printed copy. Our ‘Printed Package’ is ideal for this and you will get your physical certificate from Companies House. This is a fantastic option because you will automatically get your certificate as soon as possible, printed on special Companies House approved paper.

This is highly useful for things like insurance and banking, which often means that you have a real head start on getting your business fully prepared for trading. The ‘Printed Package’ is perfect for getting everything you need right away – but also, our ‘Privacy’, ‘Comprehensive’ and ‘Ultimate’ packages include them too.

But whatever package you choose, if you’ve formed your company with us you can get supplementary company documents including a Certificate of Incorporation.

Certificates of Incorporation: What they are, what’s included and how you can get one

Hopefully this has given you a good explanation on Certificates of Incorporation. It’s a legal document including all the details of your business and can be obtained with your package, or as an add on after you’ve formed. Now when you form your company you will understand completely what the nature of Certificates of Incorporation actually is.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to check out the rest of our blog, especially the ‘Companies House’ section.