Eligibility and suitability

Separate UK legal rules from programme criteria.

The law sets general conditions for company directors. A provider may choose stricter screening rules, but it must label them as programme policy rather than UK law.

Current status: Applications are paused, so no programme criteria are currently being applied. No reopening date has been set.

Last updated 19 July 2026. General information only.

General UK legal position

What the law generally says.

  • A natural-person director is generally required to be at least 16.
  • A director does not generally have to live in the UK, although the company needs a registered office in the relevant UK jurisdiction.
  • A person subject to a director-disqualification order or undertaking cannot act unless the law permits it.
  • Bankruptcy and related restrictions can affect company management; the rules and terminology differ across UK jurisdictions.
  • Mandatory Companies House identity verification applies according to the appointment or transition timetable.

Previously published site policy

What this site used to state.

  • The site previously presented age 18 or over as a criterion.
  • It also presented ordinary UK residence and a UK contact address as criteria.
  • Those were programme conditions, not universal legal requirements for UK directors.
  • They should not be treated as a current offer or policy because applications are paused and the operating framework is being verified.

Suitability is wider than eligibility

Ask whether you can perform the office in practice.

Time and information

Can you obtain and understand records, ask questions, monitor material matters and respond when the company faces difficulty?

Independent decisions

Can you refuse an instruction and record your reasoning where it conflicts with the company's interests or the law?

Personal restrictions

Have you checked employment terms, professional rules, immigration permission, benefits, pension, insolvency status and any disclosure duties that apply to you?

Public record

Are you prepared for your name and core appointment details to be searchable, including a historical record after resignation?

Stop when a material answer is missing.

Do not proceed if you are asked to lend your name, stay uninformed, hide an owner, sign unread documents, move unexplained money, share authentication codes or rely on guaranteed income. Do not submit data through the paused application or upload pages.

Review the DutiesOpen the Red-Flag Checklist

Official sources