FKINP Start with the dissolution record, not a service package
For a company registered in England and Wales, the right service depends first on whether the Registrar struck it off and whether the applicant qualifies for administrative restoration; otherwise, GOV.UK directs applicants to the court route.[1][4]
Search the Companies House record by company number and record its dissolution date, registered-office jurisdiction and filing history. Identify whether the Registrar struck the company off or directors applied for voluntary dissolution. Use the England-and-Wales procedure for a company registered there; Scottish dissolution or asset procedures should not be substituted for it.[2]
Check the filing history to establish how the company left the register. Companies House’s current restoration guidance says a company voluntarily dissolved after a director filed form DS01 cannot use administrative restoration and must follow the court route; form RT01 covers companies removed under specified Registrar strike-off powers.[2][4]
Applicant status also matters. GOV.UK describes administrative restoration as available to a director or shareholder, while RT01 refers to a former director or member.[1][4] Resolve any doubt about standing before instructing a provider.
Check the applicable time limit before commissioning work. The general court-restoration limit is six years from dissolution; claims to bring personal-injury proceedings have an exception. Administrative restoration has its own six-year limit and eligibility conditions. Older cases need case-specific legal assessment rather than an assumption that any dissolved company can be restored.[1][2]
Record these facts before requesting quotations:
- the company number, registration jurisdiction and register status;
- the dissolution date and whether the filing history shows Registrar action or form DS01;
- the applicant’s relationship to the company;
- outstanding accounts, confirmation statements and other filings; and
- known company money, property and other assets.
Administrative restoration versus a court order
A provider cannot use administrative restoration if the company or applicant does not meet the route’s conditions.
Administrative restoration
Route trigger: This route covers an eligible company removed by the Registrar under the relevant strike-off powers.[4] Companies House’s guidance says voluntary dissolution through form DS01 requires the court route.[2] GOV.UK also requires that the company was struck off within the last six years and was trading when dissolved.[1]
Eligible applicant: GOV.UK uses “director or shareholder”, while form RT01 uses “former director” or “member”.[1][4]
Application work: The application must account for form RT01, the £341 restoration charge, outstanding documents, filing fees and penalties, and a Bona Vacantia waiver letter where required.[1][4]
Court-order restoration
Route trigger: GOV.UK identifies the court route where the administrative conditions are not met or Companies House refuses administrative restoration; Companies House’s guidance also directs voluntarily dissolved DS01 companies to court.[1][2]
Eligible applicant: The official court-route guidance includes people who did business with or worked for the company, people owed money, those with specified land or pension interests, and former directors or shareholders. Establish standing for the actual claim rather than relying on a provider’s marketing list.[9]
Application work: For England and Wales, GOV.UK directs applicants to use claim form N208 and a witness statement, with a £326 court fee at the review date of 18 October 2026. It directs the claim to the nearest county court with bankruptcy jurisdiction to the company’s registered office. Check the current official instructions for the proper court, service on Companies House and the Crown representative, evidence and any hearing. If the court grants restoration, send the order to Companies House to complete the registration step.[9][3]
Do not choose between routes using advertised timings. Company Services UK estimates three to four months, while 1st Choice estimates four to five months when paperwork is ready; neither estimate is an official service standard or guarantee.[5][6]
Purpose may also affect the court work. Company Services UK says an asset-only restoration may be handled differently from restoration intended to resume trading, but this is provider-described procedure and should be checked for the case concerned.[5]
What an administrative application must include
For a company registered in England and Wales, an administrative-restoration submission should cover:
- Form RT01: for companies registered in England and Wales, completed and sent to the Registrar of Companies, Companies House, Crown Way, Cardiff, Wales CF14 3UZ.[4]
- Official charge: a £341 cheque payable to “Companies House”.[1]
- Overdue records: outstanding accounts, confirmation statements and other documents needed to update the company record.[1][4]
- Confirmation statements: form CS01 should use the confirmation date from the last statement submitted before strike-off.[1]
- Additional payments: applicable filing fees and outstanding late-filing penalties.[1][4]
- Asset paperwork: a Bona Vacantia waiver letter where the company had assets.[1]
RT01 requires confirmation that the record-updating documents have been delivered, relevant outstanding penalties paid and the restoration fee included.[4] A waiver letter does not replace these filing and payment requirements.
