Appointing a new director to your UK limited company is a straightforward process, but it must be done correctly and reported to Companies House promptly. Here's a step-by-step guide to appointing a new director and keeping your Companies House record up to date.
Who Can Be a Director of a UK Limited Company?
To be appointed as a director of a UK limited company, a person must:
- Be at least 16 years old
- Not be disqualified from acting as a director by a court order
- Not be an undischarged bankrupt (unless permitted by the court)
- Not be the company's auditor
There are no residency requirements — directors can be based anywhere in the world.
Step 1: Pass a Board Resolution or Shareholder Resolution
Before notifying Companies House, the appointment must be formally approved internally. For most small companies, this means passing a board resolution (a decision agreed by the existing directors) or, if required by your articles of association, a shareholder resolution.
Keep a written record of the resolution in your company's statutory books.
Step 2: Obtain the New Director's Consent
The new director must formally consent to their appointment. This is typically done by signing a consent to act as director form. You should keep this on file as part of your company's records.
Step 3: Collect the Required Information
You'll need the following details for the new director:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Nationality
- Country of residence
- Service address — this will appear on the public Companies House register
- Usual residential address — kept private by Companies House
- Date of appointment
To protect the new director's privacy, they can use a professional director service address rather than their home address as their service address on the public register.
Step 4: Notify Companies House Using Form AP01
You must notify Companies House of the new director appointment using form AP01. This can be filed online via the Companies House WebFiling service.
The appointment must be reported to Companies House within 14 days of the appointment date. Failing to do so is a criminal offence under the Companies Act 2006.
There is no fee to file an AP01 form.
Step 5: Update Your Internal Statutory Register
As well as notifying Companies House, you must update your company's internal register of directors. This is one of the statutory registers that all UK limited companies are required to maintain.
What Information Appears on the Public Register?
Once the appointment is filed, the following information will be publicly visible on the Companies House register:
- Director's full name
- Month and year of birth (the day is not shown)
- Nationality
- Country of residence
- Service address
- Date of appointment
The director's residential address is kept private and is not shown on the public register.
Can a Director Use a Professional Service Address?
Yes — and it's strongly recommended. Using a director service address from Spectre Offices means the director's home address never appears on the public Companies House register. Our director service address plans are available at professional locations across the UK, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and more.
Summary
Appointing a new director involves passing a resolution, obtaining consent, collecting the required details, and filing form AP01 with Companies House within 14 days. Make sure the new director's service address is set up correctly from the start to protect their privacy.
View our director service address plans to get the new director's Companies House record set up professionally from day one.
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