UK Company Formation Cost from Iraq: 2026 Fees & First-Year Budget

For an Iraqi founder, the official Companies House cost to incorporate a UK private limited company online is £100 in 2026 — approximately IQD 176,500 using the indicative exchange rate applied in this guide.

There is no additional Companies House incorporation surcharge simply because the founder lives in Iraq.

However, the £100 filing fee is only the statutory incorporation cost.

An Iraqi founder establishing a company remotely may also need to budget for:

• a UK registered office;
• a director service address;
• Companies House identity-verification support;
• professional formation assistance;
• annual Companies House filings;
• accounting and tax compliance;
• business-specific services such as VAT or EORI support;
• banking or payment-readiness assistance where required.

This guide separates the mandatory UK government charges from the practical first-year costs of establishing a UK company from Iraq.

For the complete incorporation process rather than pricing, read our UK Company Formation from Iraq — 2026 Guide⁠. The main formation guide already owns eligibility, directors, shareholders, addresses and the incorporation process, so those subjects are intentionally kept brief here.

UK Company Formation from Iraq: Cost at a Glance

Indicative exchange rate used in this guide:
£1 ≈ IQD 1,765.49 as of 2 September 2026

IQD figures are rounded for readability. Exchange rates and card/bank conversion charges can change.

These are current Companies House fees. From 1 February 2026, online incorporation costs £100, paper incorporation £124 and qualifying same-day software incorporation £156. A digital confirmation statement costs £50 and paper filing £110.

Quick answer: £100 is the government cost to create the company online. It is not necessarily the total cost of establishing and maintaining a UK business from Iraq.

1. Is There an Extra UK Company Registration Fee for Iraqi Residents?

No.

Companies House does not charge more because the director or shareholder lives in Iraq.

The standard online incorporation fee remains:

£100 ≈ IQD 176,500

The practical difference for an Iraqi founder usually comes from the additional infrastructure or professional assistance needed to operate the company remotely.

For example:

Companies House fee
= creates the legal company.

Registered office / service address / professional support / accounting
= helps maintain and operate the structure.

Those are different cost categories.

2. Government Fee vs Real Setup Cost

A useful way to understand UK company formation costs is to divide them into three categories.

A. Statutory costs

Costs directly connected with maintaining the UK company.

Examples include:

• Companies House incorporation;
• confirmation statement payment;
• statutory company records and filings.

B. UK operating infrastructure

Potentially:

• registered office;
• director service address;
• mail handling;
• accounting support.

C. Business-specific or professional costs

Potentially:

• identity-verification assistance;
• VAT support;
• EORI support;
• banking readiness;
• specialist accounting;
• legal or tax advice where required.

This is why two Iraqi founders can create the same type of UK Ltd but have very different first-year budgets.

3. UK Registered Office Cost

Every UK limited company must maintain an appropriate registered office in the UK jurisdiction in which it is incorporated.

An Iraqi founder who does not already have a suitable UK address will usually need an address service.

The price depends on:

• provider;
• service period;
• mail-handling arrangements;
• whether additional address services are included.

A registered office is used for official company correspondence.

It is not automatically:

• the founder’s residence;
• a trading office;
• staffed premises;
• a banking solution.

Seven Oak’s broader Iraq formation guide explains the address structure in more detail. Read the UK Company Formation from Iraq guide⁠

4. Director Service Address Cost

The director service address is separate from the director’s private residential address.

For an Iraqi founder who does not want their home address displayed publicly, a professional service address may be useful.

Its cost depends on the provider and package.

In some arrangements, the company’s registered office can also be used as the director service address.

This should therefore be treated as a service/infrastructure cost, not another Companies House incorporation fee.

5. Companies House Identity Verification: Does It Cost Extra?

Identity verification is now part of the Companies House framework, but the requirement to verify should not be confused with a mandatory government service charge.

Eligible individuals may be able to verify directly through the official GOV.UK route without paying a formation adviser.

Professional assistance or verification through an authorised provider may carry a separate fee.

For Iraqi directors and PSCs, we have a dedicated guide covering:

• identity documents;
• verification routes;
• personal codes;
• directors;
• PSC requirements.

Companies House Identity Verification for Iraqi Residents — 2026 Guide⁠

6. Confirmation Statement Cost

A UK company must keep its Companies House information up to date.

