A UK limited company for non-residents in 2026
Forming a UK limited company from abroad: the £100 online fee, identity verification, directors, the public register, corporation tax from 19% to 25%, banking.
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Corporate services · Onshore
Onshore company formation.
An onshore company is registered in a mainstream economy with a full tax system and genuine reporting duties. In exchange, it gains credibility with banks, customers and tax authorities, and often access to tax treaties.
PublicRegisters in most centres
TreatiesOften available
AnnualAccounts and tax returns
SixCentres we cover
Credibility, by design.
For a business with real customers, staff or contracts, an onshore company is usually the natural home. It pays tax at the local rate, files accounts and is visible on a public or official register.
Those obligations are precisely what make an onshore company valuable. Banks and payment providers understand it, larger customers can complete their supplier checks quickly, and the company may be able to rely on the host country’s network of double tax treaties. Several leading centres also combine moderate tax rates with efficient registries, so the burden is lighter than many owners expect.
AT Express is headquartered in Cyprus, with offices in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam and Singapore, so we work daily with the regimes described on this page, alongside licensed local professionals.
Six centres, six strengths.
01
Hong Kong
A gateway to mainland China and Asia, with a territorial two-tier profits tax and electronic incorporation.
02
Singapore
A regional headquarters for Southeast Asia, with a 17% headline rate and partial exemptions.
03
United Kingdom
Fast online registration and a respected public register, with corporation tax from 19% to 25%.
04
United Arab Emirates
Mainland or free zone companies, within a federal corporate tax framework introduced in 2023.
05
Delaware, United States
The established route into the US market, usually through a limited liability company.
06
Cyprus
An EU member state with a common-law tradition and a 15% corporate tax rate from 2026.
What changes from one centre to the next.
- Directors. Singapore requires at least one locally resident director; Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Cyprus allow non-resident directors.
- Company secretary. Hong Kong and Singapore require a company secretary, and Singapore expects one to be appointed within six months of incorporation.
- Public information. The UK register shows directors and people with significant control; other registries publish less, and some only to authorities.
- Audit. Hong Kong and Cyprus companies generally prepare audited accounts; Singapore and the UK exempt many smaller companies.
- Tax. Rates and bases differ widely, from Hong Kong’s territorial system to the UAE’s 9% rate above AED 375,000 of taxable income.
The comparison table on our corporate services page sets these points out side by side.
Private consultation
Choosing between centres?
We can compare two or three centres for your business, including the annual running costs, before you decide.
A balanced view.
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Advantages
- Readily accepted by banks, payment providers and corporate customers.
- Access to double tax treaties in many centres.
- A clear legal and tax position that is easier to defend in the owner’s home country.
- Many centres offer moderate rates, exemptions for small profits or start-up reliefs.
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Considerations
- Corporate tax is payable locally, and returns must be filed every year.
- Accounts, and in some centres audits, add to the annual cost.
- Director and shareholder details are often public.
- Some centres require a resident director or local company secretary.
How we proceed.
01
Business plan
We review where your customers, staff and contracts are.
02
Centre and structure
We recommend a centre and company type, and explain the tax position with licensed advisers.
03
Registration
We coordinate name approval, identity verification and filing with the registry.
04
Tax and banking
We arrange tax registrations and coordinate bank and payment-provider applications.
05
Annual compliance
We keep track of accounts, returns and renewals each year.
Frequently asked questions.
What is the difference between onshore and offshore?
An onshore company operates in a mainstream economy with a full tax system, public or official registers and annual accounts. An offshore company is usually formed in a low-tax centre where it does little or no local business.
Can a foreigner own an onshore company?
Yes, in each of the centres on this page, although Singapore requires at least one locally resident director and some UAE mainland activities have particular ownership rules.
How quickly can an onshore company be formed?
The UK registry usually processes online applications within 24 hours, and Hong Kong electronic incorporations are normally completed within about an hour. Elsewhere, timing depends on name approval and due diligence.
Is an onshore company more expensive to run?
Usually, yes, because it files accounts and tax returns and may need an audit. Many owners find the cost worthwhile for the easier banking and greater credibility.
Can AT Express support companies in all of these centres?
Yes. We coordinate formation and ongoing compliance in each centre with licensed local professionals, and remain your single point of contact.
Official sources.
- Hong Kong Companies Registry, Frequently asked questions on incorporation and business registration.
- Inland Revenue Department, Two-tiered profits tax rates regime.
- Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, Post-registration guide: local company.
- Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, Corporate income tax rate, rebates and tax exemption schemes.
- GOV.UK, Set up a private limited company: register your company.
- GOV.UK, Corporation tax rates and allowances.
- Federal Tax Authority, Corporate Tax general guide.
- Department of Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property, Applying to incorporate a company.
- Tax Department, Ministry of Finance, Tax reform 2026.
- Council of the European Union, EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes.
- OECD, International standards on tax transparency, including the Common Reporting Standard.
- Internal Revenue Service, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).
Please note. This page is a general summary for information only and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Every company formation and bank account is subject to know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money-laundering (AML) checks by the registered agent, registry and bank, and no outcome or timescale can be promised. Companies may be subject to economic substance rules, and their accounts and owners may be reported to tax authorities under the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Check whether any jurisdiction involved appears on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, and take independent tax and legal advice in each country concerned. AT Express works with licensed corporate service providers, lawyers and accountants and is not affiliated with any government, registry or bank. Last reviewed: 30 October 2026.
How we work
Four calm steps.
A simple, transparent process. The scope of our work and our fees are set out in writing before anything begins.
- 01
A first conversation
We discuss what the company will do, who will own and run it, and where its customers and people are.
- 02
A written proposal
We compare suitable jurisdictions and set out the documents, timetable and fees, so you can decide calmly.
- 03
Formation and banking
We coordinate due diligence, incorporation and bank applications with licensed providers in each jurisdiction.
- 04
Ongoing compliance
We keep track of renewals, filings and reporting each year and remain your single point of contact.
Begin with a conversationConfidential and without obligation
From our insights
All insightsFurther reading
The EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions in 2026
Which jurisdictions are on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions after the October 2026 revision, what Annex II means and how listing affects owners.
Read more
CRS and FATCA reporting: what company owners should know
How the Common Reporting Standard and FATCA work for companies and their owners: what banks report, controlling persons, self-certification and exchange.
Read more
Let's talk
Begin with a conversation.
Tell us a little about your plans. An adviser will reply personally with an initial view of the options available to you — confidentially and without obligation.
Arrange a consultationPrefer to talk first? Message us on WhatsApp
- One dedicated adviser
- Scope and fees in writing
- Confidential, without obligation
- Telephone
- +357 979 42 388
- +357 979 42 388
