A certificate of good standing (COGS) is an official document issued by Companies House. It confirms that the company/partnership has been in continuous existence since incorporation and that no action is currently being taken by Companies House to strike the company/partnership off the register.
What Information Can Be Included?
By default, the certificate includes the current company name and any previous name changes, the company number and the date of incorporation.
The certificate can be tailored to include additional certified facts depending on what your bank or overseas partner requires. You can opt to include:
- A Summary Statement: This is historically known as the Statement of Good Standing, which confirms the company is up-to-date with filings and not in liquidation.
- Registered Office Address: This can include the current and previous addresses.
- Company Directors*: You can include additional details such as their correspondence address, nationality, month and year of birth, country of residence and appointment dates.
- Company Secretaries*: The appointment date and correspondence address can be selected.
- Company Objects
*If you need a COGS for a limited liability partnership (LLP) or limited partnership (LP), the additional certified facts would relate to the members and designated members in the case of an LLP, and the general and limited partners for an LP, instead of the director and secretary information.
Important: What is NOT Included?
Since 2016, Companies House no longer includes shareholder information, statement of capital or details of People with Significant Control (PSCs). If you need to prove these details, you may need to provide other documentation such as the confirmation statement (CS01), register of members or PSC register.
What if the Company is NOT in “Good Standing”?
If your company has overdue accounts or missing confirmation statements, the Registrar cannot issue the Summary Statement/Good Standing wording. Instead, they will issue a Statement of Fact. This document simply lists the company’s details but omits the confirmation that the company is compliant. To get a full certificate, you must bring all filings up to date first.
Timings and Delivery
Companies House offer an express service and once ordered, the certificate is typically processed and received by us within 2 working days.
Notarisation and/or Apostille
As the certificate is signed by a Registrar of Companies, it can be apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) directly without the need for it to be notarised first. However, the receiving jurisdiction may ask for you to have the document notarised before it is apostilled.
Contact Us
If you need assistance with ordering the certificate of good standing and arranging for it to be notarised and/or apostilled, our team of trusted notaries in London is ready to help.
Contact us today to discuss your requirements.