> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.topograph.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# United Kingdom
> Country-specific identifiers, data sources, and implementation details
## Start here
This guide contains public integration notes for United Kingdom. Use it for identifier formats, search behavior, and country-specific caveats. The live source of truth for coverage, pricing, data sources, documents, legal forms, roles, and status values is the pricing page.
Open the current catalog for supported datapoints, documents, sources, identifiers, and availability.
Country details below are preserved as integration notes. If a table or example conflicts with the live pricing page, use the pricing page as the source of truth and contact support.
## Table of Contents
* [Data Sources](#data-sources)
* [Company Identifiers](#company-identifiers)
* [Search Capabilities](#search-capabilities)
* [Quirks & Gotchas](#quirks--gotchas)
* [Mappings](#mappings)
* [Data Availability](#data-availability)
* [Example API Responses](#example-api-responses)
## Data Sources
All UK company data is sourced from the **Companies House API**, the official public data API operated by [Companies House](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house) -- the UK executive agency responsible for incorporating and dissolving limited companies. Companies House traces its origins to 1844, when the Joint Stock Companies Act first enabled companies to be incorporated by registration.
There is a **single data source** for all UK entities. No priority chain or fallback logic is needed -- all data flows through one unified API.
### All company types
* **Companies House Public Data API** (`api.company-information.service.gov.uk`) -- Provides structured company profile data including company name, status, legal form, registered address, SIC codes, officers (directors and secretaries), and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs). This is our **sole source** for all UK company information (company profile, officers, PSCs, establishments).
* **Companies House Document API** (`document-api.company-information.service.gov.uk`) -- Used to retrieve the actual PDF content of filed documents from the filing history (accounts, incorporation documents, confirmation statements, resolutions, etc.).
The Companies House API is a **free, open API**. All company data and documents are available at no charge. Rate limits apply (600 requests per 5 minutes per API key).
### How data is fetched
For a company profile request, the system makes **three parallel API calls** to Companies House:
1. **Company profile** (`/company/{number}`) -- name, status, legal form, address, SIC codes, jurisdiction, previous names
2. **Officers** (`/company/{number}/officers`) -- directors, secretaries, and other officers (up to 2,000 per request)
3. **Persons with Significant Control** (`/company/{number}/persons-with-significant-control`) -- individuals and corporate entities with significant control
These are combined and mapped into the unified Topograph data model, then enriched with AI-powered parsing for standardization of status, legal form, activity codes, and officer roles.
## Company Identifiers
### Query Identifiers
| Company Type | Format | Example | Notes |
| ------------------------------ | ------------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| **Standard UK companies** | 8 digits | `12345678` | Includes Ltd, PLC, LLP, etc. |
| **Overseas companies** | FC + 6 digits | `FC022268` | Foreign companies registered in the UK |
| **UK establishments** | BR + 6 digits | `BR011501` | UK branches of overseas companies |
| **Scottish companies** | SC + 6 digits | `SC123456` | Companies registered in Scotland |
| **Northern Ireland companies** | NI + 6 digits | `NI012345` | Companies registered in Northern Ireland |
All company numbers are 8 characters. Numeric-only numbers are zero-padded (e.g., `03789983`). Prefixed numbers use 2-letter prefix + 6 digits.
### Identifiers in API Response
| Identifier Type | Format | Example | Notes |
| ---------------------- | ------------ | --------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| `companiesHouseNumber` | 8 characters | `03789983` | Always present -- the primary identifier |
| `jurisdiction` | String | `england-wales` | Jurisdiction within the UK (when available) |
`companiesHouseNumber` is the single key for a UK company number wherever it appears in a response. The queried company, related companies (corporate officers and persons with significant control), and reconstructed corporate shareholders all expose their number under `identifiers.companiesHouseNumber`. The same key is used in a search result's `matchReason.identifier`. There is no `registrationNumber` or `companyNumber` key for UK entities.
The UK does not use VAT numbers as company identifiers in the Companies House register. UK VAT numbers (format: `GB` + 9 digits) are managed by HMRC, not Companies House.
## Search Capabilities
| Search Type | Pattern | Example | Match Type | Expected Results |
| ----------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------- | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| By Company Number | 8 digits | `03789983` | Exact | Exact match returned first (matchType: id); other results may follow |
| By Name | Text string (2-160 chars) | `"TECHNOLOGY UK LIMITED"` | Fuzzy | Multiple results (active companies only) |
**Search uses both live API lookups and pre-built indexes.** Company number searches perform a live lookup against the Companies House API for exact matching. Name searches query the Companies House search endpoint which returns active companies by default.
