Confirmation Statement (CS01) 2026 for Non-Resident UK Companies
Last updated: June 2026
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If you own a UK limited company from abroad, the confirmation statement (filed on form CS01) is the one piece of annual housekeeping you cannot skip. As a confirmation statement CS01 non resident director, you have to confirm your company's key details with Companies House every 12 months, even when nothing has changed and even when your company has never traded a single pound. In 2026 the rules tightened, the fee went up, and a new identity-verification requirement now blocks the filing entirely until every director is verified.
This guide is written for founders sitting in Lagos, Karachi, Dubai, Manila, Mumbai, or anywhere outside Britain who run a UK Ltd. You will learn exactly what the statement is, the new 1 February 2026 fees, how to file and pay from overseas without a UK bank account, the lawful-purpose declaration, the identity-verification blocker, and what happens if you miss the deadline.
Quick answer: A confirmation statement is an annual filing that confirms your UK company's registered details (directors, shareholders, people with significant control, registered office, and SIC codes). You must file at least one every 12 months, plus a 14-day grace period. From 1 February 2026 it costs £50 online or £110 on paper, paid once per 12-month period, and Companies House will reject it unless all directors have verified their identity and you confirm your company's purpose is lawful.
What is a confirmation statement (CS01)?
A confirmation statement is a snapshot you send to Companies House confirming that the information they hold about your company is correct and up to date. It replaced the old "annual return" back in 2016, and the official paper version is form CS01.
It does not contain financial figures. Instead, it confirms structural details: your registered office address, the directors, the company secretary (if any), your shareholders and share capital, your persons with significant control (PSC), and your SIC codes (the standard industrial classification codes that describe what your business does). If any of those details changed during the year, you either update them before filing or report the change on the statement itself.
Think of it as an annual "yes, everything on the public register about my company is still accurate" declaration. Every active and dormant UK company has to file one. There is no exemption for non-residents and no exemption for companies that never traded.
Why this matters more in 2026
Three things changed that make the 2026 confirmation statement different from previous years, and all three hit non-resident owners hardest because you are not on the ground in Britain to react quickly.
First, the fee rose sharply on 1 February 2026. Second, since 5 March 2024 every statement must include a lawful purpose declaration, and it is rejected without it. Third, and most disruptive, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) now requires every director to verify their identity before Companies House will accept the statement. If you have not completed identity verification, your CS01 simply will not go through.
For a deep walkthrough of that requirement and how to complete it from overseas, read our guide on Companies House identity verification for non-residents before you attempt to file. It is now a hard pre-filing blocker, not an optional extra.
How to file your confirmation statement from abroad: step by step
You can complete the entire process from your laptop, wherever you live. Here is the workflow most non-resident directors follow.
- Verify your identity first. Every director must be verified through GOV.UK One Login (using a biometric passport), in person at a UK Post Office, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). For non-residents who cannot reach a Post Office, the ACSP route is the practical option. Keep your Companies House personal code ready.
- Log in to WebFiling. Go to the Companies House WebFiling service with your company authentication code. If you use a formation agent, they may file through their own software instead.
- Review your company record. Check the registered office, directors, PSCs, shareholders, share capital, and SIC codes. Correct anything that is out of date before you submit, or report changes within the statement where allowed.
- Confirm the lawful purpose statement. Tick the declaration that your company's intended future activities are lawful. Without this, the statement is rejected.
- Set the confirmation date. This is the "made-up-to" date, the date your snapshot reflects. It must be no later than the end of your 12-month review period.
- Pay the fee. Pay £50 online with any debit or credit card, including an overseas card. No UK bank account is needed.
- Submit and save the confirmation. Companies House emails an acknowledgement and the public register updates, usually within a day.
If any of this feels risky to handle alone, especially the identity-verification step from overseas, you can hand the whole filing to a regulated formation agent. Have 1st Formations file your confirmation statement for you — they act as an ACSP and can verify you and submit the CS01 on your behalf.
