Can I get a Certificate of Good Standing if the confirmation statement is overdue?

Published 7 September 2026 · Last updated 23 October 2026 · Official fees checked on GOV.UK 23 October 2026 (Companies House, FCDO)

Usually, not while the confirmation statement is overdue. A UK company normally needs its Companies House filing position to be up to date before a Certificate of Good Standing can be ordered. File the overdue statement first, allow the register to update, then check the company status and recipient requirements before ordering.

For UK companies, the safest approach is to separate what the Companies House register says from what an overseas recipient wants to prove. A document can be genuine and still be the wrong format, too old, or incomplete for a bank, authority, partner or licensing team. This guide explains the practical document route in plain British English. It is document guidance, not legal advice.

What is the short answer?

A confirmation statement is the regular snapshot a company gives Companies House about its registered details, people with significant control and other information. If it is overdue, the public record may show a filing warning and the company may not satisfy the conditions used for a certificate. That does not necessarily mean the company has been dissolved or is insolvent; it means there is an outstanding filing to resolve.

Identify the overdue statement, confirm whether changes need filing, submit it through the official Companies House route and wait for the filing to appear as accepted. A document agent can help with ordering once the record is ready, but cannot cure a filing default or change the register.

What should I check on the official register?

Start with the official GOV.UK company information service and use the company number wherever possible. Check the registered status, filing history, officers, PSC information and recent changes. The Find and update company information service is useful for comparing the live record with a document already held.

Look for overdue accounts or confirmation statements, a recent change of name or registered office, a director appointment or resignation, and any strike-off or liquidation notice. The aim is not to perform every possible due-diligence check. It is to make sure the document you order describes the same company and answers the question your recipient actually asked.

How do I match the document to the recipient’s request?

Write the request as a list of separate tests: company existence, current register position, directors, ownership, authority, address and identity. Then map each test to the document that answers it. A Certificate of Good Standing can support the current registered-position test. It is not automatically a certificate of incorporation, a PSC extract, a board resolution, a proof of address or a solvency report.

Pay attention to words such as “certified copy”, “original”, “apostilled”, “legalised”, “translated” and “issued within”. They describe different steps. If a bank or authority uses a broad phrase such as “company certificate”, ask its onboarding team to confirm the exact product and accepted format before ordering. A genuine document can be rejected if it is too old, unsigned, uncertified or in the wrong format.

What is the practical preparation process?

• Record the exact registered company name and company number.

• Review the live Companies House record and filing history before paying for a document.

• Write down the required issue date, language, certification and delivery format.

• Check whether the recipient wants a certificate, a certified copy or a downloaded register record.

• Ask whether an apostille, translation, embassy step or local attestation follows.

• Keep the order confirmation, issued document and recipient’s written instruction together.

• Submit a labelled pack showing what each document proves, without overclaiming.

The related UKCOGS guide may help with the next stage. A document agent can help order, check and coordinate documents, but cannot change the Companies House register, issue a foreign authority’s approval or guarantee that a bank will accept a pack. If the matter involves a disputed filing, ownership problem or legal question, use an appropriately qualified adviser.

What are the official Companies House fees?

Always check the live GOV.UK Companies House fees table. The current published figures are £22 for a standard paper certificate, £65 for a same-day certificate and £16 for an additional certificate for the same company. A certified copy of a document up to 10 pages is listed at £22 by post or £65 same day. See also GOV.UK guidance on ordering certified copies and certificates. These are official fees, not an agent’s service charge.

Where legalisation is needed, the current GOV.UK FCDO Legalisation Office guidance lists £45 for a standard paper-based apostille plus courier or postage, £40 for Next-Day for registered businesses, £35 for an e-Apostille and £100 for Restricted Urgent for registered businesses that have been pre-approved. The page says an e-Apostille is usually up to two working days and a standard paper route usually up to 25 working days, but check the live timeframe at application. Agent all-in prices differ because handling, preparation and delivery are separate from official fees.

What does “recent” mean?

Freshness is a practical recipient rule rather than one universal legal formula. Banks, free zones and authorities often treat about 90 days as a working rule, but an organisation may specify 30, 60, 180 days or another period. There is no general promise that an old certificate remains acceptable simply because an apostille is attached. An apostille authenticates the relevant document signature, seal or status; it does not refresh the company information.