Use company number searches for best performance and exact matching. Name searches are restricted to active companies by default (`restrictions: active-companies`).
## Quirks & Gotchas
| Quirk | Details | | |
| ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| **Name format is SURNAME, Firstname** | Companies House returns officer names in "SURNAME, Firstname" format. The system parses this automatically, splitting on the comma. | | |
| **No direct shareholder API** | Companies House does not expose a shareholders endpoint. Shareholders are **AI-reconstructed** from filing history documents (capital, confirmation statements, incorporation documents). | | |
| **PSC = UBO (not shareholder)** | The PSC (Persons with Significant Control) register maps to UBOs, not shareholders. Individual PSCs become UBOs; corporate and legal-person PSCs become Other Key Persons. | | |
| **Ownership in ranges, not exact** | PSC ownership is expressed as ranges (25-50%, 50-75%, 75-100%), not exact percentages. This is a Companies House data model limitation. | | |
| **Resigned officers filtered out** | Only active (non-resigned) officers are returned. Officers with a `resigned_on` date are excluded from the response. | | |
| **SIC codes are UK-specific** | UK SIC 2007 codes are 5 digits and identical to NACE Rev. 2 at the 4-digit level, with UK-specific subclasses at the 5th digit. NACE and ISIC mappings are AI-inferred. | | |
| **All documents are free** | Unlike many other jurisdictions, all UK Companies House documents are available at no charge. | | |
| **Overseas companies have establishments** | Companies with FC prefix are foreign companies registered in the UK. They may have UK establishment branches (BR prefix). Establishments are only fetched for FC-prefixed companies. | | |
| **Super-secure PSCs** | Some PSCs are classified as "super-secure" with protected details. These appear as "Protected Person with Significant Control" in the UBO data with no personal information. | | |
| **Corporate PSCs are OKPs, not UBOs** | Corporate and legal-person PSCs are mapped as Other Key Persons (with role "Person with Significant Control"), not as UBOs. Only individual PSCs become UBOs. | | |
| **Secretaries are OKPs, not legal reps** | Company secretaries (including corporate secretaries and nominee secretaries) are classified as Other Key Persons, not Legal Representatives. | | |
| **Role includes occupation** | When Companies House provides an officer's occupation, the role `localName` is formatted as \`"Mapped Role | Occupation"`(e.g.,`"Director | Managing Director"\`). |
| **Previous company names preserved** | Companies that have changed names retain their historical names in the `legacyLegalNames` array. | | |
## Mappings
### Company Status
Company status is determined **deterministically** from the Companies House API `company_status` field -- no AI inference is involved.
| Local Status | Standardized Status | Notes |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `active` | Active | Company is currently active |
| `active` (proposal to strike off) | Pending Dissolution | Active company with an open strike-off proposal -- see below |
| `open` | Active | UK establishment (branch of an overseas company) currently open |
| `registered` | Active | Registered entity types such as assurance companies and ICVCs |
| `dissolved` | Closed | Company has been dissolved |
| `closed` | Closed | UK establishment that has been closed |
| `converted-closed` | Closed | Company has been converted or closed |
| `removed` | Closed | Entity has been removed from the register |
| `liquidation` | Closed | Company is in liquidation |
| `administration` | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Company is in administration |
| `receivership` | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Company under receiver action |
| `voluntary-arrangement` | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Company under a voluntary arrangement |
| `insolvency-proceedings` | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Company is subject to insolvency proceedings |
Every value of the published Companies House status list is mapped deterministically, including the `open`/`closed` pair used for UK establishments (`BR`-prefixed numbers). The `localName` field preserves the original Companies House status value, and `status.active` is `true` for the Active rows above. For a company with an active strike-off proposal, `company_status` stays `active` while `localName` carries the more specific `active-proposal-to-strike-off`, and the standardized status detail is Pending Dissolution. The full list of possible status values is published on the pricing page.
### Filing compliance signals
Companies House publishes a few filing-compliance signals on every company profile. We surface them in two places.
**Pending strike-off.** A company with an active proposal to strike off is still reported by the register as active, so `status.active` stays `true`. The standardized `status.statusDetails.status` is set to `PENDING_DISSOLUTION` so you can tell it apart from a plainly active company, `status.localName` carries the register's `active-proposal-to-strike-off` detail, and there is a short `status.statusDetails.additionalInfo` note. Once the strike-off completes, the company moves to Closed.
