What's the difference between a registered business address and a service address? All you need to know

When you form a company you will be asked for two different kinds of address: a registered office address for the company itself and a service address for each officer and person with significant control. They sound similar, but they do different jobs, follow different rules and appear on the public register in different ways. This guide uses the UK as the main example, because Companies House rules are the ones most people search for, and then shows how the same idea works in other jurisdictions.

What is a registered office address?

The registered office is the company's official legal address. It is where government bodies such as Companies House and HMRC send statutory letters, reminders and legal notices, and where legal documents can be formally served on the company. Every UK limited company and LLP must give one when it incorporates and must keep one for as long as it exists.

Key rules for a UK registered office:

• It must be in the right part of the UK. A company registered in England and Wales needs an address in England or Wales, a Scottish company needs an address in Scotland, and a Northern Irish company needs an address in Northern Ireland. An overseas address is not allowed.
• It must be an "appropriate address". Since 4 March 2024, under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, documents sent there must be expected to reach someone acting for the company, and delivery must be capable of being acknowledged. A bare PO box no longer qualifies.
• It is public. The registered office appears on the Companies House register, and older addresses stay visible in the company's filing history.
• It can be a home or a commercial address, as long as it meets the rules above. Many founders use the address of a formation agent, accountant or registered office provider to keep their home address off the register.

Alongside the registered office, new UK companies must now give Companies House a registered email address. It is used for official communication and is not published.

Can I change my registered office?

Yes, at any time, by notifying Companies House online. Companies House passes the update to HMRC, so you do not have to tell HMRC separately. For a short period after the change, documents can still be validly served at the old address, so keep an eye on post sent there. What you cannot do is move the registered office to a different jurisdiction: a company registered in England and Wales cannot switch to a Scottish or overseas registered office.

What is a service address?

A service address (also called a correspondence address) belongs to a person rather than to the company. Companies House requires one for each of the following:

• directors
• company secretaries, where the company has one
• LLP members
• subscribers (the people who sign the memorandum on formation)
• persons with significant control (PSCs), usually anyone holding more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, or who otherwise has significant influence or control over the company

Official post about that person's role, for example from Companies House or HMRC, is sent to the service address, and it is shown on the public register next to the person's name.

Rules for a service address are more relaxed than for a registered office:

• It can be anywhere in the world. You do not need a UK address to be a director of a UK company.
• It can be residential or commercial.
• It can be the same as the company's registered office. Many small companies simply give the registered office as the service address for every director.

Residential address vs service address

Every director and PSC also gives Companies House their usual residential address. This is kept on a private part of the register and is not published, unless you choose to use your home address as your service address. That is the main reason people use a separate service address: it keeps the home address off the public record.

If your home address already appears in older filings, Companies House offers a process to apply to have it suppressed from the public register in certain cases. Check the current Companies House guidance for eligibility and fees before applying.

Registered office vs service address at a glance

• Who it belongs to: the registered office belongs to the company; a service address belongs to an individual officer or PSC.
• Where it can be: the registered office must be in the jurisdiction of registration; a service address can be anywhere in the world.
• What it receives: the registered office receives statutory mail and legal service for the company; a service address receives official post about that person's role.
• Public or private: both are public. The residential address behind them is private.
• Changes: both can be changed at any time by filing an update with Companies House.

Identity verification and your addresses

Since 18 November 2025, directors and PSCs of UK companies must verify their identity with Companies House. New directors verify before they are appointed, and existing directors confirm their verification with the company's next confirmation statement. Verification does not change which addresses appear on the register, but it does mean the details you file, including addresses, are tied to a verified person. For more on what directors are responsible for, see our guide to the seven responsibilities of a corporate director.

How it works outside the UK

The same split between a company address and the people behind it exists almost everywhere, though the names differ:

• Hong Kong: every company needs a registered office in Hong Kong and a company secretary who is either an individual ordinarily resident in Hong Kong or a company with a Hong Kong address.
• Seychelles and the Marshall Islands: the company's registered office is provided by its licensed registered agent, and ownership records are not published on a public register in the way they are in the UK.
• Costa Rica: the company keeps a registered office and agent with the National Register.
• IFZA Dubai: the free zone licence is tied to the company's address within the free zone.

Our guide to company structure types explains how these entities differ in more detail.

How WeForm handles your addresses

Every WeForm package includes a registered office for the first year, so you do not need to put your home address on any register. For a UK private limited company, the Standard package from GBP 175 includes a UK registered office for 12 months, electronic filing with Companies House and your Certificate of Incorporation. Companies House usually registers a company within 24-48 hours of filing. The same applies to our other jurisdictions, where the registered office, and the registered agent or company secretary where required, are included for year one. You can compare options on our jurisdictions page or start your application online.

If you are forming a UK company for the first time, our step-by-step guide to registering a company in the UK and our overview of UK incorporation fees for 2026 are useful next reads. Official guidance is on GOV.UK.

FAQ

Do I need a UK address to set up a UK company?

The company needs a UK registered office in the correct part of the UK, but directors and shareholders do not need to live in the UK. Your own service address can be anywhere in the world. A registered office service, such as the one included in WeForm's UK package, solves the company address requirement.

Can my registered office also be my service address?

Yes. You can use the company's registered office as your service address, which keeps both your service address and your home address off the public register.

Can I use my home address as the registered office?

Yes, if it meets the appropriate address rules and is in the right part of the UK. Bear in mind it will be published on the register and will stay in the company's history even after you change it.

Can I use a PO box as my registered office?

Not on its own. Since March 2024 a bare PO box does not count as an appropriate address because delivery cannot be acknowledged at a physical location.

Is my residential address made public?

No, unless you also use it as your service address or the registered office. Companies House holds usual residential addresses on a protected part of the register.

Questions about your own set-up? Contact us and our team will help.