If the company changed its name, address, officers or filing position, explain the change rather than hoping a reviewer will infer it. Keep old documents for the audit trail but clearly label which document is current. If a recipient’s checklist is unclear, obtain written confirmation before ordering; this is usually cheaper than repeating certification or courier work.

When is a confirmation statement overdue?

Every company, including dormant and non-trading companies, must file a confirmation statement at least once a year, even if nothing has changed. The review period runs from incorporation (for the first statement) or from the confirmation statement date on the last one. The company then has up to 14 days after the review period ends to file. After that, the statement is overdue and the register will show it, which is what stops a clean summary statement being issued. Source: GOV.UK confirmation statement guidance (checked 23 October 2026).

The payment period is separate from the review period and cannot be changed, so a company that files early or more than once in a year pays the £50 only once in that payment period. See the full Companies House fees schedule.

How to fix an overdue statement before ordering

1. Check the dates. Look up the company on the Companies House register and note the "next statement date" and "due by" date, so you know how late it is.
2. Get directors verified. Since identity verification became mandatory, the person filing may need each director's personal code from GOV.UK One Login before the statement can be submitted. Allow time for this if a director has not verified yet.
3. File online. Use the Companies House WebFiling service with the company's authentication code and pay the £50 annual fee if it is due.
4. Wait for it to show. Order the certificate only once the new statement appears in the filing history and the overdue flag has cleared.
5. Check accounts too. An overdue confirmation statement often travels with overdue accounts. Those are a separate deadline with automatic late filing penalties; see Certificate of Good Standing with late accounts.

If a strike-off notice has already been published in The Gazette because of the missing filing, file straight away and check the register again; a company with an active proposal to strike off is unlikely to satisfy a receiving organisation even once the statement is in.

What are the common mistakes?

• Ordering by company name alone instead of confirming the company number.

• Assuming one certificate proves existence, ownership, authority and solvency.

• Confusing an official fee with an agent’s service price.

• Applying for an apostille before checking the underlying document route.

• Ignoring translation, embassy or local-attestation steps after UK legalisation.

• Using an old document without checking the recipient’s maximum age.

• Promising acceptance, a licence or a bank account outcome that only the recipient can decide.

What should I say to the receiving organisation?

A short confirmation email can avoid ambiguity: quote the exact document name, state whether paper or electronic format is required, ask how recent it must be, and ask whether the document must be apostilled or further legalised. If the recipient has a standard form, attach it to the order instructions. This is particularly important where a company has a recent filing, a dormant status, a PSC restriction or a strike-off notice.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Certificate of Good Standing prove the company is solvent?

No. It concerns registered standing at the issue date and is not a full financial, tax or litigation assessment.

Does it prove who owns or controls the company?

No. PSC information, ownership charts and identity evidence are separate documents and may be requested by the recipient.

Is there a universal legal expiry date?

No. Recipients often use roughly 90 days as a working rule, but the bank, authority or counterparty sets its own acceptance policy.

Can an apostille make any document acceptable?

No. It authenticates the relevant signature, seal or status; it does not correct an unsuitable document or replace the recipient’s due diligence.

Can a document agent guarantee acceptance?

No. An agent can coordinate the document route and explain practical options, while the issuing authority and receiving organisation make their own decisions.

Where should I check current fees and process rules?

Use the live GOV.UK Companies House and FCDO links in this guide and check them again before ordering.

For help matching the document to a recipient’s checklist, see UKCOGS document support. Service prices are separate from official Companies House and FCDO fees, and acceptance should be confirmed before work begins.

When does a confirmation statement become overdue?

A company has up to 14 days after the end of its review period to file. The review period runs from incorporation for the first statement, or from the confirmation statement date on the last one (GOV.UK, checked 23 October 2026).

How much does it cost to file a confirmation statement?

£50 online or £110 on paper form CS01. The fee is paid with the first statement in each 12-month payment period, so extra statements in the same period are free (Companies House fees, checked 23 October 2026).

Is there a late filing penalty for confirmation statements?

There is no fixed late filing penalty table like the one for accounts, but GOV.UK says the company can be fined up to £5,000, Companies House may issue a financial penalty, and the company may be struck off.

Can I get a Certificate of Good Standing while the confirmation statement is overdue?

Not a clean one. File the statement, wait until it shows in the filing history and the overdue flag clears, then order the certificate.