**Compliance signals.** Companies House publishes five standing signals on every company profile, surfaced on the cross-country `complianceFlags` object:
| Key | `active: true` means |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `accountsOverdue` | The statutory annual accounts are overdue |
| `annualFilingOverdue` | The confirmation statement (annual return) is overdue |
| `registeredCharges` | The register records charges or mortgages over the company's assets |
| `insolvencyHistory` | The register records insolvency proceedings in the company's history |
| `liquidated` | The company has been through liquidation |
Each flag object has:
| Field | Description |
| --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `active` | The register's own answer |
| `dueDate` | The date the filing was due and missed. Overdue flags only, and only while `active` is `true` |
| `source` | The register that reported the signal |
Companies House states all five **both ways**, so for the UK `active: false` is a formal clearance ("Companies House says this company has no registered charges"), not a default. A key is absent only where the payload genuinely omits the field, which happens on some older records. `insolvencyHistory` is historical: a company currently in proceedings is reported through `status.statusDetails.status`.
```json theme={null}
{
"status": { "localName": "active", "active": true, "statusDetails": { "status": "ACTIVE" } },
"complianceFlags": {
"accountsOverdue": { "active": true, "dueDate": "2024-09-30", "source": "companies_house" },
"annualFilingOverdue": { "active": false, "source": "companies_house" },
"registeredCharges": { "active": true, "source": "companies_house" },
"insolvencyHistory": { "active": false, "source": "companies_house" },
"liquidated": { "active": false, "source": "companies_house" }
}
}
```
**Statutory filing calendar.** The UK is the most complete implementation of the cross-country `statutoryFilings` field: Companies House publishes the full calendar for both obligations, the statutory accounts and the confirmation statement.
```json theme={null}
{
"statutoryFilings": {
"accounts": {
"financialYearEnd": "03-31",
"lastFiled": { "periodStart": "2024-04-01", "periodEnd": "2025-03-31" },
"next": {
"periodStart": "2025-04-01",
"periodEnd": "2026-03-31",
"dueDate": "2026-12-31",
"overdue": false
},
"source": "companies_house"
},
"annualFiling": {
"cadence": "annual",
"lastFiled": { "periodEnd": "2025-10-25" },
"next": { "periodEnd": "2026-10-25", "dueDate": "2026-11-08", "overdue": false },
"source": "companies_house"
}
}
}
```
`financialYearEnd` is the Companies House accounting reference date as `MM-DD`. It recurs every year, so it is not a full date. `lastFiled.periodEnd` is the "made up to" date. See [Compliance Signals & Statutory Filings](/essentials/compliance-signals) for the full field reference and the country availability matrix.
### Legal Forms
Legal forms are mapped **deterministically** from the Companies House `company_type` field to human-readable English descriptions. Since the UK is an English-speaking country, the `localName` and `englishTranslation` fields are identical. Standardization to Topograph types and ISO 20275 codes is **AI-enriched**.
| Companies House Code | Legal Form (localName) | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
| ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | --------- |
| `ltd` | Private limited company | Limited Liability Company | SQXV |
| `plc` | Public limited company | Corporation | GKFN |
| `private-unlimited` | Private unlimited company | Sole Proprietorship | - |
| `private-unlimited-nsc` | Private unlimited company without share capital | Sole Proprietorship | - |
| `private-limited-guarant-nsc` | Private limited by guarantee without share capital | Limited Liability Company | - |
| `private-limited-guarant-nsc-limited-exemption` | Private Limited Company by guarantee without share capital, use of 'Limited' exemption | Limited Liability Company | - |
| `private-limited-shares-section-30-exemption` | Private Limited Company, use of 'Limited' exemption | Limited Liability Company | - |
| `old-public-company` | Old public company | Corporation | - |
| `converted-or-closed` | Converted / closed | Other | - |
| `unregistered-company` | Unregistered company | Other | - |
| `other` | Other company type | Other | - |
| Companies House Code | Legal Form (localName) | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------ | --------- |
| `llp` | Limited liability partnership | Partnership | 8VXR |
| `limited-partnership` | Limited partnership | Partnership | - |
| `scottish-partnership` | Scottish qualifying partnership | Partnership | - |
| Companies House Code | Legal Form (localName) | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
| ----------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------- | --------- |
| `charitable-incorporated-organisation` | Charitable incorporated organisation | Nonprofit Organization | - |
| `scottish-charitable-incorporated-organisation` | Scottish charitable incorporated organisation | Nonprofit Organization | - |
| Companies House Code | Legal Form (localName) | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
| ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | --------- |
| `european-public-limited-liability-company-se` | European public limited liability company (SE) | Corporation | - |
| `united-kingdom-societas` | United Kingdom Societas | Corporation | - |
| `eeig` | European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) | Other | - |
| `eeig-establishment` | European Economic Interest Grouping Establishment (EEIG) | Other | - |
| `ukeig` | United Kingdom Economic Interest Grouping | Other | - |
