What documents do I upload to register a CIC online?

Exactly two PDFs: your completed and signed form CIC36 (the community interest statement, signed by every proposed director) and your Articles of Association. Everything else - company details, directors, PSCs - is entered in the online application itself.

Do I need a memorandum of association for a CIC?

Not as an upload. Official guidance states a digital memorandum is created automatically from the information you provide during the online process, and a paper version should not be uploaded. Selecting your company type generates it.

Do directors need to verify their identity before registering a CIC?

Yes. Identity verification has been a legal requirement since 18 November 2025. Each director verifies once - free via GOV.UK One Login (app, online, or at a Post Office) - and receives a personal code, which is needed when they are named on the incorporation.

What happens after I submit my CIC application?

Companies House refers the application to the CIC Regulator, who decides whether your company meets the community interest test. There is no same-day service for CICs; clean online applications usually come back within a few working days. Once approved, your certificate of incorporation arrives by email with your company number.

How to Register a CIC Online: Step-by-Step

Q: How much does it cost to register a CIC online?

£115, payable by card or PayPal (Companies House fee, at this level since 1 February 2026). Filing by post costs £139 and can take up to 15 working days. Companies House also states that if an application is rejected for missing statutory content, incorporation fees are refunded.

Last updated: August 2026

Written by Ben Ahern, Founder of CIC Tools & Co-founder of Homeless Aid UK CIC

Quick Answer

You register through the combined Companies House and HMRC online service for £115 (card or PayPal). You upload exactly two PDFs - your signed CIC36 and your Articles - and type in everything else. The memorandum is auto-generated. Every director needs a verified identity first. Approval usually takes a few working days.

Quick question before you read on

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Watch: the whole registration process in 7 minutes

Before You Start: The Preparation Checklist

The online application itself is quick. What takes time is having everything ready. Before you open the service, you want:

A checked, compliant name - available on the register, ending "CIC" or "community interest company", no unapproved sensitive words. See the name rules.
Your structure decision - limited by guarantee (most CICs) or limited by shares. The official application checklist covers both types online.
Form CIC36, completed and signed by every proposed director, as a PDF. The number of signatures must match the number of directors. See what the Regulator accepts.
Articles of Association containing all statutory CIC clauses, as a PDF - missing clauses are an automatic rejection (with your fee refunded).
A registered office address and a registered email address for the company.
Details for every director and PSC (people with significant control - over 25% of shares or voting rights). See PSCs for CICs.
Each director's Companies House personal code from identity verification (below).
A SIC code describing what the company does.

Identity verification comes first (since 18 November 2025)

Every director must verify their identity with Companies House and provide their personal code when named on the incorporation. Verification is free via GOV.UK One Login - the app, online security questions, or in person at a Post Office. Do it before filing day: an unverified co-director is the most avoidable delay there is.

What You Upload vs What You Type

This is the part people overcomplicate. Per the official guidance (updated July 2026), the online CIC application involves exactly two uploaded documents:

Document	How it gets there
CIC36 community interest statement	Uploaded as a PDF, signed by every proposed director
Articles of Association	Uploaded as a PDF, containing all statutory CIC clauses
Memorandum of Association	Not uploaded - auto-generated digitally when you select your company type
Company details, directors, PSCs, SIC code, guarantee/capital statement	Typed into the online application (no IN01 form online - that's the paper route)

Companies House doesn't publish a screen-by-screen list of the journey, and the exact order of steps can change - but the information it collects is the standard incorporation set: name, registered office, registered email, directors (with personal codes), PSCs, statement of guarantee or capital, and SIC code.

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The Three Rules That Prevent Rejection

One identical name, everywhere. The official checklist requires the company name - including the ending - to match exactly across the application, CIC36, Articles and generated memorandum. Any mismatch is a rejection.
Complete documents. All statutory clauses in the Articles; all four sections (A-D) in the CIC36; every director's signature. Official guidance specifically warns about AI-drafted documents missing required content: "applications will be rejected and incorporation fees refunded".
Consistent communities. The community described in your CIC36 Section A must match the community in your Articles' objects clause.

The fee

£115 online, paid by card or PayPal at the end of the application (at this level since 1 February 2026). The paper route costs £139 by cheque or postal order and can take up to 15 working days. This is Companies House's fee - it applies however you prepare your documents.

After You Submit

Your application goes to Companies House, which refers it to the CIC Regulator - the extra approval step that makes a CIC a CIC. The Regulator assesses your community interest statement against the community interest test. There is no same-day service; clean applications usually come back within a few working days (see realistic timelines).

Once approved, your certificate of incorporation arrives by email, showing your company number and date of formation. The combined service also handles your Corporation Tax registration with HMRC. From there: bank account, policies, and your first compliance calendar.

When you can't use the online route

Converting an existing limited company into a CIC is paper-only (£45). Community interest PLCs are documented by gov.uk only via the paper route. For a brand-new private CIC - limited by guarantee or by shares - online is the standard path.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to register a CIC online?

£115, payable by card or PayPal (since 1 February 2026). Paper filing costs £139 and takes up to 15 working days. Applications rejected for missing statutory content get the fee refunded.

What documents do I upload?

Exactly two PDFs: your completed, signed CIC36 and your Articles of Association. Everything else is entered in the online application.

Do I need a memorandum of association?

Not as an upload - official guidance says a digital memorandum is created automatically during the online process, and a paper version should not be uploaded.

Do directors need identity verification first?

Yes - it's been a legal requirement since 18 November 2025. Each director verifies free via GOV.UK One Login and gets a personal code, needed when they're named on the incorporation.

What happens after I submit?

Companies House refers the application to the CIC Regulator for the community interest test. Approval usually takes a few working days; your certificate of incorporation then arrives by email with your company number.

Your two upload-ready documents, in about 15 minutes

The whole online application hinges on two PDFs: a compliant CIC36 and compliant Articles. CIC Tools generates both from your answers - statutory clauses included, name identical everywhere, surplus wording correct - ready to sign and upload. See them before you pay.

Start Your CIC Read Full Setup Guide