2026 fees and filing routes compared
The fee you pay depends on whether you file online or on paper, and the amount changed on 1 February 2026. The rule that catches people out: the fee in force on the date you submit applies, even if your made-up-to date falls before 1 February. Submit on 5 February and you pay the new fee, not the old one.
| Filing route | Old fee | New fee (from 1 Feb 2026) | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmation statement — online (WebFiling/software) | £34 | £50 | Processed within ~1 day | Almost all non-residents |
| Confirmation statement — paper (CS01 form) | £62 | £110 | Days by post, slow from abroad | Rare edge cases only |
| Filing via an ACSP / formation agent | Service fee + £50 | Service fee + £50 | Fast, hands-off | Owners who can't verify in person |
| Incorporation — digital (for context) | £50 | £100 | Same day | New company setup |
| Voluntary strike-off — digital (for context) | — | £13 | Weeks | Closing a company |
A crucial point that saves money: the fee is charged once per 12-month period, not per change. You can file unlimited updates to your company details within that period and only pay the single £50 (or £110) once. The fee covers the payment period, not each individual filing.
A real filing: Adaeze in Lagos saves her dormant company
Adaeze, a fintech consultant in Lagos, incorporated a UK holding company in March 2025 intending to launch a SaaS product. The product slipped, the company stayed dormant, and she assumed an inactive company had nothing to file.
In April 2026 she received a warning notice. Companies House had a confirmation statement overdue and her company was flagged for strike-off. She logged in to WebFiling, but the submission was blocked: she had not completed identity verification. It took her three days to verify through an ACSP because she could not reach a UK Post Office from Nigeria.
Once verified, she filed online, ticked the lawful-purpose declaration, and paid the £50 fee with her Nigerian Mastercard. Total out-of-pocket cost: £50 plus the ACSP verification fee. Had she ignored the warning for another month, she faced a financial penalty starting at £250 and the loss of the company itself, with its assets passing to the Crown as bona vacantia. The lesson she shares now: dormant does not mean exempt, and verify your identity long before the deadline, not on the day.
Common mistakes non-resident owners make
- Assuming a dormant company is exempt. Every company, including dormant and non-trading ones, must file at least once every 12 months.
- Leaving identity verification to the last minute. From overseas, verification can take days through an ACSP. Start early; it is now a pre-filing blocker.
- Confusing the confirmation statement with annual accounts. They are two separate filings with two separate deadlines. Filing one does not satisfy the other.
- Forgetting the lawful purpose declaration. Since 5 March 2024 the statement is rejected without it.
- Thinking you need a UK bank account to pay. You do not. Any overseas debit or credit card works on WebFiling.
- Believing there is "no penalty, only strike-off." That changed. Financial penalties now exist alongside strike-off and possible director disqualification.
- Paying twice for multiple changes. The fee is once per 12-month period regardless of how many updates you file.
Confirmation statement vs annual accounts
This is the single most common point of confusion, so it deserves its own table. Both are mandatory and both are filed with Companies House (accounts are also tied to HMRC for tax), but they are completely different documents with different deadlines.
| Feature | Confirmation statement (CS01) | Annual accounts |
|---|---|---|
| What it confirms | Company structure: directors, PSCs, shareholders, address, SIC codes | Financial position: balance sheet, profit and loss |
| Contains financial figures? | No | Yes |
| Frequency | At least once every 12 months | Once a year |
| Typical fee | £50 online (2026) | No filing fee for the accounts themselves |
| Required if dormant? | Yes | Yes (dormant accounts) |
| Deadline basis | Review period from incorporation or last statement | Accounting reference date |
Filing one never satisfies the other. Non-resident owners who fall behind usually do so because they filed one and assumed the company was "done" for the year.
The penalty timeline if you miss the deadline
Failing to file is a criminal offence, and directors can be prosecuted personally. The consequences escalate, and the regime is harsher than the "strike-off only" position many older articles still describe.
Here is how it typically unfolds: Companies House sends automated reminders, then a warning notice giving you at least 28 days to comply (you may make written representations during this window). If you still do not file, you face a civil financial penalty, commonly £250 to £2,000 depending on your history of late filings, and/or compulsory strike-off. Directors can be fined up to £5,000, and persistent failure can trigger director disqualification of 2 to 15 years under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.
If the company is struck off, it ceases to exist and its assets become bona vacantia, meaning they pass to the Crown. For a non-resident, recovering a struck-off company and its bank balances from another country is slow, expensive, and sometimes impossible.
Paying and filing with no UK bank account
This is the question that worries non-residents most, and the answer is reassuring: you do not need a UK bank account to file or pay. The £50 fee is taken by card on WebFiling, and Companies House accepts overseas debit and credit cards.
Identity verification can also be completed remotely. You can verify through GOV.UK One Login if you hold a biometric passport, or through an ACSP (a regulated accountant or formation agent) without ever travelling to Britain. The ACSP route is the practical default for most non-residents, because it does not require a UK Post Office visit.