| Companies House Code | Legal Form (localName) | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------------- | --------- |
| `oversea-company` | Overseas company | Branch or Representative Office | - |
| `registered-overseas-entity` | Overseas entity | Branch or Representative Office | - |
| `uk-establishment` | UK establishment company | Branch or Representative Office | - |
| Companies House Code | Legal Form (localName) | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
| ------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- | ------------ | --------- |
| `investment-company-with-variable-capital` | Investment company with variable capital | Other | - |
| `icvc-securities` | Investment company with variable capital | Other | - |
| `icvc-warrant` | Investment company with variable capital | Other | - |
| `icvc-umbrella` | Investment company with variable capital | Other | - |
| `assurance-company` | Assurance-company | Other | - |
| `protected-cell-company` | Protected cell company | Other | - |
| Companies House Code | Legal Form (localName) | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | --------- |
| `royal-charter` | Royal charter company | Other | - |
| `industrial-and-provident-society` | Industrial and Provident society | Cooperative | - |
| `registered-society-non-jurisdictional` | Registered society | Other | - |
| `northern-ireland` | Northern Ireland company | Other | - |
| `northern-ireland-other` | Credit union (Northern Ireland) | Other | - |
| `further-education-or-sixth-form-college-corporation` | Further education or sixth form college corporation | Government-Owned Entity | - |
The `localName` field is deterministically mapped from Companies House `company_type` codes using a static lookup table. The `standardized` type and `iso20275Code` are AI-enriched and may evolve. Source: [Companies House API enumerations](https://github.com/companieshouse/api-enumerations/blob/master/constants.yml).
### Legal Representatives
Legal representatives are extracted from the Companies House officers endpoint. The classification of an officer as **legal representative vs. other key person** is **deterministic**: all secretary roles are Other Key Persons; all other active officer roles are Legal Representatives.
The role `localName` is built by combining the mapped officer role with the occupation field (when available) using a `" | "` separator. For example, if the officer role is `director` and the occupation is `Managing Director`, the `localName` will be `"Director | Managing Director"`.
Both individuals and corporate entities can hold officer roles. Corporate officers are detected by the presence of an `identification` field.
| Companies House Code | Mapped Role | Notes |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| `director` | Director | Most common role for UK companies |
| `corporate-director` | Director | Corporate entity serving as director |
| `nominee-director` | Nominee Director | Director appointed on behalf of another |
| `corporate-nominee-director` | Nominee Director | Corporate entity as nominee director |
| `cic-manager` | CIC Manager | Community Interest Company manager |
| `managing-officer` | Managing Officer | Used for overseas entities |
| `corporate-managing-officer` | Managing Officer | Corporate entity as managing officer |
| Companies House Code | Mapped Role | Notes |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| `llp-designated-member` | LLP Designated Member | Designated member of an LLP |
| `corporate-llp-designated-member` | LLP Designated Member | Corporate entity as LLP designated member |
| `llp-member` | LLP Member | Member of an LLP |
| `corporate-llp-member` | LLP Member | Corporate entity as LLP member |
| Companies House Code | Mapped Role | Notes |
| ------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| `general-partner-in-a-limited-partnership` | General Partner in a Limited Partnership | Active management partner |
| `limited-partner-in-a-limited-partnership` | Limited Partner in a Limited Partnership | Passive investment partner |
| Companies House Code | Mapped Role | Notes |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| `member-of-a-management-organ` | Member of a Management Organ | SE company management organ |
| `corporate-member-of-a-management-organ` | Member of a Management Organ | Corporate entity in management organ |
| `member-of-a-supervisory-organ` | Member of a Supervisory Organ | SE company supervisory organ |
| `corporate-member-of-a-supervisory-organ` | Member of a Supervisory Organ | Corporate entity in supervisory organ |
| `member-of-an-administrative-organ` | Member of an Administrative Organ | SE company administrative organ |
| `corporate-member-of-an-administrative-organ` | Member of an Administrative Organ | Corporate entity in administrative organ |
| `manager-of-an-eeig` | Manager of an EEIG | EEIG manager |
| `corporate-manager-of-an-eeig` | Manager of an EEIG | Corporate entity as EEIG manager |
| Companies House Code | Mapped Role | Notes |
| ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| `person-authorised-to-accept` | Person Authorised to Accept | Service of documents |
| `person-authorised-to-represent` | Person Authorised to Represent | Representing the entity |
| `person-authorised-to-represent-and-accept` | Person Authorised to Represent and Accept | Both roles combined |
| Companies House Code | Mapped Role | Notes |
| ---------------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| `judicial-factor` | Judicial Factor | Court-appointed factor (Scottish law) |
| `receiver-and-manager` | Receiver and Manager | Appointed by court or creditor |
### Other Key Persons
Secretary roles and corporate PSCs are classified as Other Key Persons.
