What does this cost estimator compare?

Two columns for the same Companies House products: (1) DIY official GOV.UK fees only, and (2) UKCOGS agent buy-now totals ex VAT, with official CH fees disclosed as components. Toggle COGS standard or express, certified Certificate of Incorporation, certified articles, a named pack shortcut, and optional apostille interest.

What are the official Companies House fees this week?

Confirm live on GOV.UK. As of the week of 6 October 2026: company certificate / certified copies £22 standard or £65 express (order before 11am for same working-day dispatch where offered). Standard dispatch usually aims for within about 10 working days. UKCOGS buy-now prices include the matching official CH fee and our handling.

What are UKCOGS buy-now prices (ex VAT)?

Certificate of Good Standing (company certificate route): £79 standard / £129 express. Certified Certificate of Incorporation: £49. Certified articles of association: £49. Named packs: £249 lean / £279 typical / £299 express-assisted. Official CH fees are included and shown separately — never a hidden second “official” fee.

Does “I may need apostille” add a UKCOGS charge?

No. That toggle only shows the current FCDO official fees (paper apostille £45 plus courier/postage; e-Apostille £35) and a soft link to /quote/. Apostille, embassy and translation stay quote-only. Never add apostille into the UKCOGS buy-now total.

How long do official services usually take?

Recheck GOV.UK the week you order. As of 6 October 2026: Companies House standard certificate / certified copy usually within about 10 working days; express same working-day dispatch when ordered before 11am where offered. FCDO paper apostille usually up to 25 working days plus courier/postage; e-Apostille usually up to 2 working days. Recipients set their own freshness windows.

When is DIY cheaper than an agent?

DIY is always lower in cash terms because you only pay the official registrar fee. Use an agent when you lack the authentication code, do not want a one-off Companies House account, need collation/scan/tracked send-on, want one invoice for several products, or later need apostille quoted against the same order.

What do the named packs include?

Lean £249 and typical £279: standard COGS + certified incorporation + certified articles (official CH £66). Express-assisted £299: express COGS + standard incorporation + articles (official CH £109). Apostille is never inside pack figures.

Is UKCOGS Companies House or the FCDO?

No. UKCOGS is a private agent operated by Pasecom Group Ltd (17139327). We order official documents from Companies House; we do not issue certificates, amend the register, or act as Companies House, the FCDO or GOV.UK. This tool is not legal, visa, immigration or bank-account advice.

Can I save or share an estimate?

Yes. Every choice you make is written into the page address (for example ?cogs=express&incorp=1&articles=1). Use “Copy link to this estimate” to send the exact same comparison to a colleague, accountant or overseas counsel, or bookmark it. Opening the link re-runs the estimate with the same toggles. Prices shown are always the live UKCOGS and official fees on the page, not the figures from the day you copied the link.

How many apostilles might I need?

The FCDO charges per document, not per order. If a recipient wants the company certificate, the certified Certificate of Incorporation and the certified articles each apostilled, that is three apostilles: £135 at the paper rate (£45 each, plus courier or postage) or £105 as e-Apostilles where the documents are eligible (£35 each). The estimator multiplies the official FCDO fee by the number you enter so you can budget, but apostille, embassy and translation work stays quote-only through /quote/ and is never added to the UKCOGS buy-now total.

Which checkout link does the estimator give me?

If you pick one document, the order button opens secure checkout with that product preselected (for example COGS standard or certified articles). If you pick a named pack, it opens checkout with the company documents pack. If you pick several single documents without a pack, it opens the general checkout so you can choose. Official Companies House fees are always included and itemised.

Companies House cost estimator: DIY vs agent

Certificate / Companies House cost estimator

Compare DIY Companies House fees (£22 standard / £65 express per certificate or certified copy) with UKCOGS agent totals (COGS £79 / £129, certified copies £49, packs £249–£299 ex VAT). Optional apostille shows FCDO £45 paper / £35 e-Apostille as quote-only — never a buy-now charge.

