Every UK company director deals with two addresses on the public record, and it is easy to assume they are the same thing. They are not. A director service address is tied to an individual person; a registered office belongs to the company. Understanding the difference matters most if you want to keep your home address off the public register, which is a common priority for expats and non-resident directors.
What a director service address is for
A director service address is the address Companies House uses to correspond with you personally in your role as a director, rather than with the company as a whole. Every director must provide one, and it is shown on the public register next to their name. If you do not specify a service address, your home address is used by default, which means it becomes publicly visible and searchable by anyone.
Using a dedicated service address avoids this entirely. Official correspondence addressed to you as a director, rather than to the company, goes to that address instead of your home.
What a registered office is for
The registered office is a company-level address, not a personal one. It is where Companies House and HMRC send statutory correspondence relating to the company itself: confirmation statement reminders, tax notices and formal legal documents. Since March 2024, this address must meet the "appropriate address" requirement, meaning documents delivered there can genuinely be expected to reach someone acting for the company, with receipt acknowledged. A PO Box on its own does not satisfy this rule.
Our registered office service at 167-169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF is £50 a month and covers exactly this: the address itself, plus receipt and forwarding of official post.
What goes on the public register
Both addresses are visible on the Companies House register, but they serve different entries:
- The registered office appears against the company record and its filing history
- The director service address appears against each individual director's entry, separate from the company itself
- A director's home address does not appear at all, provided a service address has been given instead
This means anyone searching the register can see where a company receives official post and where each director can be formally contacted, without ever seeing where a director actually lives. It is a small piece of design in the UK's company framework, but it is the mechanism that lets directors comply with transparency rules while keeping personal residential details private.
Using one address for both
Many companies, particularly those run by directors based abroad, use the same central London address as both the registered office and each director's service address. This is entirely permitted and often the simplest approach: one reliable address, one point of contact, no confusion about where post ends up. It also means a single provider handles all incoming statutory correspondence rather than splitting it across two separate services.
This is a common setup among the expats and overseas directors we work with through our Expat Hub, where managing UK compliance from a distance is the default rather than the exception.
Privacy benefits for directors
For non-resident directors especially, keeping a home address off the public register is not a minor detail. It reduces the risk of unwanted contact, protects personal security, and avoids the address becoming searchable by anyone with an internet connection. This applies whether you live in the UK or abroad, but it is particularly relevant for directors managing a company remotely, where a UK service address may be the only UK-based point of contact they have.
If you are forming a new company, this is worth setting up correctly from the start. Our UK company incorporation service at £600 one-off includes the structure review needed to get ownership and officer details right from day one, and Director & Shareholder Changes can update service addresses later if your circumstances change.
Common questions
Do I need a separate director service address if my company already has a registered office?
Yes. They are legally distinct entries, even if you choose to use the same physical address for both.
What happens if I do not provide a service address?
Your home address is used by default and becomes visible on the public register.
Can I use the same London address for my registered office and my service address?
Yes, this is common and permitted, and it simplifies mail handling to a single provider.
Does this address need to be in the UK?
Yes, a UK service address is required for UK company directors, regardless of where the director personally lives.
How do I change my service address later?
By notifying Companies House, typically through your company secretarial provider. Our Director & Shareholder Changes service handles this.
Get started
If you want your home address kept off the public register, setting up a proper director service address alongside your registered office is straightforward. Get in touch to arrange it, or see our pricing for current packages. A named UK-based specialist replies within one working day.
This article is general information about UK filing requirements, not legal or tax advice. Requirements change - we will confirm what applies to your company before anything is filed.
