Companies House will soon be collecting additional information on the overseas entity update statement as new legislation comes into force.
From 31 July 2025, overseas entities filing an update statement will need to tell Companies House about beneficial ownership changes during the pre-registration period, a requirement that has been introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (the ECCTA).
The pre-registration period runs from 28 February 2022 to either 31 January 2023, or the date the overseas entity registered, whichever comes first.
Lawyers for Overseas Entities
Overseas entities that were the registered owners of UK property or land during the pre-registration period need to tell Companies House if the overseas entity had, during the pre-registration period, any:
- Registrable beneficial owners.
- Trusts involved in the entity.
- Beneficiaries of a Trust involved in the entity.
Any additional information provided must be verified by a UK-regulated agent no more than three months before the date of the update statement.
Companies House has stated that entities will only need to provide this information once, as part of the next update statement due after 31 October 2025.
If the entity’s next update statement is delivered to Companies House between 31 July 2025 and 31 October 2025, entities can provide the information in this update by filing their update statement on paper for a fee of £467.
Alternatively, any overseas entities that choose to wait can file online next year for a fee of £234.
Update statements delivered from 1 November 2025 must include information about any beneficial ownership changes during the pre-registration period, whether filed online or on paper.
For more information about the new requirement click here.
To read more about the update statement, visit: gov.uk/guidance/file-an-overseas-entity-update-statement.
Any additional information should be collected well in advance of the update statement due date.
Failure to file an update statement is considered a criminal offence. Overseas entities who fail to do so may face prosecution or a financial penalty and risk their overseas entity ID becoming invalid.
Solicitors Marylebone
If you have questions or need legal advice about the new requirements for overseas entities under the ECCTA, get in touch with Muscatt Black Graf.
Our team of lawyers are specialists in the Register of Overseas Entities and can help you successfully navigate the registration and reporting process.
We can also provide guidance on the verification process and ensure the information you provide is accurate and complete.
For more information, or to speak to one of our team, email Muscatt Black Graf on contact@muscattblackgraf.com or click here to complete our online contact form.
This blog was prepared on 8 July 2025. It is not intended to be advice and should not be relied upon as such.