What documents does a limited company need to open a business bank account?

Opening a company account is the first thing many new directors do after incorporating, and it is where applications most often stall. The bank is not being awkward. It has legal duties to know who it is dealing with, and a missing document or a mismatched address is enough to hold things up.

This page recommends no provider and quotes no fees, because each bank sets its own forms and limits. The share split in the example is an assumption chosen to show the point.

What does a bank ask a limited company for?

Three kinds of information. The first is about the company itself, such as its name, registration number and address. The second covers the directors and owners. The third is about the business, including what it does and what money it expects to receive and pay.

The reason is financial crime rules. A UK Finance guide to opening a business account says banks must understand where a business's money comes from to meet those rules, and use expected activity to spot anything unusual.

Which company documents do you need?

The documents are the same ones used when the company was formed.

• Certificate of incorporation. Proof that the company exists.
• Articles of association. The company's rules, from its Companies House registration documents.
• Company details that match Companies House. The registered name, registered address, date of incorporation and company number must agree with the public record before the bank goes further.
• Appointment forms for recent changes. If a director or owner joined recently, the bank may ask for the forms that show it.

A mismatch is the easiest problem to avoid. Check the details on your application against the Companies House record before you submit it.

Whose ID does the bank check?

The ownership test is close to GOV.UK's definition of a person with significant control. That is someone who owns or controls the company, usually with more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, or who can appoint or remove a majority of the directors. Banks set their own limits, so use 25% as a guide and not a promise.

What counts as ID and proof of address?

Each person the bank checks usually provides two separate documents, one for identity and one for a UK address. Some banks can check these electronically.

Banks also ask for personal details such as date of birth, nationality and address history. A UK Finance guide says people who have lived at their current address for under three years usually give previous addresses too. The lists above come from two bank guides, and each bank sets its own, so ask yours for its list before you start.

Do Companies House identity checks change anything?

They run alongside the bank's checks. GOV.UK says identity verification became a legal requirement for directors and people with significant control on 18 November 2025. That date starts a 12 month transition period and is not a deadline, and each person has their own due date.

A director can verify online with GOV.UK One Login if they hold a qualifying photo ID, at a Post Office, or through an accountant or solicitor registered to do it. Completing it early means one less thing to deal with while the bank application is open. It does not replace the bank's own checks, so expect to provide documents to both.

What else will the bank ask about the business?

Expect questions about what the company does, where its money will come from and what it expects to receive and pay in the first year. Prepare rough figures before you apply. A short, clear description of the business helps more than a long one.

If the business trades from somewhere other than a director's home, have a document that shows the trading address ready. The business bank account fees article shows what the account is likely to cost once it is open.

What if the application is declined?

A bank has wide discretion over who it opens accounts for. The Financial Ombudsman Service said so in a decision on a business account refusal. It said the bank was not obliged to explain the decision in full, and that it would be rare for the service to require a bank to open an account it had decided not to offer.

That does not leave you without options. A comparison guide to refused applications lists missing documents, mismatched details and unclear ownership among the common causes. Work through them in order.

1. Ask the bank why. It may not give a full answer, so ask what you can fix.
2. Check the application for errors. Compare every detail with the Companies House record and make sure no document is missing.
3. Make the ownership clear. Have the share split and the people with significant control ready to show.
4. Try a different bank. Each bank uses its own criteria, so one decline does not mean all will decline.
5. Complain if the process was unfair. Start with the bank. If you are unhappy with the reply, ask whether the Financial Ombudsman Service can look at it.

What should a director do before applying?

1. Download the certificate of incorporation and articles. Both are available from the company's Companies House record.
2. List everyone the bank will check. Directors, owners of more than 25% and anyone who will operate the account.
3. Gather ID and proof of address for each person. Use documents that are in date and in the right name. Avoid mobile phone bills.
4. Prepare a short description and rough figures. What the company does and what it expects to receive and pay.
5. Complete Companies House identity verification. It is separate from the bank, and doing it early removes a task.

Opening the account is the first step. Deciding who can move the money is the second, and our signatories article covers that. You can see how similar businesses near you are doing with our free competitor report, and the Grow profit page covers how to win and keep customers. The IQ Money calculators let you put your own figures into the sums.

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