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Can I File Documents With Companies House In Other Languages?
When forming a company in the UK, you will be required to file a number of documents with Companies House, whether you are based within the UK or overseas. If you are based overseas, English may not be the language your company uses day to day – but does Companies House require all documents to be filed in English?
As a general rule, the law requires that you deliver documents to Companies House in English. However, there are exceptions – some companies can deliver some documents in languages other than English if the document is accompanied by a certified English translation.
These exceptions include:
- Resolutions and agreements affecting a company’s constitution delivered under Chapter 3 of Part 3 of the Companies Act 2006
- Accounts of larger EEA (European Economic Area) groups, the group accounts and parent undertaking’s annual report
- Accounts of larger non-EEA groups, the group accounts and, where appropriate, the consolidated annual report
- A charge instrument or copy charge instrument
- Valuation report required to be delivered to the registrar under section 94(2)(d) of the Companies Act 2006
- Articles of association; memorandum of association
- Court orders
Additionally, some companies are able to file voluntary certified translations of any document subject to the First Company Law Directive disclosure requirements. These are:
- Constitutional documents such as the memorandum and articles of association
- Directors appointments, changes in particulars or terminations, accounts, notification of any change in a company’s registered office, winding up documents, share capital documents (public companies only); documents relating to mergers and divisions (public companies only) and documents relating to overseas companies
These voluntary translations must relate to a document delivered to Companies House on or after 1st January 2007 and they can only be filed in an official language of the European Union (EU). They must be accompanied by Form VT01 which will link the translation to the original document.
Welsh companies (those complying with section 88 of the Companies Act 2006) are entitled to draw up and deliver certain documents in Welsh without the need of an accompanying certified translation in English. Companies House provides a full list of the excepted documents within the Companies House Welsh Service.
If you have any further questions regarding the filing of documents in languages other than English, we recommend that you contact Companies House