The current digital confirmation-statement payment is:

£50 ≈ IQD 88,300

The paper route costs:

£110 ≈ IQD 194,200

More precisely, Companies House charges the fee with the first confirmation statement in the applicable 12-month payment period.

So it is better described as an ongoing Companies House cost rather than part of the original incorporation fee.

7. Annual Accounts and Accounting Costs

Every UK company has accounting and filing responsibilities, although the exact work depends on the company’s circumstances.

Professional accounting fees can vary according to:

• whether the company is active or dormant;
• turnover;
• transaction volume;
• VAT registration;
• payroll;
• currencies;
• bookkeeping requirements;
• cross-border complexity.

A dormant UK company with no transactions is fundamentally different from an Iraqi-owned e-commerce or consulting company with international revenue.

For that reason, there is no responsible universal accounting figure we can add to every Iraq formation estimate.

It should be budgeted separately.

8. Corporation Tax Is Not an Incorporation Fee

Corporation Tax is not another fixed cost payable merely because Companies House creates the company.

It relates to the company’s taxable profits and circumstances.

Therefore:

£100 incorporation fee
does not mean
£100 + a predetermined Corporation Tax bill.

Tax should be analysed separately from company-formation pricing.

Where a founder has significant Iraq–UK tax questions, appropriate professional tax advice may be required.

9. VAT and EORI Costs Are Business-Specific

Not every UK company needs VAT registration.

Not every UK company needs an EORI number.

For example:

International consultant

May have no need for an EORI number.

SaaS founder

May face VAT considerations depending on customers and supplies.

Import/export company

May need an EORI number and customs planning.

E-commerce company

May have VAT and customs requirements depending on stock location, customer geography and sales channels.

So VAT and EORI should not be built into every Iraqi founder’s “mandatory formation cost”.

They are business-specific.

10. Banking and Payment Costs Are Separate

Banking and payment infrastructure is commercially important for Iraqi founders, but it is not part of the Companies House incorporation fee.

A UK company does not automatically guarantee access to a bank, EMI or payment provider.

Some specialist financial routes may also involve:

• onboarding fees;
• monthly charges;
• minimum balances;
• transaction charges.

But those questions belong to our banking and provider pages rather than being repeated here.

For banking eligibility, see:

UK Business Bank Account for Iraqi Residents — 2026 Guide⁠

For individual fintech/payment-provider questions, see:

Stripe, Wise, Airwallex & Payoneer for Iraqi Founders — 2026 Guide⁠

This keeps formation cost and financial-provider eligibility as separate topics. 

11. First-Year UK Company Budget for an Iraqi Founder

Rather than looking for one artificial “total”, build the budget in layers.

This framework prevents optional services from being presented as legal necessities.

12. Three Realistic Iraq-Specific Cost Scenarios

These examples are illustrative. They are designed to explain which cost categories may arise, not to promise a fixed total.

Scenario A — Consultant in Baghdad

An independent consultant in Baghdad wants a UK Ltd to contract with international B2B clients.

Likely cost considerations:

• £100 Companies House incorporation;
• UK registered-office arrangement;
• director service address if required;
• professional formation support if desired;
• accounting once the company becomes active;
• £50 digital confirmation-statement payment when applicable.

The founder’s banking position should be considered separately from the cost of incorporating.

Scenario B — SaaS Founder in Erbil

A software founder in Erbil creates a UK company to sell digital services internationally.

Potential first-year costs may include:

• incorporation;
• registered office;
• service address;
• accounting;
• software/business infrastructure;
• optional identity-verification assistance;
• banking-readiness support if required.

The UK company does not automatically guarantee a particular payment provider.

For that question, use the dedicated Iraq payment-provider guide rather than treating fintech access as a benefit included in the incorporation fee.

Scenario C — Existing Iraqi Business Expanding to the UK

An established Iraqi company wants a UK structure for international expansion.

Its costs can be different from those of a solo founder because it may require:

• ownership-structure planning;
• UK incorporation;
• corporate address infrastructure;
• accounting;
• banking preparation;
• cross-border tax or legal advice.

If a UK subsidiary or another structure is more appropriate, the project may therefore cost more than establishing a straightforward one-person UK Ltd.

13. Seven Oak Prestige UK Company Formation Packages

Seven Oak Prestige offers different service levels because international founders do not all need the same infrastructure.

