What Is a Registered Office Address? (UK Guide)

Definition

A registered office address is your company’s official, public address recorded at Companies House.
All statutory mail — including government notices and legal documents — is sent to this address.

It must be a real, physical UK street address (not a PO Box) and determines your company’s legal jurisdiction.

If you’re comparing compliant options, see our
👉 Cheap Registered Office London guide.

Why a registered office address matters

Your registered office:

• Is legally required from incorporation
• Appears on the public Companies House register
• Determines your jurisdiction (England & Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland)
• Must be suitable for the service of official documents

Many founders choose a London registered office for credibility and smoother banking checks.
In practice, this is often done through a
👉 Virtual Office in London
using a real Central London address such as
👉 Central London business address (EC2A).

What a registered office looks like on public records

Your registered office address will appear on:

• Your Companies House profile
• Incorporation documents
• Confirmation statements
• Your website and invoices (best practice)

For location-specific setups, see:

• Islington Virtual Office
• Hackney Virtual Office
• Virtual Office North London

Choosing the right registered office address

When selecting an address, prioritise:

• A credible UK location (e.g. Central London EC2A)
• A serviceable address (staffed to receive official mail)
• Privacy protection, by separating your home from public records
• Compliance — PO Boxes are not accepted by Companies House

More detail on why PO Boxes are unsuitable here:
👉 PO Box alternative in London

Recommended setup pattern (2025 best practice)

Most founders now use this structure:

1. Registered office address (public, legal)
2. Director service address (public for directors, keeps home private)
3. Digital mail scanning with summaries and categories
4. Forward only when needed (cost-efficient)

This is exactly what a modern
👉 Virtual Office in London
provides — without paying for a physical office lease.

BetaOffice approach (example)

With BetaOffice, you get:

• ✔ Central London EC2A registered office
• ✔ Director service address included
• ✔ AI-assisted mail summaries and urgency detection
• ✔ Digital archive of official correspondence
• ✔ Optional UK forwarding only when required

Explore:

• Virtual Office London
• Cheap Virtual Office London
• Virtual Office Address UK

Quick compliance checklist

Your registered office setup is usually correct if:

• It’s a real UK street address (not a PO Box)
• The jurisdiction matches your incorporation
• Statutory mail is reliably received
• Director address is separate from home (if privacy matters)
• Address is shown consistently on website & invoices

For lower-cost compliant options:
👉 Cheap Registered Office London
👉 Virtual Office Greater London

Mini-FAQ

Can I change my registered office later?
Yes. You can update it with Companies House at any time, then update your website and documents.

Can I use the same address for the director service?
Yes, but many directors prefer a separate director service address for privacy and filtering.

Is mail scanning mandatory?
No, but it significantly reduces missed deadlines, especially for HMRC notices.

Can non-UK residents use a UK registered office?
Yes — many international founders use a
👉 virtual office address in the UK.

A compliant registered office + director privacy + AI-sorted mail
means less admin and fewer missed letters.
👉 See pricing