Understand how nominee directors support UK company formation today. A guide to compliance, regulation, PSC disclosure and management benefits for non-resident business owners.

Forming a UK company as a non-resident requires meeting strict regulatory standards. While nominee directors were once associated with privacy, today their main role is ensuring compliance, regulatory fulfilment, and ease of management. This guide explains how company formation with a nominee director works in practice and why it remains valuable for overseas entrepreneurs.

What Is Company Formation with a Nominee Director?

Every UK limited company must appoint at least one natural person as a director. For non-resident owners, appointing a nominee director can simplify management by ensuring someone is available to handle statutory obligations and meet regulatory expectations. Importantly, nominee directors do not mask the identity of the ultimate beneficial owner (UBO), as the PSC register requires disclosure of anyone with significant control.

Why Use a Nominee Director Today?

Nominee directors provide clear, compliant benefits that go beyond outdated concepts of privacy:

Key Benefits

• Regulatory Fulfilment – helps ensure annual filings, statutory registers, and Companies House duties are carried out on time.
• Banking & Contracts – some UK banks or counterparties prefer companies with a UK-resident director for practical reasons.
• Ease of Management – provides a local point of contact for authorities and streamlines day-to-day compliance.
• Support for Non-Residents – ensures that directors’ legal responsibilities are managed effectively, reducing administrative burden on overseas owners.

Compliance and Legal Framework

Nominee directors are bound by the same responsibilities as any other UK company director under the Companies Act 2006. The beneficial owner cannot avoid their duties as a person with significant control. Key compliance areas include:

• PSC Register – disclosure of the real owners remains mandatory.
• AML & KYC Regulations – nominee directors must pass due diligence checks.
• Directors’ Duties – including acting in the best interest of the company, filing accounts, and maintaining accurate records.
• Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 – ensuring business activity and funds are legitimate.

At CG Incorporations, we only appoint professional nominee directors who meet all legal requirements and work in full transparency with beneficial owners.

Company Formation with Nominee Director: How It Works