Starter — £199

Approximately:

IQD 351,300

Includes the £100 Companies House incorporation fee.

Best suited to founders who mainly need incorporation and already have, or will arrange separately, the additional infrastructure they require.

Prestige — £299

Approximately:

IQD 527,900

Designed for non-resident founders requiring a more complete UK address setup.

The current package includes core formation support together with registered-office and director-service-address arrangements according to the package scope.

For many Iraqi founders operating remotely, this can be more practical than sourcing each address service separately.

Elite — £399

Approximately:

IQD 704,400

Designed for founders requiring broader establishment support, including additional operational and banking-readiness assistance according to the current package scope.

The correct package is not automatically the cheapest or the most expensive.

It is the one that corresponds to what the founder genuinely needs.

Seven Oak services are priced in GBP. If paying from Iraq, your bank, card issuer or payment provider may apply its own GBP/IQD conversion rate and transaction charges.

14. Companies House Fee vs Seven Oak Professional Formation

These are not equivalent products.

The £100 figure is the government filing charge.

The Seven Oak figures include professional services and package components in addition to the Companies House filing.

That distinction should always be clear when comparing company-formation providers.

15. Cheap Formation vs Real Value

A low advertised formation price is not automatically bad.

If a founder:

• understands the UK structure;
• has an appropriate registered office;
• understands Companies House requirements;
• has their own compliance/accounting arrangements;

then a basic filing service may be sufficient.

But founders should compare like with like.

A price for:

incorporation only

should not be compared as though it is identical to:

incorporation + registered office + director service address + ongoing support.

The cheapest headline number and the lowest total operating cost are not necessarily the same thing.

16. Other Costs Iraqi Founders Sometimes Forget

Potential additional costs can include:

• GBP/IQD conversion charges;
• international bank-transfer charges;
• mail forwarding;
• accounting software;
• bookkeeping;
• payment-processing charges;
• website/domain/email costs;
• specialist banking fees;
• professional legal or tax advice.

These are not Companies House costs.

They arise from operating the business.

That distinction matters because an entrepreneur should budget for the company they intend to run, not merely the certificate they intend to obtain.

17. GBP to Iraqi Dinar: How to Read the Prices

For this review, we used:

£1 ≈ IQD 1,765.49 on 2 September 2026

For simplicity:

• £50 ≈ IQD 88,300
• £100 ≈ IQD 176,500
• £124 ≈ IQD 218,900
• £156 ≈ IQD 275,400
• £199 ≈ IQD 351,300
• £299 ≈ IQD 527,900
• £399 ≈ IQD 704,400

Actual IQD amounts can differ because:

• the exchange rate changes;
• your card issuer may use a different rate;
• intermediary fees may apply.

Seven Oak Prestige does not provide currency-exchange services. IQD figures in this guide are for illustration and local budgeting only.

GBP remains the contractual reference for charges denominated in pounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to register a UK company from Iraq?

The current Companies House online incorporation fee is £100, approximately IQD 176,500 using the indicative exchange rate in this guide.

The total setup cost may be higher where the founder also needs UK address services, professional support, accounting or other business-specific services.

Is there an extra Companies House fee for Iraqi founders?

No.

Companies House does not charge an additional incorporation surcharge simply because the director or shareholder resides in Iraq.

What is the cheapest way to register a UK company from Iraq?

A founder who meets the requirements and can manage the process independently may file directly and pay the official Companies House fee.

However, a founder without their own suitable UK registered office will still need to arrange the required company address.

How much is the digital confirmation statement?

The current digital Companies House fee is £50, approximately IQD 88,300 at the indicative rate used here.

The fee is payable with the first confirmation statement in the applicable 12-month payment period.

Do Iraqi residents need to pay for a UK registered office?

Every UK company needs an appropriate UK registered office.

If the founder does not have their own suitable address, they will normally need to obtain a professional registered-office service.

The service price depends on the provider.

Is identity verification another compulsory government fee?

Not necessarily.

Identity verification is required where the applicable Companies House rules apply, but an eligible founder may be able to complete the official verification route without paying an adviser.

Professional verification assistance can carry a separate service fee.

Does the company-formation price include a UK business bank account?

No.

Company incorporation and financial-provider approval are separate processes.

