You’ve registered your company, and now you need an address for Companies House. A PO box seems easiest, a registered office sounds official, and a virtual office promises both — so which do you actually need?
Short answer: a PO box can’t be used as your registered office. A registered office address meets the legal minimum. A virtual office gives you that same registered address, plus mail handling and somewhere to work.
A PO box is a mail collection box, nothing more. It fails the one test that matters for Companies House: mail sent there has no guaranteed route back to a person who can act for the company. That’s the core requirement, and a PO box can’t meet it alone.
A registered office is the official address every UK limited company must have on record. It:
It doesn’t give you anywhere to work, meet a client, or have your day-to-day mail handled.
A virtual office sits between the two — more than a PO box, less than a private office lease. On top of a registered address, you typically get:
It suits two kinds of people particularly well: the solo founder who wants a credible address without renting a desk they’ll never use, and the remote team who wants one shared business address, with the option to book a day pass or meeting room whenever they’re in town — and monthly workspace credit built in on the Virtual Office and Virtual Office Hybrid plans.
Any provider acting as a registered office agent must run anti-money laundering (AML) checks before your address goes live — verifying who you are, who owns and controls the business, and screening against sanctions and PEP (politically exposed persons) lists. It’s a legal obligation on the provider, not an optional hoop — which is exactly why a PO box provider, who isn’t acting as a registered office agent, never asks for it. Expect a one-off compliance fee alongside your regular plan cost, whichever provider you choose.
Addresses are available in Prime London (Soho, Fitzrovia), across wider London (Aldersgate Street, Bermondsey, Borough, Camden, Clerkenwell Green, Hammersmith, Holborn, Liverpool Street, Old Street, St Cross Street), and in Manchester and Reading.
One detail worth knowing before you pick a postcode: only the address price changes by location — the plan and workspace bundle are identical everywhere.
For many founders, that makes a non-Prime address the practical pick — the same registered address, mail handling and workspace bundle, at a lower monthly cost. A Soho or Fitzrovia address still makes sense where a flagship postcode matters to how your brand is perceived, say, for a client-facing agency or a fundraising-stage startup.
Plans run in three tiers:
Every plan carries a one-off, non-refundable compliance fee covering the identity checks above, separate from your ongoing monthly or annual cost. You can move up or down a tier at any time.
Can I use a virtual office address for Companies House? Yes — as your registered office address and director’s service address, once identity and compliance checks are complete. One catch: you generally can’t register a brand-new company at the address; it needs to already be registered somewhere else first.
Do virtual office providers really carry out AML checks? Yes, on every application. Most are reviewed digitally and completed quickly; extra documentation can extend the timeline.
What if my company has multiple shareholders? Anyone with more than 25% ownership or control may need to be verified separately.
How long does verification take? Most applications are reviewed digitally and completed quickly; if additional documentation is needed, it may take longer.
What ID do I need at signup? Standard AML/KYC: government photo ID and proof of address. Most members are approved within 24 hours.
Can I choose how my mail is handled? On plans with mail scanning, yes — held for collection or securely shredded, your choice. Entry-level plans hold mail for collection only.
Is a PO box cheaper than a virtual office? Usually, yes — but it can’t replace a registered office, so the comparison only holds if you don’t need Companies House compliance at all.
Tailored solutions for growing teams
Adding 10 or more team members? That’s exciting — and we’re here to help! For teams like yours, we offer custom membership options designed to fit your needs perfectly.
Let us know some more information using the form below — we usually reply within an hour during business hours. Prefer to chat? Give us a call on 020 3349 8269 — we’d love to hear from you!