When comparing quotations, establish whether “preparation” covers RT01 alone or the complete submission. Ask who will prepare overdue accounts and CS01 forms, calculate penalties, pay filing charges and answer rejection queries.
Check Bona Vacantia before relying on asset recovery
Company property can pass to the Crown as bona vacantia on dissolution. For an England-and-Wales company, check whether the Government Legal Department’s Bona Vacantia Division or a Duchy representative is the appropriate authority. A Scottish KLTR process is not a substitute. Identify any property already disposed of, disclaimed or otherwise affected before promising recovery.[3]
Before instructing a provider, prepare an asset schedule covering:
- each bank balance, property, debt, intellectual-property right or other asset;
- where each asset is located and who holds or controls it; and
- which asset enquiries or applications the proposed service will handle.
A waiver or consent addresses the Crown’s interest in the restoration process. It does not itself restore the company or guarantee return of a particular asset. Ask the provider to identify the relevant authority, current charges, any disposal or disclaimer issues, and the separate steps for recovery after restoration.[3]
Compare company restoration services
Compare total payable scope rather than the headline adviser fee. The £341 Companies House charge applies to administrative restoration and does not include professional work, outstanding filing fees or penalties.[1]
eFormations/Apex Company Services Ltd
- Route coverage: The provider describes administrative and court restoration services throughout the UK.[8]
- Published adviser price: £140 plus VAT for administrative restoration and £340 plus VAT for court restoration.[8]
- Included scope: The administrative service lists consultation, document preparation, a Treasury Solicitor waiver application and confirmation statements where required. The court service lists claim-form and witness-statement preparation, personal delivery to the High Court and Treasury Solicitor liaison.[8]
1st Choice Formations
- Route coverage: The provider markets a UK administrative-restoration service for eligible Registrar strike-offs and says it no longer provides court-order restoration.[6]
- Published headline: £110 plus VAT appears in the page title.[6]
- Included scope: The cited material does not confirm a complete list of included administrative-restoration work.
MYCO Formations
- Route coverage: The provider describes administrative support and possible court-order work.[7]
- Published adviser price: MYCO lists company restoration at £1,000; confirm what is included.[7]
- Included scope: It describes advice, preparation and submission, handling outstanding filings and providing progress updates.[7]
MYCO estimates Companies House processing at two to eight weeks, but this is a provider estimate rather than an official target or guarantee.[7] Ask each provider to substantiate any claimed restoration success rate.
What to confirm with each provider
- the selected route and the eligibility assumptions behind it;
- the adviser fee, VAT and every official or third-party charge;
- preparation of overdue accounts and confirmation statements;
- filing fees and late-filing penalties;
- Bona Vacantia waiver work and related charges;
- court costs and court-route professional work;
- work following a refusal or rejected submission;
- post-restoration filing or accountancy work; and
- cancellation and refund terms.
What happens after acceptance or refusal
If Companies House accepts an administrative application, restoration takes effect when the Registrar sends its confirmation letter. The company is then treated as having continued in existence as though it had not been dissolved or struck off.[1][2]
If Companies House refuses, GOV.UK identifies a court-order application as a possible next route. It also identifies a possible discretionary grant for a shareholder seeking money back.[1] The cited GOV.UK restoration page does not provide every court or discretionary-grant step.[1]
Before paying, obtain written confirmation of the chosen route, full cost schedule, asset work, responsibility for outstanding filings, work after refusal and any post-restoration obligations.
References
- Restore your dissolved company – GOV.UK (gov.uk)
- Companies House: restoring a company to the register, current guidance (gov.uk)
- Government Legal Department: company restoration guide — bona vacantia and Crown involvement (gov.uk)
- 1 Company details Company name in full Company number RT01 In accordance with (companieshouse.gov.uk)
- Company Restoration – Company Services UK (companyservicesuk.co.uk)
- UK Company Restoration Service Only £110 – Administrative Restoration (1stchoice-formations.co.uk)
- MYCO Formations | Expert Company Restoration Services (mycoformations.co.uk)
- Company Restoration & Company Reinstatement | eformations (eformations.co.uk)
- GOV.UK: restore a company by a court order — England and Wales (gov.uk)
