AP02 Form UK: Appoint a Corporate Director

What this document is

AP02 is the paper form used to notify Companies House that a company, an LLP or another body corporate has been appointed as a director of a UK limited company. Unlike a natural person director, a corporate director is an entity that holds the directorship in its own name and acts through its own officers and authorised representatives.

The form records the appointed body's name, its registered or principal office, the country or state in which it is governed, the legal form it takes, and, where relevant, the register it is entered on and its registration number. It must be signed by someone authorised to act for the appointing company, usually an existing director or the company secretary.

Filing is free at Companies House, although most appointments today are made online through the Web Filing service rather than on paper. The information you submit becomes part of the public record, so accuracy and consistency with the corporate director's own filed details are important.

How to use this document

1. Confirm the appointment is permitted. Check the articles of association of the appointing company for any restrictions on who can be a director, and make sure the board has passed the resolution needed to appoint the new corporate director. Record the decision properly in the company's minute book before you submit anything to Companies House.
2. Gather the corporate director's details. You will need the full registered name of the body being appointed, its registered or principal office address, the legal form it takes (for example, a private limited company or LLP), the law under which it is governed, and, where it is registered on a public register, the name of that register and its number. Cross-check these against the entity's own Companies House record to avoid mismatches.
3. Check eligibility and the natural person rule. UK law has moved towards requiring at least one natural person on every company's board. Before appointing a corporate director, make sure the appointing company will still meet current Companies House requirements and that the proposed corporate director is itself eligible under the rules in force at the time of filing.
4. Complete and sign form AP02. Fill in the company number and name of the appointing company, the date of appointment, and the full details of the corporate director. The form must be signed on behalf of the appointing company by someone authorised to do so. If you file online through Web Filing, the authentication code replaces a wet signature.
5. Submit to Companies House and update internal records. File the form within 14 days of the appointment taking effect. Update the company's statutory register of directors, inform any relevant third parties such as banks and auditors, and make sure the new corporate director's representatives know what the appointment means in practice for board decisions.