**Secretary Roles:**
| Companies House Code | Mapped Role | Standardized |
| ----------------------------- | ----------------- | ------------ |
| `secretary` | Secretary | Secretary |
| `corporate-secretary` | Secretary | Secretary |
| `nominee-secretary` | Nominee Secretary | Secretary |
| `corporate-nominee-secretary` | Nominee Secretary | Secretary |
**Corporate PSCs (from the PSC register):**
| PSC Kind | Mapped Role | Standardized |
| -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------ |
| `corporate-entity-person-with-significant-control` | Person with Significant Control | Other |
| `legal-person-with-significant-control` | Person with Significant Control | Other |
The secretary classification is deterministic -- any officer role containing "secretary" in the `officer_role` field or `occupation` field is classified as an Other Key Person with standardized role `Secretary`. Corporate and legal-person PSCs are always Other Key Persons; only individual PSCs become UBOs.
### Shareholders
The Companies House API does not provide a dedicated shareholders endpoint. Shareholders are extracted from filing history documents using **AI-based reconstruction**.
**Extraction Logic:**
| Source Document Category | When Used | Data Extracted |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| **Capital documents** | Share allotments, capital changes | Share structure and allottees |
| **Confirmation statements** | Annual returns with shareholding info | Current shareholders |
| **Incorporation documents** | Articles of association, initial subscribers | Initial shareholders |
| **Resolution documents** | Share-related decisions | Share transfers and changes |
The system:
1. Filters available documents to categories likely to contain shareholder information (`capital`, `annual-return`, `incorporation`, `resolution`)
2. Downloads the selected PDFs (all free from Companies House)
3. Extracts shareholders using AI parsing
4. Resolves corporate shareholders to their own Companies House number where possible (see below)
5. Returns reconstructed shareholder data with share percentages and ownership details
**Ownership Fields:**
| Field | Description | Source |
| ----------------- | --------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| `sharePercentage` | Ownership percentage | AI-extracted from documents |
| `type` | Individual or Company | Determined from name patterns |
| `numberOfShares` | Number of shares held | AI-extracted from documents |
**Corporate shareholder identifiers:**
Filings name corporate shareholders by legal name, and only sometimes state a registration number. For each corporate shareholder, we confirm any number read from the filing against Companies House, and otherwise search by name. On a confident match we populate `company.id` and `company.identifiers.companiesHouseNumber` so you can key, dedupe, and traverse the entity. When no confident match is found (for example a dissolved entity, a foreign parent, or an ambiguous name), the shareholder is returned by name only, with `company.id` and `company.identifiers` left undefined. Treat the presence of a registration number on a shareholder as best-effort, not guaranteed. The `companiesHouseNumber` "always present" guarantee in the [Company Identifiers](#company-identifiers) table applies to the queried company itself, not to reconstructed shareholders.
Shareholder data is AI-reconstructed from filing history documents and is best-effort. For ownership transparency, the PSC register provides complementary information about individuals and entities with significant control (25%+ ownership or voting rights).
### Activity Code Mapping
UK companies use **UK SIC 2007** (UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities 2007) codes as returned by Companies House. UK SIC 2007 is maintained by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and is identical to NACE Rev. 2 at the 4-digit level, with UK-specific 5-digit subclasses.
