Can a Company Be a Director? Corporate Appointments Explained

Yes, a company can be a director, shareholder, PSC, or secretary of another UK company. This is called a "corporate appointment," and it's a normal, legal part of UK company structures, though it comes with its own rules and, right now, a significant change on the horizon.

Key Takeaways

• A corporate appointment is when a company, rather than an individual, holds the role of director, shareholder, PSC, or secretary.
• Every UK company must still have at least one human (natural person) director, even if it also has a corporate one.
• A future ban on corporate directors is confirmed in outline but not yet in force, and will require the corporate director's own board to be entirely human and identity-verified.
• Appointing a corporate officer requires extra details, like Governing Law and Legal Form, that don't apply to individual appointments.

What Is a Corporate Appointment?

A corporate appointment is when another company, rather than a person, is named as a director, shareholder, Person with Significant Control (PSC), or secretary of your company. It's a genuinely common structure, particularly for group companies, holding structures, and investment vehicles.

The information you provide for a corporate appointment differs from a standard individual appointment. Instead of a date of birth and nationality, you'll provide details like the appointed company's registration number, legal form, and the law it's governed by.

Do I Still Need a Human Director if I Appoint a Corporate One?

Yes. Every UK private limited company must have at least one human, natural person director, regardless of how many corporate directors it also has. There's no way around this requirement currently, and it isn't expected to change.

Corporate appointments can sit alongside your human director, but they can't replace the minimum human requirement entirely.

What Details Do I Need to Provide for a Corporate Director or PSC?

You'll need to provide the corporate appointee's company name, registration number, registered office, and two details that often cause confusion: Legal Form and Governing Law.

Legal Form is simply the company structure the appointee operates under, common examples being LTD, LLP, PLC, or LLC. Governing Law is the law the appointed company operates under, such as the Companies Act 2006 for a UK company, or the equivalent law of its home jurisdiction if it's registered overseas. Our guide to Governing Law and Legal Form breaks down exactly what to enter in each field.

Can an Overseas Company Be a Director of My UK Company?

Currently, yes, an overseas company can act as a corporate director of a UK company. This is expected to change once the corporate director ban comes into force, at which point only UK-registered companies with their own legal personality will be permitted to act as corporate directors, and overseas companies will no longer qualify.

If you're weighing this up for a company registered outside the EEA specifically, our guide to corporate directors and EEA status covers the current distinctions in more depth.

Do Corporate Directors Need to Verify Their Identity?

Not with Companies House, not yet. Identity verification under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act currently applies to individual directors and PSCs only. Verification requirements for corporate directors, corporate PSCs, and corporate LLP members are expected later in 2026 or 2027, though an exact date hasn't been confirmed.

That doesn't mean no checks happen in the meantime. Whenever a director or PSC is a company rather than a person, formation agents like us still have our own legal duty to identify the real individuals behind it. We ask for two documents:

• Certificate of Incorporation
• Register of Beneficial Owners

These need to show the company's full name, registration number, country of incorporation, and how ownership is structured. Once we've worked out who the real individuals behind the corporate officer are, we invite them to complete their own personal ID check too, separately from anything Companies House itself currently requires. Our guide to completing an ID check for a company walks through this process step by step.

This is worth watching closely if your company structure relies on corporate appointments, since the Companies House side of verification is expected to be more involved than the individual process once it arrives. The mechanism also differs depending on the role: a corporate PSC, known as a Relevant Legal Entity (RLE), will need to designate a single "Relevant Officer," a member or director of the RLE, to verify their ID on its behalf. A corporate director, by contrast, will need its entire board to be made up of natural persons, each individually verified, as covered below.

Is There a Ban on Corporate Directors Coming?

Yes, in outline, though it isn't in force yet and no firm date has been confirmed. Once it takes effect, a corporate director will only be permitted if its own board is made up entirely of natural persons, and each of those individuals will need to verify their own identity with Companies House.

At that point, overseas companies will no longer be able to act as UK corporate directors at all, only UK-registered companies with legal personality will qualify, and even then, subject to their own board meeting the all-human requirement. It's worth reviewing your company's structure now if you rely on corporate directors, so you're not caught out once this takes effect.

FAQs

Can a company be a director of another company in the UK?

Yes, this is called a corporate appointment. It's a normal structure in UK company law, though every company must still have at least one human director as well.

Can an overseas company be a UK company's director?

Currently yes, though this is expected to change once the corporate director ban comes into force, which will limit the role to UK-registered companies with legal personality.

Do corporate directors need to verify their identity like individual directors do?

Not with Companies House, not currently. Rules for corporate directors are expected later in 2026 or 2027. In the meantime, we still have our own legal duty to identify who's really behind a corporate officer, using documents like a Certificate of Incorporation and Register of Beneficial Owners, followed by a personal ID check for the individuals involved.

What information do I need to appoint a corporate director?

The company's registration details, plus its Legal Form (such as LTD or LLC) and Governing Law (the law it operates under, such as the Companies Act 2006).

Can my company have only corporate directors and no human ones?

No. Every UK private limited company must have at least one human, natural person director at all times.

When will the corporate director ban actually take effect?

It hasn't been confirmed yet. The general shape of the rule is known, but Companies House hasn't set a firm implementation date.

What is a Relevant Legal Entity (RLE), and does it need to verify its identity differently?

An RLE is a corporate PSC. Rather than verifying an entire board, it designates a single "Relevant Officer," a member or director of the RLE, to verify their ID with Companies House on its behalf.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. ECCTA reforms are being introduced in stages and dates can change, so it's worth checking current guidance on GOV.UK or Companies House, or speaking to a qualified professional, before relying on the details above.