How Do I Add a Director to a UK Company?

You can add a new director to a UK limited company by appointing the person and notifying Companies House.

The appointment must follow the company's articles of association and the new director must meet the legal requirements for acting as a director.

Who Can Be a Director?

A company director must generally be at least 16 years old and must not be disqualified from acting as a director.

A director does not normally need to live in the UK, so an overseas or non-UK resident can be appointed.

What Information Is Required?

When adding a director, you will normally need details such as:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• Occupation
• Service address
• Residential address
• Companies House identity-verification information

Some of this information is kept private, while certain director details appear on the public Companies House register.

Does the New Director Need Identity Verification?

Yes. Directors are subject to the applicable Companies House identity-verification requirements.

The new director may need to verify their identity and obtain a Companies House personal code for the appointment process.

How Do I Notify Companies House?

The company can normally report the appointment online through Companies House.

Companies House must generally be notified of a new director within 14 days of the appointment.

Does Adding a Director Give Them Shares?

No.

Being a director and being a shareholder are different.

A director manages the company, while a shareholder owns shares in it. Appointing someone as a director does not automatically give them ownership of the company.

Final Answer

To add a director to a UK limited company, you need to properly appoint the person and notify Companies House, normally within 14 days.

The new director must meet the eligibility and identity-verification requirements.

Remember that appointing a director does not automatically make them a shareholder or give them ownership of the company.

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