Getting a certificate of good standing

A certificate of good standing is a signed Companies House company certificate that includes what Companies House now calls a summary statement. The statement confirms the company has existed continuously since incorporation and that no action is currently being taken to strike it off. You order it online through the Find and update company information service or by phone, and Companies House will only add the statement if the company’s filings are up to date.

What exactly does a certificate of good standing confirm?

Companies House stopped using the phrase “good standing” for its own product. The wording it now issues is a summary statement, previously known as the good standing statement, added to a company certificate. According to Companies House guidance, the summary statement says that the company has been in continuous, unbroken existence since its incorporation and that no action is currently being taken to strike the company off the register.

That is narrower than many recipients assume. It is not a statement about solvency, credit rating, tax compliance or the quality of the company’s accounts. It confirms legal existence and the absence of current strike off action, as shown by the register on the day the certificate is produced. Companies House says the information on the certificate is taken from the company’s filing history at the time of ordering.

Is it the same as a certificate of incorporation?

No. The certificate of incorporation was issued when the company was formed. A company certificate is a fresh document produced on request, covering the company including all of its name changes, to which you can add certified facts such as the summary statement. If someone asks for a certified copy of the certificate of incorporation, that is a separate product ordered through the certified document service, which also covers the other documents filed when the company was formed. See certified company documents for use abroad.

Which companies can get the summary statement?

Companies House will only issue a summary statement if the company is up to date with its filings. It must also be either:

• a private limited company with at least one director who is a natural person, or
• a public limited company with a secretary and at least two directors, one of whom must be a natural person.

In practice the condition that catches companies out is the filing record. Overdue accounts or an overdue confirmation statement mean the statement will not be issued, and persistent non filing can lead to compulsory strike off action, which is exactly what the statement says is not happening. See Companies House accounts deadlines and penalties and compulsory strike off by Companies House.

Who asks for one, and why?

Requests usually come from people who cannot easily check the UK register themselves or who need a signed document for their own files. Typical examples are overseas banks opening an account for a UK company, foreign company registries when a UK company sets up a branch or subsidiary, counterparties and their lawyers in a share sale or financing, public bodies running tenders, and overseas authorities issuing licences or permits.

Before ordering, ask the recipient three questions: do they need the summary statement or just a company certificate, which extra facts must appear, and does the certificate need to be legalised with an apostille? The answers decide what to order and how long it will take.

What else can go on the certificate?

Companies House lets you add further certified facts to a company certificate:

• directors’ names, with details such as date of birth or nationality
• secretaries’ names
• the registered office address
• the company’s objects
• the summary statement

You cannot order a certificate with information on people with significant control, shareholders, shareholdings or the statement of capital. If a recipient wants proof of ownership, that has to come from another source, such as certified copies of filed documents, the company’s own registers certified by a notary, or a legal opinion.

How do you order one and what does it cost?

Search for the company on the Find and update company information service and use the “More” tab to order a certificate, or call the Companies House contact centre on 0303 1234 500. Online ordering needs a Companies House account and a debit or credit card. Anyone can order a certificate for any company; you do not need to be a director.

Option	Fee	Dispatch
Standard	£22	Companies House aims to send within 10 working days, by Royal Mail second class in the UK or Royal Mail International post
Express	£65	Sent the same working day if ordered before 11am, otherwise the next working day, by Royal Mail first class or Royal Mail International post
Additional copies	£16 each	Up to 10 extra copies, sent with the main order

If the order does not arrive, you must contact Companies House within 28 days of ordering; after that you need to place a new order. Companies House is not responsible for costs after you receive the order, such as couriers or legalisation.

Does it need to be legalised for use abroad?

Often, yes. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Legalisation Office can attach an apostille to a company certificate issued by Companies House, and in countries that have signed the 1961 Hague Convention this gives the document the same authenticity it has in the UK. To be legalised, a Companies House document must carry the original signature of a British public official, which is why you need the signed certificate rather than a printout from the register. The fees and timescales are covered in certified company documents for use abroad.

How might this play out?

Illustration only. A UK company is opening a branch in Spain and the Spanish notary asks for an apostilled certificate of good standing showing the current directors. The company’s confirmation statement was due last week and has not been filed.

1. The directors file the confirmation statement first, because Companies House will not add the summary statement while filings are overdue.
2. Once the register shows the statement as filed, they order a company certificate with the summary statement and directors’ names, choosing express dispatch before 11am.
3. They send the signed certificate to the Legalisation Office for an apostille, then forward it to Spain.

Ordering the certificate before fixing the filing would have wasted the fee and the time.

What mistakes come up most often?

• Ordering before overdue accounts or confirmation statements have been filed and accepted. See why Companies House rejects filings.
• Ordering before a change of director or registered office has been filed, so the certificate shows out of date details.
• Ordering a certified copy of the certificate of incorporation when the recipient wanted the summary statement, or the other way round.
• Assuming the certificate proves who owns the company. It cannot include shareholders or PSCs.
• Forgetting the apostille stage and the extra time it adds.
• Ordering long before the recipient needs it. Many recipients want a recent certificate, so ask how fresh it must be.

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Related Accountapedia entries

• Good leaver and bad leaver provisions
• What to do if a share certificate is lost
• Certificates of UK residence for treaty claims
• Claiming EIS relief with an EIS3 certificate
• IHT30 clearance certificates

Sources

• GOV.UK: Order certified copies and certificates from companies house
• Companies House register: Certificates
• legislation.gov.uk: Act 2006 c. 46, section 1086
• Companies House register: Certified copies
• GOV.UK: Get document legalised

Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Part of Accountapedia, the Solar Protect guide to UK tax and accounting. This page is general information, not personalised advice.