Changing your registered office address is free and, done online, takes only a few minutes through Companies House. You can also file paper form AD01. The change becomes official once Companies House registers it, not the moment you hit submit. Here's how to do it and what to update afterwards.

How do I change my registered office address?

You change it through Companies House, in one of two ways. Both are free, and both update the same public record. The route you pick mainly affects how quickly the change goes through.

  • Online (fastest): sign in to your Companies House account / WebFiling and update the registered office address. This is usually processed the same day.
  • By post: complete and file form AD01 (change of registered office address).

Both routes are free (gov.uk). You'll need your company number and authentication details to file. The authentication code is the security code Companies House issued for online filing. Think of it as your company's password for the register.

Online or paper AD01: which should I use?

For most people, online is the better choice. It's the same form, just filed digitally, and it's typically processed the same working day. Paper form AD01 does exactly the same job, but it has to be printed, signed, posted, and then keyed in at the other end, so it's slower. The result is identical: your registered office on the public register is updated. Online simply gets you there faster.

If you've lost your authentication code, you can ask Companies House to send a reminder by post to the current registered office. That's worth sorting out before you start, because it can add a few days.

How long does it take?

Online filings are typically processed quickly, often within the same working day; paper forms take longer to arrive and be processed. Either way, the change only becomes official once Companies House registers it and updates the public record, so don't start using the new address as your official one until it shows on the register.

Why does this matter? Because the registered office is where Companies House and HMRC send statutory post (gov.uk). Until the new address is live on the register, official letters still go to the old one. If you've already moved out, that's a real risk of missing something important. So submit the change first, keep an eye on the public record, and only switch over once it shows the new address.

Does the new address have to meet any rules?

Yes: the same rules as any registered office. Changing the address doesn't lower the bar; the new one has to satisfy exactly the same requirements your original address did.

  • It must be an "appropriate address", somewhere official post reaches a real person and delivery can be acknowledged. A PO box on its own isn't allowed (gov.uk).
  • It must be in the same UK jurisdiction your company was incorporated in (gov.uk).

In plain terms: the address has to be a genuine, working location where a letter would actually land in front of someone, not a forwarding box with no one behind it. That "appropriate address" rule is one of the main reasons founders use a proper address service rather than a basic PO box.

Can I move my registered office to a different part of the UK?

No. Your jurisdiction is fixed when you incorporate. A company registered in England & Wales must keep its registered office in England & Wales. You can change the address, but not move it to Scotland or Northern Ireland.

This catches people out, so it's worth being clear. You can move premises anywhere within your jurisdiction freely: a London company can register an office in Manchester, Bristol or anywhere else in England & Wales. What you can't do is cross a jurisdiction line. If your company was set up in Scotland, every registered office you ever use stays in Scotland. The same applies to Northern Ireland. The address is flexible; the jurisdiction isn't.

What's a common reason to change it?

One of the most common reasons is moving the registered office off a home address. When you incorporate from home, that home address goes on the public register, and anyone can look it up. Plenty of founders only realise this afterwards and want it changed.

Switching to a service address fixes that. Your home comes off the public record, and your company gets a professional address instead. This is also where a business address service earns its keep: it gives you a credible, appropriate address to switch to, and a real place for post to land. If you want the detail on the home-address downside, here's why founders keep their home address off the register.

Switching from a home address to a service address

Say you registered your company at your flat last year and now you'd rather it wasn't public. The process is the same free AD01 change: you just point the registered office at your new service address instead. With our registered office service, that new address is 20 Grosvenor Place, Belgravia, and any statutory post that arrives is scanned and sent to you digitally, so you don't have to be there to collect it. Your home address comes off the register once Companies House updates the record.

It's worth knowing the difference between the address types before you switch. If you're unsure which one you actually need, here's registered office vs service address vs business address explained.

What should I update after changing?

Updating Companies House doesn't automatically change your address everywhere. The register is one record; the rest of your business has its own. After the new registered office is registered, update:

  • HMRC and your tax records
  • Your business bank account and any finance providers
  • Insurers and professional bodies
  • Your website, invoices, email signatures and letterhead

That keeps every record consistent and avoids missed correspondence. It's a small admin job, but skipping it is how letters end up at the wrong address months later. Work through the list once, properly, and you won't have to think about it again.

A quick tip: deal with the bank and HMRC first, since those are the records most likely to generate post you can't afford to miss. The website and stationery can follow at your own pace.

Changing your registered office is genuinely simple, and it's free. The only parts worth slowing down for are checking the new address meets the "appropriate address" rule, staying inside your jurisdiction, and waiting until the change shows on the register before you rely on it. New to the topic? Start with what a registered office address is, or, if cost is your question, see how much a registered office address costs. When you're ready to switch, our registered office service gives your company a prestigious Belgravia address to move to.