Certificate of Incorporation vs Certificate of Good Standing

20 November 2026

A Certificate of Incorporation records that a UK company was formed and gives key formation details. A Certificate of Good Standing is a later snapshot of registered standing. They answer different questions and should not be substituted without the recipient’s confirmation.

This Advice Centre guide is practical document information, not legal advice, an immigration opinion, a banking decision or a promise of foreign acceptance. Ask the named recipient for its current written checklist before ordering.

Short answer

A Certificate of Incorporation records that a UK company was formed and gives key formation details. A Certificate of Good Standing is a later snapshot of registered standing. They answer different questions and should not be substituted without the recipient’s confirmation. The safe approach is to identify the correct company, document, issue date and recipient requirement before paying for certification or delivery.

What incorporation proves

The incorporation certificate is a formation document, commonly recording name, number, incorporation date and company type at registration. It helps establish the entity’s origin. It is not a current status report, director list, PSC certificate, authority evidence or proof that filings are up to date today.

What a COGS does

A COGS is intended to report current registered standing under its issuing route. It may help a recipient assess whether a company appears active and compliant at issue. It is not automatically proof of solvency, tax status, ownership, signing authority or absence of litigation.

Why a bank may want both

A bank can use incorporation evidence to establish origin and a recent COGS to check current position. It may also request officers, PSC details, articles, identity and address evidence. The certificates therefore answer different due-diligence questions.

If the company changed name

Keep the incorporation certificate as a historical record and provide evidence of a name change if needed. A current COGS may show the present name but does not replace the formation document. Use the number to link them and never edit an official certificate.

Which document is apostilled

The recipient decides whether it wants the COGS, incorporation certificate, articles or certified copies legalised. An apostille authenticates a document feature; it does not decide substantive sufficiency or replace a bank’s review.

Order the pair coherently

Start with the live register and written checklist. Confirm copies, age, format and legalisation. Label incorporation, current standing and supporting records separately so an overseas reviewer can see what each proves.

Practical checklist

• Use the exact registered company name, number and company type.
• Review the live Companies House record and recent filing history.
• Ask the recipient what the document must prove, how recent it must be and whether it accepts paper or electronic format.
• Confirm apostille, translation, embassy and courier requirements before paying.
• Keep the order confirmation, issued document and legalisation evidence together.
• Index the pack without claiming that a certificate proves ownership, solvency or authority unless it actually does.

Official fees and sources

Check the live GOV.UK guidance on ordering certified copies and certificates from Companies House before ordering. The current working figures for this batch are £22 for a standard Companies House certificate and £65 for a same-day certificate. These are official charges, not an agent’s full service price.

Where legalisation is needed, the live GOV.UK document legalisation guidance lists £45 for a paper apostille, £35 for an e-Apostille, £40 for Next-Day and £100 for Restricted Urgent where the relevant conditions apply. Certification, translation, courier, postage and any later embassy stage can be separate. Do not describe a provider as an FCDO partner unless current official terms expressly support that wording.

Freshness is a recipient rule

There is no universal 90-day legal expiry for every Certificate of Good Standing. About 90 days is a common recipient habit, but a bank, authority or counterparty may specify 30, 60, 180 days or a document issued after a particular filing. An apostille authenticates the relevant signature, seal or status; it does not refresh company information. Check the recipient’s written rule and the live Companies House record before presentation.

Questions to settle before payment

Ask the receiving organisation to confirm the exact document title, the legal entity, the maximum document age and the accepted delivery format. Ask whether it wants an original, a Companies House certified copy, a solicitor-certified copy or an electronic file. If the document will be used outside the UK, ask whether an apostille is enough or whether translation, embassy legalisation or local filing follows. Put the reply in the order file; a short written answer is more useful than an assumption based on a similar transaction.

Also check the practical hand-offs. Who will receive the certificate? Does the bank or authority need the complete pack uploaded in one session? Will it accept a scan for preliminary review and request originals later? Is a courier address different from the registered office? These details affect timing and can prevent a correctly issued document being sent to the wrong place. Keep tracking information and delivery confirmation with the final pack.

Keep the scope clear

A company certificate is one piece of evidence. It should not be described as a guarantee of incorporation history, ownership, financial health, tax compliance, authority to sign or permission to trade unless the document and recipient specifically establish that point. If a reviewer asks a question the certificate cannot answer, add the separate evidence it requests or obtain professional advice. Clear wording protects the client from relying on a document for a purpose it was never designed to meet.

Frequently asked questions

Is incorporation proof of good standing?

No. It records formation, not current filing position.

Is a COGS proof of solvency?

No. It is not a full financial, tax or litigation assessment.

Can one replace the other?

Only if the recipient confirms it accepts that document for the purpose.

Does a name change invalidate incorporation?

No. It remains a historical formation record.

Do both always need apostilles?

No. Follow the recipient’s written request.

UKCOGS can help coordinate the relevant document route. See the Certificate of Good Standing service, apostille and legalisation information, order page or request a quote. Service prices and delivery times are separate from official fees, and the receiving organisation makes its own decision.