Changing a business trading address with your UK bank
What to update when a UK business moves premises, how a trading address differs from a registered office, and which evidence banks may request.
Tell the bank promptly when the address it uses for your business is no longer current. Be precise about which address changed: trading address, correspondence address, registered office or an authorised person’s home address. Those fields can be different and may require different evidence. Update Companies House separately where a registered-office or other reportable company detail has changed.
First identify which address has actually changed
A business can have several addresses at the same time. The trading address is where day-to-day activity takes place; the registered office is the official Companies House address for a limited company; the bank may also hold a separate correspondence address and personal addresses for directors or beneficial owners. If you tell support only that “the business moved”, the wrong field can be updated.
Write down the old and new address and label the exact purpose of each one. If the registered office has changed too, make the required Companies House update. If only the trading site moved, do not describe it as a registered-office change unless that is true.
Expect the bank to verify the new business details
Banks are expected to keep customer-due-diligence information accurate and to understand the nature and purpose of the business relationship. A move can therefore prompt questions about where the company operates, what it does there and whether ownership or management has changed. This is normal risk management, especially if the new address is in a different country or the move coincides with a change in business activity.
Provide documents that genuinely relate to the new address. The bank’s accepted evidence list is provider-specific, so check it before uploading anything. Avoid sending more personal information than requested and use the bank’s secure upload route rather than ordinary email where possible.
Update connected banking services, not just the profile page
A new address can affect card delivery, security letters, cheque books, cash-collection arrangements, branch servicing and account statements. If staff cards are delivered to a central office, confirm the destination before requesting replacements. If the business uses Post Office or branch cash services, check whether a move changes the most practical deposit route.
Also update your accounting package and supplier master data. Our guide to choosing a business bank account explains why access to cash, branches and operational tools can matter as much as the monthly account fee.
Keep the address consistent across public and private records
Mismatched addresses can slow later bank requests because the provider has to establish which record is current. Compare the bank profile with Companies House, HMRC records, invoices, business insurance and your website contact information. They do not all need to display the same address, but each should be correct for its purpose.
If a director or signatory has also moved home, treat that as a separate personal-detail update. The bank may need to verify the individual’s new address independently of the business move.
Plan the move around security and payment continuity
A premises move is a good time to review who receives sensitive post and who can access banking devices. Redirect mail securely, recover old office keys or devices and make sure former premises cannot receive replacement cards or authentication material. If internet or phone service will be disrupted, confirm how urgent payments can be approved during the move.
For businesses that handle cash, document the new cash-banking route before the first trading day at the new location. Our guide to business cash deposits covers deposit channels, fees and record-keeping.
If the bank rejects or delays the address change
Ask which field it is trying to update and which exact document failed. A generic “proof of address rejected” message is not enough to solve the problem. Check the document date, legal entity name and whether the provider accepts that type of evidence for a business address rather than for an individual.
Keep screenshots or case references, especially if the delay prevents card delivery or other services. If the business has moved but the bank still sends sensitive material to the old premises, make the security risk explicit and ask for correspondence to be suspended or redirected while the verification issue is resolved.
Frequently asked questions
Is a trading address the same as a registered office?
No. A limited company’s registered office is its official Companies House address. Its trading address can be somewhere else.
Will the bank always ask for proof of the new address?
Not always. Requirements vary by provider, account type and risk assessment, so check the bank’s current accepted-document list.
Should I update Companies House and the bank separately?
Yes. Updating one does not automatically update the other. Make each required change through the relevant official service.
Sources and verification
- GOV.UK — Make changes to your private limited company
- FCA — Financial crime guide: customer due diligence
Oliver Grant — Markets & Regulation Writer
I would never treat “change the business address” as one generic task. The bank can hold a registered office, trading address, correspondence address and personal addresses for the people who control the account. The safest process is to identify each field explicitly and update only what has actually changed. For a limited company I would also make sure the Companies House record is correct, because a public-record mismatch can make later verification harder. Before the move, I would check where cards, security letters and replacement devices are sent, who receives them and whether a postal redirect creates any security exposure. Businesses that bank cash should map the new deposit route and its limits before trading starts at the new premises. I would also keep one dated record showing when each external organisation was notified. If the bank rejects a document, ask which specific requirement it failed instead of repeatedly uploading alternatives. That turns a vague verification problem into a fixable one. The goal is continuity: customers keep paying the same business, authorised staff keep access, and no sensitive banking material is left travelling to an address the business no longer controls.
MyBankAnswers uses official provider and UK regulatory sources wherever practical. Information is general and does not constitute financial advice.