```
SIC 2007 (UK) → NACE Rev. 2 (European) → ISIC Rev. 4 (International)
```
| Classification | Source | Example | AI Inferred? |
| -------------- | --------------------------------- | ------- | ------------- |
| **SIC** | Companies House API (`sic_codes`) | `62012` | No (official) |
| **NACE** | AI-mapped from SIC | `6201` | Yes |
| **ISIC** | AI-mapped from SIC | `6201` | Yes |
SIC codes are **formally parsed** (never AI-inferred). The `isAIInferred` flag is always `false` for SIC codes. NACE and ISIC classifications are AI-enriched from the SIC codes since there is no deterministic mapping table in the system. Companies can have multiple SIC codes.
## Data Availability
### Data Availability Matrix
| Data Type | Regular UK Companies | Overseas Companies (FC) | UK Establishments (BR) | Notes |
| -------------------------- | -------------------- | ----------------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Company Profile | ✅ Async | ✅ Async | ✅ Async | From Companies House Public Data API |
| Legal Representatives | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Active directors from officers endpoint |
| Other Key Persons | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Secretaries + corporate PSCs |
| Shareholders | ✅ (AI-reconstructed) | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ | Reconstructed from filing documents |
| Ultimate Beneficial Owners | ✅ | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ | From PSC register (individuals only) |
| Establishments | ❌ | ✅ | N/A | UK branches of overseas companies (FC prefix only) |
| Activity Codes (SIC) | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | SIC codes from Companies House |
| Documents | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ Limited | Free PDFs from filing history |
**Legend:** ✅ Available | ❌ Not Available | ⚠️ Conditionally Available | Async = Asynchronous processing
### Documents by Company Type
All UK company documents are sourced from the Companies House filing history and are **free of charge**.
| Document Category | API Type | Format | Catalog item | Availability | Notes |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------ | -------------------------- | --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Trade Register Extract** | `tradeRegisterExtract` | PDF | `GBR_REGISTER_EXTRACT` | ✅ All companies | Official Companies House report (generated via HTML-to-PDF) |
| **Incorporation Documents** | `articlesOfAssociation` | PDF | `GBR_STATUS` | ✅ When filed | Articles of association and incorporation documents |
| **Annual Accounts** | `financialStatements` | PDF | `GBR_FINANCIAL_STATEMENTS` | ✅ When filed | Annual accounts and financial statements |
| **Capital Documents** | Other | PDF | `GBR_STATUS` | ✅ When filed | Share capital and structure changes |
| **Officer Changes** | Other | PDF | `GBR_STATUS` | ✅ When filed | Director and secretary appointments/terminations |
| **Confirmation Statements** | Other | PDF | `GBR_STATUS` | ✅ When filed | Annual confirmation statements (formerly annual returns) |
| **Resolutions** | Other | PDF | `GBR_STATUS` | ✅ When filed | Company resolutions |
| **Address Changes** | Other | PDF | `GBR_STATUS` | ✅ When filed | Registered office address changes |
| **Charges / Mortgages** | Other | PDF | `GBR_STATUS` | ✅ When filed | Charges and mortgages registrations |
| **Miscellaneous** | Other | PDF | `GBR_STATUS` | ✅ When filed | Other company filings |
All UK company documents from Companies House are **free**. There is no per-document cost for retrieving any filing history documents or the trade register extract.
The **Trade Register Extract** is always available for all companies and is generated by fetching the company page HTML from Companies House and converting it to PDF. Filing history documents are fetched from the Companies House Document API with pagination support (up to 2,000 documents, 100 per page).