If you would rather not touch WebFiling at all, an ACSP or formation agent can file the entire statement on your behalf. That is the path many overseas owners take once they realise identity verification, the lawful-purpose declaration, and the payment all have to align correctly on the same submission.
One practical tip on timing from abroad: do not wait for the review period to end before you act. International card payments can occasionally be declined by overseas fraud filters when paying a UK government service for the first time, and identity verification through an ACSP is not instant. Aim to verify your identity weeks ahead and file a few days inside your window rather than on the final day. The 14-day grace period after your review period ends is a safety net, not a plan, and relying on it from a different time zone is how avoidable penalties happen. A calendar reminder set 60 days before your statement is due is the single cheapest piece of compliance insurance a non-resident owner can give themselves.
How this ties to your other UK company obligations
Your confirmation statement does not exist in isolation. It confirms details that you set up at formation and maintain year-round, so it is worth keeping the whole picture in view:
- The statement confirms your registered office, so make sure yours is compliant. See our guide to a UK registered office address for non-residents.
- It cannot be accepted until you complete Companies House identity verification.
- If you are still planning your company, start with how to form a UK company from home and the real UK company formation costs.
- Owners often pair the statement with tax planning for non-resident owners and opening a UK business bank account.
- Comparing who should file it for you? See 1st Formations vs filing direct with Companies House.
If you want a person to walk you through your specific situation, you can also speak to our consultants.
Frequently asked questions
What is a confirmation statement and is it different from annual accounts?
Yes, they are different filings. A confirmation statement confirms your company's structure, directors, shareholders, PSCs, address, and SIC codes, with no financial figures. Annual accounts report your financial position. Both are mandatory and have separate deadlines, and filing one does not satisfy the other.
How much is the confirmation statement fee in 2026?
From 1 February 2026 it costs £50 to file online or £110 on paper, up from £34 and £62. The fee is charged once per 12-month payment period, not per change. The amount in force on the date you submit applies, even if your made-up-to date was before 1 February.
Do I still need to file a confirmation statement if my company is dormant?
Yes. Every company, including dormant and non-trading companies, must file at least one confirmation statement every 12 months. There is no exemption for inactive companies. Dormant owners are among the most likely to be struck off because they wrongly assume inactivity means nothing to file.
Can a non-resident director file a confirmation statement without a UK bank account?
Yes. You file online through WebFiling and pay the £50 fee with any overseas debit or credit card. No UK bank account is required. You can also have an ACSP or formation agent file it for you if you prefer a fully hands-off approach.
Do all directors need to verify their identity before filing?
Yes. Under ECCTA, Companies House will not accept your confirmation statement until all directors have verified their identity. This applies to new directors from 18 November 2025, and existing directors must verify by 18 November 2026. Verify early, because the overseas route can take days.
What is the lawful purpose statement on a confirmation statement?
Since 5 March 2024, every confirmation statement must include a declaration that your company's intended future activities are lawful. Companies House rejects any statement that does not include this declaration, so make sure you tick it before submitting.
How often do you pay the confirmation statement fee?
You pay the fee once per 12-month payment period, not every time you make a change. Within that period you can file unlimited updates to your company details and still only pay the single £50 (online) or £110 (paper) once.
Is there a late filing penalty for a confirmation statement now?
Yes, this changed. Beyond strike-off, Companies House can now issue civil financial penalties commonly £250 to £2,000 after a warning notice and a 28-day window. Failing to file is a criminal offence, directors can be fined up to £5,000, and persistent failure can lead to disqualification.
Conclusion
The confirmation statement is simple in theory and unforgiving in practice for non-residents. File at least one every 12 months, confirm your details and the lawful-purpose declaration, pay £50 online with any card, and above all make sure every director has verified their identity first, because that is now the step most likely to block your filing. Dormant companies are not exempt, and the penalties for missing the deadline now include real financial fines on top of strike-off.
If you would rather not navigate WebFiling, identity verification, and the lawful-purpose rules from abroad, let a regulated agent handle the whole filing. File your confirmation statement with 1st Formations and keep your UK company compliant without leaving home, or talk to our consultants first if you want tailored advice.
Sources
- Filing your company's confirmation statement (GOV.UK)
- Companies House fees (GOV.UK)
- Changes to UK company law: identity verification (Companies House / GOV.UK)
- Verifying your identity for Companies House (GOV.UK)
- Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)