Written and reviewed by the UKCOGS team at Pasecom Group Ltd (company 17139327), a private agent, not Companies House or the FCDO, and not an embassy. Facts last checked 6 October 2026. About UKCOGS

How to use the estimator

Choose the company certificate you need: standard, express, or none if you only want certified copies.
Tick any certified copies the recipient has asked for. Most overseas checklists name the Certificate of Incorporation, the articles of association, or both.
If the checklist matches the full trio, pick a named pack instead. The toggles update to match that pack.
If the recipient also wants an apostille, tick apostille interest and enter how many documents need one. The FCDO charges per document, so three documents means three apostille fees.
Use Copy link to this estimate to share the exact comparison, or Copy summary to paste the figures into an email or ticket. When you are ready, the order button opens checkout with the matching product.

Worked examples

Each example opens the estimator with the same choices already set. Figures use the official Companies House and FCDO fees checked on GOV.UK the week of 6 October 2026 and UKCOGS buy-now prices ex VAT.

Scenario	What is selected	DIY official fees	UKCOGS agent
Single standard certificate for a bank or supplier Open this estimate	Certificate of Good Standing standard only	£22	£79 ex VAT
Express certificate for a deadline this week Open this estimate	Certificate of Good Standing express (order before 11am where offered)	£65	£129 ex VAT
Overseas KYC trio as one pack Open this estimate	Typical pack: standard certificate, certified incorporation and certified articles	£66	£279 ex VAT
Certificate plus an apostille budget Open this estimate	Standard certificate, with one document flagged for apostille	£22 (plus FCDO £45 paper or £35 e-Apostille)	£79 ex VAT, apostille quoted separately

Single standard certificate for a bank or supplier. The official fee is the same either way. The difference is ordering, the filings sense-check before we order, scanning and tracked send-on.
Express certificate for a deadline this week. Use this when a closing date, notary appointment or tender deadline is close and standard dispatch of about 10 working days is too slow.
Overseas KYC trio as one pack. The usual set for overseas banks, notaries and corporate registries that want proof of standing, the incorporation record and the constitution, collated on one invoice.
Certificate plus an apostille budget. The FCDO fee is shown so you can budget, but apostille is quote-only. Request a quote before you rely on any apostille timescale.

Not sure which documents your recipient wants? Start with the which-document quiz, then come back here to price it. If the company has overdue accounts or a confirmation statement outstanding, run the filings checker first, because a certificate showing late filings is a common reason for overseas rejections.

How to read the two columns

DIY GOV.UK — official Companies House fees only (£22 standard / £65 express per product). You order via GOV.UK yourself.
UKCOGS agent — buy-now totals ex VAT for the same CH products. Official CH fees are included and itemised; the rest is ordering, filings sense-check, scan and tracked handling.
Apostille toggle — FCDO paper £45 (+ courier/postage) or e-Apostille £35 as of the week of 6 October 2026. Quote-only via /quote/.

Working-day timescales (recheck GOV.UK)

Companies House standard — usually within about 10 working days.
Companies House express — same working-day dispatch when ordered before 11am where offered.
FCDO paper apostille — usually up to 25 working days, plus courier or postage time.
FCDO e-Apostille — usually up to 2 working days (eligible electronically signed PDFs only).

Official sources

Order certified copies and certificates from Companies House — GOV.UK (£22 standard · £65 express)
Companies House fees — GOV.UK
Get your document legalised — FCDO (paper £45 · e-Apostille £35)

Private agent: UKCOGS is not Companies House, the FCDO or GOV.UK. Estimates are not a quote for apostille or embassy work. Official fees should be confirmed on GOV.UK the week you order. Neither a certificate nor an apostille has a fixed legal expiry; recipients set their own freshness rules. We do not advise on visas, immigration or bank accounts.

Who we are

PASECOM GROUP LTD / Pasecom Group Ltd · 17139327 · 82a James Carter Road, Mildenhall, IP28 7DE · ICO ZC117546 · pete@pasecom.co.uk. Trading as UKCOGS. Private agent — not Companies House, not the FCDO, not GOV.UK.

Page last updated 6 October 2026. Official fees rechecked against GOV.UK the week of publish.