Ordering a UK COGS for foreign counsel or a bank abroad

4 December 2026

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

When foreign counsel or a bank abroad asks for a UK Certificate of Good Standing, turn the request into a precise specification before ordering. Confirm entity, freshness, format, legalisation and translation rather than relying on “company certificate”. The safe approach is to identify the correct company, document, issue date and recipient requirement before paying for certification or delivery.

Ask what it must prove

A recipient may be checking existence, current status, officers, ownership or authority. A COGS can support registered standing but not automatically prove solvency, ownership, tax status or signing power. Ask for separate documents for each test.

Confirm the entity

Use company number, exact name and type. A bank may name a parent while the account belongs to a subsidiary. Ask counsel to confirm the entity and flag recent changes.

Check age and format

Ask how recent the COGS must be, paper or electronic, and whether it must be apostilled. About 90 days is common but the recipient may require 30 days or an event-based date.

Clarify foreign wording

Good standing, incumbency, registry extract and compliance certificate may not mean the same thing. Ask for a sample or exact checklist. Do not substitute a document because its title sounds similar.

Plan legalisation

A COGS may need apostille, translation or embassy handling. Each stage has its own timing and fee. Send country, recipient and deadline with the order.

Write a factual covering note

State company number, issue date, attached legalisation and translation. Explain purpose without saying the COGS proves authority or that the bank must accept it.

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

Can a COGS replace a legal opinion?

No. They answer different questions.

Who sets freshness?

The recipient sets its policy.

Does overseas use always need apostille?

No. Confirm it.

Can acceptance be guaranteed?

No. The bank or counsel decides.

Should I quote company number?

Yes, to identify the entity.

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.

Private agent: UKCOGS is not Companies House or the FCDO. Official fees — CH £22/£65; FCDO paper £45 / e-Apostille £35 — confirm on GOV.UK. Not legal advice.