How Buying a Shelf Company Works

Six steps, each with a named document. UK transfers register in 1–2 business days after KYC, US in 3–5, offshore jurisdictions up to 10 where the registrar re-verifies owners. Nothing signs until you've seen the public registry record yourself.

The transfer, step by step

  1. Reserve and verify

    You pick a listing; we hold it for 48 hours and send the official registry extract link — Companies House, Secretary of State, or the registrar's search. You verify the date, status, and filings independently.

    Document: registry extract · Day 0

  2. KYC

    Certified passport copy and proof of address for each incoming director and shareholder. One pass, checked once.

    Documents: ID pack · Day 0–1

  3. Sale agreement

    The purchase contract, including the non-trading warranty and a schedule of every filing made since incorporation. This is where a listing claim becomes an enforceable term.

    Document: sale & purchase agreement · Day 1–2

  4. Transfer instruments

    Stock/share transfer form, outgoing director resignation, your appointment, and board minutes approving the transfer — signed both sides.

    Documents: transfer form, resignations, appointments · Day 2–3

  5. Registry filings

    Officer and ownership changes file with the registry; beneficial-owner registers (PSC in the UK, UBO elsewhere) update to you. The company is yours when the registry says so — not before.

    Filed: officer + PSC/UBO changes · Day 3–5 (UK sooner)

  6. Handover pack

    Certificate of incorporation, memorandum/articles or operating agreement, statutory registers, all filed accounts, the signed transfer set — and the next three compliance deadlines, dated.

    Document: full corporate pack · on registration

What changes at the registry — and what doesn't

Directors, shareholders, and registered address change. The incorporation date, company number, and filing history don't — that continuity is the product. A renaming, if you want one, files separately after transfer and doesn't touch the date.

FAQ

Why do you require KYC if I’m the buyer?

Because a shelf company transfer without buyer verification is the textbook on-ramp for shell abuse — and any seller who skips it is either negligent or complicit. Our KYC is one pass: certified ID and proof of address per incoming director and shareholder. It also protects you: it’s the evidence trail that says the entity changed hands cleanly.

What are my first obligations after transfer?

The clock you inherit, not the one that starts at purchase: the next confirmation statement or annual report is due on the company’s schedule, and accounts cover the period including the dormant months. Your handover pack lists the next three deadlines with dates.

Can the transfer be reversed?

Practically, no — share transfers execute on signing and registry filings follow. That’s why the verification step comes first and why the deposit only converts to payment after you’ve seen the registry record. Walk away before documents sign, not after.

Start with the inventory

Pick a listing, get the registry extract link, verify it yourself — then decide.

Browse inventory