See our UK Business Bank Account for Iraqi Residents guide⁠ for the banking-readiness question.

How much should an Iraqi founder budget for the first year?

There is no honest universal figure.

Start with the £100 incorporation fee, then identify which additional costs genuinely apply to your company:

• UK address;
• confirmation statement;
• accounting;
• optional professional support;
• business-specific registrations;
• operational infrastructure.

This gives a more realistic budget than relying on a single advertised incorporation price.

Need Help Choosing the Right UK Company Setup?

Seven Oak Prestige is a specialist UK advisory firm supporting international founders who need more than a basic company filing.

For Iraqi founders, support may include:

• UK Ltd incorporation;
• ownership and PSC preparation;
• registered-office arrangements;
• director service address;
• Companies House identity-verification support;
• post-incorporation planning;
• banking-readiness support where relevant.

Start My UK Company from Iraq

For Iraqi founders who want professional support selecting and establishing the UK company setup that fits their actual requirements.

Seven Oak Prestige does not guarantee approval by banks, EMIs or payment providers.

Continue Through the Iraq–UK Business Hub

Forming the company

UK Company Formation from Iraq — 2026 Guide⁠

Use this for eligibility, ownership, directors, addresses and the full formation process.

Companies House verification

Companies House Identity Verification for Iraqi Residents — 2026 Guide⁠

Use this for personal codes, director/PSC verification and the verification process.

UK business banking

UK Business Bank Account for Iraqi Residents — 2026 Guide⁠

Use this for banks, EMIs, specialist providers, KYC, source of funds and banking readiness.

Payment providers

Stripe, Wise, Airwallex & Payoneer for Iraqi Founders — 2026 Guide⁠

Use this for provider-specific availability and payment-infrastructure questions.

Global cost comparison

UK Company Formation Cost for Non-Residents — 2026 Guide⁠

Use this for the broader non-resident cost framework rather than Iraq-specific budgeting..

Final Takeaway

For an Iraqi founder, the official online Companies House cost to form a UK private limited company is:

£100

or approximately:

IQD 176,500

using the indicative exchange rate applied in this guide.

But £100 answers only:

What does Companies House charge to create the company?

It does not answer:

What will it realistically cost me to establish and maintain the company from Iraq?

The better budgeting sequence is:

£100 incorporation

↓

UK address requirements

↓

identity-verification needs

↓

annual Companies House obligations

↓

accounting

↓

business-specific services

That gives Iraqi founders a realistic view of cost without presenting optional services as compulsory.

About the Author

Isaac Jackson
Founder & Managing Director — Seven Oak Prestige Ltd

Isaac Jackson has 3+ years of hands-on experience supporting international entrepreneurs with UK company formation and business-establishment matters.

Seven Oak Prestige has supported close to 100 UK company formation and establishment cases, including international founders requiring support with company structure, UK addresses, Companies House requirements, KYC preparation and operational readiness.

Editorial Methodology

This guide is prepared using a combination of:

• current Companies House fee information;
• primary UK government sources;
• current GBP/IQD exchange-rate information;
• practical international-founder experience;
• ongoing editorial review.

We distinguish clearly between:

UK government/statutory fees

and:

professional, operational and business-specific costs.

Those are not interchangeable.

Iraqi dinar equivalents are included to help founders in Iraq understand the approximate local-currency impact of GBP-denominated costs.

Material statutory fees and exchange-rate references are reviewed periodically and updated where necessary.

Last reviewed: 2 September 2026

Editorial Disclaimer

This guide provides general educational and business-establishment information.

It does not constitute personalized:

• tax advice;
• legal advice;
• accounting advice;
• banking advice;
• regulated financial advice.

Companies House fees, exchange rates and third-party service prices can change.

Seven Oak Prestige does not provide currency-exchange services. IQD amounts are indicative only.

Always confirm the current GBP amount and applicable exchange rate before paying Companies House or purchasing a professional service.

Primary Official Sources Reviewed

Companies House — Current Fees

Used to verify current incorporation and confirmation-statement charges, including £100 online incorporation, £124 paper incorporation, £156 same-day software incorporation, £50 digital confirmation-statement filing and £110 paper filing.

Companies House — 2026 Fee Schedule

Companies House’s current fee schedule confirms the statutory amounts used throughout this guide.