### Example API Responses
All examples use **placeholder data**. Query: `POST /v2/company` with `{ "id": "", "countryCode": "GB", "dataPoints": ["company", "legalRepresentatives"] }`
```json theme={null}
{
"company": {
"id": "12345678",
"countryCode": "GB",
"identifiers": { "companiesHouseNumber": "12345678", "jurisdiction": "england-wales" },
"legalName": "EXAMPLE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED",
"legacyLegalNames": ["EXAMPLE SOLUTIONS LIMITED"],
"registrationDate": "2020-06-15",
"status": {
"localName": "active",
"active": true,
"statusDetails": { "status": "ACTIVE" }
},
"legalForm": {
"localName": "Private limited company",
"englishTranslation": "Private limited company",
"standardized": "Limited Liability Company",
"iso20275Code": "SQXV"
},
"activities": {
"SIC": [{ "code": "62012", "description": "Business and domestic software development", "isAIInferred": false }],
"NACE": [{ "code": "6201", "description": "Computer programming activities", "isAIInferred": true }],
"ISIC": [{ "code": "6201", "description": "Computer programming activities", "isAIInferred": true }]
},
"legalAddress": {
"addressLine1": "10 Innovation Drive",
"city": "London",
"postalCode": "EC2A 1AB",
"countryCode": "GB"
}
},
"legalRepresentatives": [
{
"type": "individual",
"role": { "localName": "Director", "englishTranslation": "Director", "standardized": "Director" },
"individual": {
"name": { "fullName": "SMITH, John Robert", "firstName": "John Robert", "lastName": "SMITH" },
"birthDate": { "month": 3, "year": 1980 }
},
"startDate": "2020-06-15"
},
{
"type": "individual",
"role": { "localName": "Director", "englishTranslation": "Director", "standardized": "Director" },
"individual": {
"name": { "fullName": "JONES, Sarah", "firstName": "Sarah", "lastName": "JONES" },
"birthDate": { "month": 11, "year": 1985 }
},
"startDate": "2021-01-10"
}
],
"otherKeyPersons": [
{
"type": "individual",
"role": { "localName": "Secretary", "standardized": "Secretary" },
"individual": {
"name": { "fullName": "WILLIAMS, David", "firstName": "David", "lastName": "WILLIAMS" }
}
}
],
"ultimateBeneficialOwners": [
{
"name": { "fullName": "Mr John Robert Smith", "firstName": "John", "lastName": "Smith" },
"birthDate": { "month": 3, "year": 1980 },
"nationality": "GB",
"residenceAddress": { "addressLine1": "10 Innovation Drive", "city": "London", "postalCode": "EC2A 1AB", "countryCode": "GB" },
"control": {
"types": ["ownership-of-shares", "voting-rights"],
"description": "Person with significant control: ownership-of-shares-75-to-100-percent, voting-rights-75-to-100-percent",
"details": [
{ "type": "shares", "percentageRange": { "lower": 75, "upper": 100 } },
{ "type": "voting-rights", "percentageRange": { "lower": 75, "upper": 100 } }
]
}
}
]
}
```
```json theme={null}
{
"company": {
"id": "00987654",
"countryCode": "GB",
"identifiers": { "companiesHouseNumber": "00987654", "jurisdiction": "england-wales" },
"legalName": "OLD INDUSTRIES PLC",
"registrationDate": "1998-02-20",
"status": {
"localName": "dissolved",
"active": false,
"statusDetails": { "status": "CLOSED" }
},
"legalForm": {
"localName": "Public limited company",
"englishTranslation": "Public limited company",
"standardized": "Corporation",
"iso20275Code": "GKFN"
},
"activities": {
"SIC": [{ "code": "28110", "description": "Manufacture of engines and turbines", "isAIInferred": false }]
},
"legalAddress": {
"addressLine1": "1 Industrial Park",
"city": "Birmingham",
"postalCode": "B1 1AA",
"countryCode": "GB"
}
},
"legalRepresentatives": []
}
```
**Note:** Dissolved companies have `active: false` and may have no active officers. Resigned officers are filtered out, so a dissolved company may return an empty `legalRepresentatives` array.
```json theme={null}
{
"company": {
"id": "OC345678",
"countryCode": "GB",
"identifiers": { "companiesHouseNumber": "OC345678", "jurisdiction": "england-wales" },
"legalName": "EXAMPLE CONSULTING LLP",
"registrationDate": "2018-04-01",
"status": {
"localName": "active",
"active": true,
"statusDetails": { "status": "ACTIVE" }
},
"legalForm": {
"localName": "Limited liability partnership",
"englishTranslation": "Limited liability partnership",
"standardized": "Partnership",
"iso20275Code": "8VXR"
},
"activities": {
"SIC": [{ "code": "69201", "description": "Accounting and auditing activities", "isAIInferred": false }]
},
"legalAddress": {
"addressLine1": "20 Chancery Lane",
"city": "London",
"postalCode": "WC2A 1PL",
"countryCode": "GB"
}
},
"legalRepresentatives": [
{
"type": "individual",
"role": { "localName": "LLP Designated Member", "englishTranslation": "LLP Designated Member", "standardized": "Partner" },
"individual": {
"name": { "fullName": "BROWN, Alice", "firstName": "Alice", "lastName": "BROWN" },
"birthDate": { "month": 7, "year": 1975 }
},
"startDate": "2018-04-01"
},
{
"type": "individual",
"role": { "localName": "LLP Member", "englishTranslation": "LLP Member", "standardized": "Partner" },
"individual": {
"name": { "fullName": "TAYLOR, Michael", "firstName": "Michael", "lastName": "TAYLOR" },
"birthDate": { "month": 2, "year": 1982 }
},
"startDate": "2018-04-01"
}
]
