It is a statutory requirement for companies formed in the United Kingdom to have a registered office address. The registered office address must be a physical address where members of the public, and other interested parties can visit and view the registers of the company. The registered office address is also the address to which Companies House, the Inland Revenue Office, and other official bodies will send official mail. Any official mail sent to your registered office address will be deemed to have been received by the company; it is, therefore, important that the registered office address is an effective address for the receipt of official mail.
When a company is registered in the United Kingdom it must have a registered office address in England, Wales, or Scotland. The location of the registered office will determine with which authority the company is registered. A company registered in Scotland must have its registered office address in Scotland, a company registered in England and Wales must have its registered office address in either England or Wales.
If a company wishes to change its registered office address, it may do so by applying to companies House within fourteen days of the change. A company registered in Scotland cannot change its registered office address to one located in England or Wales, and likewise, a company registered in England and Wales cannot change its registered office address to one located in Scotland.
A company registered in the United Kingdom need not have its main administrative office at, nor trade from, its registered office address: a company can be managed, and can trade, from any location in the world. It must, however, maintain, and hold copies of its official records at, an address within the United Kingdom which is registered as the company's official address.