A Certificate of Incumbency — also known as an Incumbency Certificate — is a formal corporate document that certifies the identity, title, and authority of the current officers and directors of a company. For companies registered in England and Wales with Companies House, the certificate provides an official snapshot of who holds office within the company at a specific date and is authorised to bind the company in legal and commercial transactions.

Under the Companies Act 2006, every company registered in England and Wales is required to maintain a register of directors (section 162) and, where one has been appointed, a register of secretaries (section 275). These statutory registers form the basis on which the incumbency certificate is issued. The certificate is typically signed by the Company Secretary or, for private companies that have not appointed one (as section 270 of the Companies Act 2006 no longer requires private companies to have a secretary), by a director.

The UK does not have a formal statutory procedure for issuing incumbency certificates — they are corporate documents produced by the company itself. However, they carry significant weight because they are signed by an officer of the company who is personally responsible for the accuracy of the information certified, and because the details can be cross-referenced against the publicly available Companies House register.

Our UK Incumbency Certificate template is drafted for use by companies incorporated under the Companies Act 2006 and includes all the information typically required by banks, financial institutions, and commercial counterparties: the company's full registered name and Companies House number, registered office address, a confirmation of the company's status (not dissolved, not in administration, no winding-up order), the names and titles of current officers and directors, and a certification statement signed by an authorised officer.

A Certificate of Incumbency is required in a wide range of corporate, banking, and commercial situations where a third party needs to verify who holds authority within a UK company and is authorised to act on its behalf.

Banking and financial institutions routinely require incumbency certificates when a company opens a new business bank account, changes its authorised signatories, applies for credit facilities, executes loan agreements, or enters into hedging or derivatives arrangements. The certificate enables the bank to comply with its Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) obligations under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Terrorism Act 2000, and the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/692).

In mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructurings, solicitors and counterparties require incumbency certificates as part of the due diligence process to confirm that the individuals executing transaction documents have the authority to do so. Law firms frequently request incumbency certificates on behalf of their clients before completion of commercial transactions.

For international trade and cross-border transactions, foreign counterparties — particularly those in jurisdictions where English law is less familiar — may request an incumbency certificate (often accompanied by a notarisation or apostille) to satisfy themselves that the UK company's representative is properly authorised.

Government bodies, public authorities, and regulators may also require incumbency certificates when a company enters into procurement contracts, applies for licences, or participates in public tenders. Companies House filings, such as changes of director (Form AP01) or officer appointments, are separate regulatory processes but may be accompanied by incumbency certificates to demonstrate continuity of authority.

A well-drafted UK Certificate of Incumbency should contain several key elements to be accepted by banks, solicitors, and international counterparties.

The company identification section must state the full registered name of the company exactly as it appears on the Companies House register, the Companies House registration number (an eight-digit number, or for LLPs a number beginning with OC), and the full registered office address including postcode. Any discrepancy between the certificate and the Companies House record will cause the document to be rejected.

The company status declaration confirms that the company is validly existing under the laws of England and Wales — specifically, that it has not been dissolved, has not passed a resolution for voluntary winding up, and no court order has been made for winding up, administration, or receivership. This confirmation is of particular importance for overseas counterparties who need assurance that the company is legally capable of contracting.

The officers and directors section is the heart of the certificate. It must list every current director by their full name and title as recorded at Companies House under section 162 of the Companies Act 2006. Where the company has a Company Secretary, their details should also be included. The certificate should confirm that each listed individual has been duly appointed and is authorised by the board of directors to execute documents and bind the company.

The purpose of the certificate should be stated clearly, as banks and counterparties use the certificate in different contexts — for example, for opening a business bank account, executing a specific contract, or satisfying regulatory due diligence requirements.

The certification statement is signed by the certifying officer — typically the Company Secretary or a director — who takes personal responsibility for the accuracy of the information. The date of the certificate is critical because the authority of officers can change, and counterparties rely on the certificate as accurate only as of its stated date.

For international use, the certificate may need to be notarised by a UK notary public and apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office under the Hague Convention to be recognised in foreign jurisdictions.