Opening a company bank account overseas can involve detailed compliance checks. Foreign banks often need to confirm that the UK company exists, who controls it, who can sign on its behalf and whether the business is in good standing.
Even if the company documents are valid in the UK, the overseas bank may ask for them to be certified, legalised, translated or attested before the account can be approved.
Company registration documents
Most overseas banks will ask for proof that the UK company is properly registered.
This may include a Certificate of Incorporation, Companies House company profile, company extract, Memorandum and Articles of Association or other official company records.
Some Companies House documents can be legalised in official format. Downloaded PDFs or printed versions may need solicitor or notary certification before they can be used abroad.
Certificate of Good Standing
A Certificate of Good Standing may be requested to show that the company is active, compliant and properly registered.
The bank may require the certificate to be recently issued, sometimes within the last three or six months.
If the certificate carries a wet-ink signature, seal or stamp, it may be suitable for direct legalisation. If it is issued electronically or printed from a portal, certification may be required first.
Director and shareholder documents
Foreign banks often need to identify the people who own and control the company.
They may ask for director appointment documents, shareholder registers, share certificates, PSC information, board resolutions or ownership structure charts.
Because many of these documents are internal company records, they usually need solicitor or notary certification before legalisation.
Passport copies and proof of address
Banks commonly request identity and address documents for directors, shareholders, beneficial owners and authorised signatories.
This can include passport copies, utility bills, bank statements, council tax bills or other proof of address.
Passport copies and address documents often need solicitor or notary certification before they can be legalised for overseas banking use.
Board resolution or signing authority
If someone is opening the account or signing bank documents on behalf of the company, the bank may ask for a board resolution or authority letter.
This document confirms who has permission to act for the company and may include details of the account opening, authorised signatories and banking powers.
As an internal company document, it usually needs solicitor or notary certification before legalisation.
Power of Attorney for overseas banking
A Power of Attorney may be required if a representative, lawyer, accountant or local agent is opening the account abroad on behalf of the UK company.
Some banks accept solicitor-certified documents, while others specifically require notarisation by a Notary Public.
If the bank asks for a notarised Power of Attorney, solicitor certification may not be enough.
Translation and embassy attestation
If the bank does not accept English documents, certified or sworn translation may be required.
For countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention, UK legalisation may not be the final step. Embassy or consular attestation may also be required before the bank accepts the documents.
This is common in some jurisdictions with stricter banking compliance rules.
Check the bank’s document checklist
Every bank has its own onboarding requirements. The required documents can vary by country, account type, company structure, business activity and whether the account is being opened remotely.
Before preparing anything, ask the bank for a written checklist confirming document format, certification, legalisation, translation and attestation requirements.
If you are opening a company bank account overseas, 12 Apostille can review the bank’s requirements, confirm the correct route and help prepare your UK company documents for submission.