}
```
**Note:** LLPs use Designated Member and Member roles instead of Director. No secretary role in LLPs.
```json theme={null}
{
"company": {
"id": "FC022268",
"countryCode": "GB",
"identifiers": { "companiesHouseNumber": "FC022268" },
"legalName": "GLOBAL CORP SARL",
"registrationDate": "2005-11-01",
"status": {
"localName": "registered",
"active": true,
"statusDetails": { "status": "ACTIVE" }
},
"legalForm": {
"localName": "Overseas company",
"englishTranslation": "Overseas company",
"standardized": "Branch or Representative Office"
},
"legalAddress": {
"addressLine1": "50 Oxford Street",
"city": "London",
"postalCode": "W1D 1BS",
"countryCode": "GB"
}
},
"legalRepresentatives": [
{
"type": "individual",
"role": { "localName": "Director", "englishTranslation": "Director", "standardized": "Director" },
"individual": {
"name": { "fullName": "MUELLER, Hans", "firstName": "Hans", "lastName": "MUELLER" }
}
}
],
"establishments": [
{
"name": "GLOBAL CORP UK BRANCH",
"creationDate": "2005-11-01",
"address": {
"addressLine1": "50 Oxford Street",
"city": "London",
"postalCode": "W1D 1BS",
"countryCode": "GB"
}
}
]
}
```
**Note:** Overseas companies (FC prefix) may include UK establishments. The `establishments` array lists UK branches/offices of the foreign parent company. Only companies with FC prefix trigger the establishments fetch.
Query with `"dataPoints": ["ultimateBeneficialOwners"]`:
```json theme={null}
{
"ultimateBeneficialOwners": [
{
"name": {
"fullName": "Mr John Robert Smith",
"firstName": "John",
"lastName": "Smith",
"middleNames": ["Robert"]
},
"birthDate": { "month": 3, "year": 1980 },
"nationality": "GB",
"residenceAddress": {
"addressLine1": "10 Innovation Drive",
"city": "London",
"postalCode": "EC2A 1AB",
"countryCode": "GB"
},
"control": {
"types": ["ownership-of-shares", "voting-rights", "appoint-and-remove-directors"],
"description": "Person with significant control: ownership-of-shares-75-to-100-percent, voting-rights-75-to-100-percent, right-to-appoint-and-remove-directors",
"details": [
{ "type": "shares", "percentageRange": { "lower": 75, "upper": 100 } },
{ "type": "voting-rights", "percentageRange": { "lower": 75, "upper": 100 } }
]
}
}
],
"otherKeyPersons": [
{
"type": "company",
"company": {
"id": "87654321",
"legalName": "HOLDING GROUP LIMITED",
"countryCode": "GB",
"identifiers": { "companiesHouseNumber": "87654321" },
"legalForm": { "localName": "Private limited company" },
"legalAddress": { "addressLine1": "1 Finance Street", "city": "London", "postalCode": "EC1A 1BB", "countryCode": "GB" }
},
"role": { "localName": "Person with Significant Control", "standardized": "Other" }
}
]
}
```
**Note:** UBOs come from the PSC register. Individual PSCs become UBOs with ownership/voting percentage ranges. Corporate and legal-person PSCs appear as Other Key Persons. Super-secure PSCs appear with `fullName: "Protected Person with Significant Control"` and no personal details.
Documents are returned when `"dataPoints": ["availableDocuments"]` is requested.
**Always available:**
| API Category | Document | Notes |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------ | ---------------------- |
| `tradeRegisterExtract` | Companies House company report | Free, always available |
**From filing history (when filed):**
| Filing Category | API Type | Notes |
| ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `incorporation` | `articlesOfAssociation` | Incorporation documents and articles |
| `accounts` | `financialStatements` | Annual accounts. The document name carries the register's accounts variant when Companies House states one, e.g. "Annual Accounts (Dormant)" for dormant-company accounts |
| `capital` | Other | Share capital changes |
| `officers` | Other | Officer appointments/terminations |
| `annual-return`, `confirmation-statement` | Other | Confirmation statements (formerly annual returns) |
| `resolution` | Other | Company resolutions |
| `address` | Other | Registered office changes |
| `mortgage` | Other | Charges and mortgages |
| `change-of-name` | Other | Company name changes |
| `liquidation` | Other | Liquidation documents |
| `miscellaneous` | Other | Other filings |
All documents are **free** (no per-document cost).