Form

How to complete your OS IN01

Updated 1 May 2024

Parts 1 to 4 are about the overseas company. Parts 5 to 7 are about the UK establishment.

Part 1: Overseas company name

Before completing sections A1 and A2, check if the company name you’re registering is available using our company name availability checker. If the overseas company’s corporate name is considered to be the ‘same as’ another company name on the Companies House register, you will need to register the company under a different name.

Section A1: Overseas company corporate name

Show the overseas company’s corporate name. The company name should be exactly as shown in the company’s constitution, including punctuation and permitted characters.

Section A2: Overseas company’s alternative name

If you want to use a different name to the corporate name for the overseas company to carry on business in the UK, show the alternative name you want to use. If you show an alternative name, the company will be registered with this name. If you want to use the corporate name, leave this section blank.

This is not the UK establishment name. You’ll need to give the UK establishment name at section H4.

Section A3: Overseas company name restrictions

Only tick the box if the company name you want to use contains sensitive or restricted words or expressions that require you to seek the comments of a government department or other specified body.

See our guidance on the controls and restrictions of overseas companies’ names.

Part 2: Overseas company details

Section B1: Previously delivered particulars

If the company has an existing UK establishment, show the UK establishment number at section B1 and go straight to part 5.

If you’re registering an overseas company’s first UK establishment, leave this section blank and go to section B2.

Section B2: Credit or financial institution

You must tick one box. Tick ‘yes’ if the company is a credit or financial institution. Tick ‘no’ if it’s not.

Section B3: Company details

Give the details of the overseas company.

The description of the legal form must include whether the company is limited or not.

If applicable, show if the company is a private or public company.

Section B4: Governing law and accounting requirements

Give the law under which the company is incorporated.

If the company must disclose audited accounts under parent law, you must give the period required to prepare accounts by parent law, and the period allowed for the preparation and public disclosure of accounts for the accounting period.

You only need to complete the company accounting requirements if the company is required to prepare, audit and disclose accounts under parent law. You must complete all 3 parts if you’re completing this section. If not, leave the ‘from’, ‘to’, and ‘months’ fields blank and move on to part 3.

The period for which audited accounts must be prepared under parent law must be shown as a full year. For example, 01/04 to 31/03.  

Section B5: Latest disclosed accounts

Tick ‘yes’ if you’re sending copies of the latest disclosed audited accounts with the form OSIN01.

Tick the relevant boxes to show what documents you’re sending.

If you’re disclosing accounts, you’ll need to send a copy of the audited accounts with the form OSIN01, and if applicable, a certified translation.

You’ll need to send a certified English translation if the accounts are in a language other than English. The translation must be certified to be a correct translation by a director, secretary or permanent representative.

If you’re sending copies of the accounts, they must be the latest disclosed accounts within the country of incorporation, at the date of the opening of the UK establishment - the date shown at section H4.

Part 3: Constitution

Section C1: Constitution of company

Tick the relevant boxes to show what documents you’re sending.

You must send a certified copy of the company’s constitution and, if applicable, a certified translation with your form OSIN01. The company’s constitution is usually the document which sets out how the company is regulated, for example, articles or statutes. An extract or report from the registry in the country of incorporation is not the company’s constitution.

The copy of the constitutional documents must be certified to be a true copy by a director, secretary or permanent representative.

If the constitutional documents are not in English, you must send an English translation. The translation needs to be certified to be a correct translation by the director, secretary or permanent representative.

Section C3: Information not included in the constitutional documents

If the address of principal place of business or registered office in the country of incorporation, objects of the company, or amount of issued share capital are not included in the constitutional documents, you’ll need to provide these details at section C3.

If the information is in the constitutional documents, you must make sure all the relevant details are there and are up to date.

Constitutional documents often refer to the company’s authorised or nominal capital, and not the issued share capital. The nominal capital is the total amount of shares that the company has, but the company might not have issued all of these shares. For example, an overseas company might have an authorised capital worth €100, but only issued €10 worth of shares.

If the total value of the issued share capital is not clearly shown in the constitutional documents, you must provide this information at section C3 of the form OS IN01.

Make sure you show the total value of the issued share capital, including the correct currency, for example £100. If the company does not have any share capital, state N/A in the share capital field.

Part 4: Officers’ details

Give the details of all the officers already appointed to the overseas company. These are not new appointments. If the overseas company has a secretary, complete sections D1 to D3. If the overseas company has a corporate secretary, complete sections E1 to E3. For individual directors, complete sections F1 to F5. For corporate directors, complete sections G1 to G3. Use continuation pages if you need to.

If the company does not have a corporate secretary or corporate director, you do not need to complete sections E1 to E3, or G1 to G3.

When completing the authority of the officer, you must show both the extent of authority and whether the officer acts alone or jointly.

If the authority is limited, you must give a description of the limits to the authority. If limited is ticked, you must give a brief description. You cannot simply refer to the company’s constitution, unless the relevant extract is attached.

If the jointly box is ticked, you must show the names of the jointly authorised persons.

Part 5: UK establishment details

Section H1: Documents previously delivered - constitution

If the company has an existing establishment, give the UK establishment number.

If the company does not have an existing establishment, leave this section blank.

Section H2: Documents previously delivered – accounting documents

If the company has previously delivered accounting documents for an existing establishment, give the UK establishment number.

If the company does not have an existing establishment, leave this section blank.

Section H3: Delivery of accounts and reports

You must complete this section by ticking the relevant box.

If the company is going to deliver accounts in respect of another UK establishment, you need to give the UK establishment number.

Section H4: Particulars of UK establishment

You must provide the:

• UK establishment name
• UK establishment address
• date of opening of the UK establishment
• description of the business carried on at the UK establishment

The date of opening of UK establishment cannot be a future date.

If the UK establishment name is different from the company name you’re registering, it must also comply with the rules for business names.

Part 6: Permanent representative

This is a UK establishment appointment. Give the details of every person who’s authorised to represent the company in respect of its UK establishment.

You will need to provide details of at least one permanent representative. If there’s more than one permanent representative, use continuation pages.

Section J1: Permanent representative’s details

Give the forename and surname.

Section J2: Permanent representative’s service address

Give the address. This address will appear on the public record.

Section J3: Permanent representative’s authority

You must show the extent of authority and whether the officer acts alone or jointly.

If the authority is limited, you must give a description of the limits to the authority. If limited is ticked, you must give a brief description. It cannot simply refer to the company’s constitution, unless the relevant extract is attached.

If you tick ‘jointly’, you must show the names of the people who’re jointly authorised.

Section J4: Permanent representative’s usual residential address

Give the home address of the permanent representative. The permanent representative does not have to be resident in the UK.

Part 7: Person authorised to accept service

If there’s a person in the UK who’s authorised to accept service of documents in respect of the UK establishment, give their details.

Section K1: Details of person authorised to accept service of documents in the UK

Give the authorised person’s name.

Section K2: Service address of person authorised to accept service

Give the authorised person’s service address.

If there’s no authorised person, tick the box and leave sections K1 and K2 blank.

Part 8: Authentication

Enter your printed name. You do not need to include a signature.

This will appear on the public Companies House register.

Other tips

It costs £71 to register.

Make sure you have enclosed the correct fee. Make cheques or postal orders payable to ‘Companies House’.

You must use the latest version of the form.

See our guidance for more information about overseas companies and their filing requirements.