Get Your LEI code in 24 Hours
An LEI code (Legal Entity Identifier) is how financial market participants are identified worldwide. You need one for trading, regulatory reporting and KYC checks in 200+ jurisdictions.
Register new LEI code
Getting an LEI code for a UK company, LLP, fund or trust
Since Brexit the UK has run its own copies of the EU trading rules, and both of them lean on the LEI code. Under UK MiFIR an FCA-authorised investment firm cannot place a trade for a legal-person client that has no LEI code, which is why brokers, wealth platforms and banks ask for one before they open or reactivate an account. Under UK EMIR, both sides of a derivative contract are identified by LEI code in the report sent to an FCA-registered trade repository, including small corporates that only hedge currency or interest-rate risk.
For a company registered at Companies House the application is mostly a matching exercise. We take your company registration number (CRN), check the legal name, registered office and status against the public register, and confirm that the person applying is entitled to act for the company. The cleaner the match, the faster the code is issued; most UK limited companies are done the same working day.
Entities that are not on Companies House can still get an LEI code. Charities registered with the Charity Commission or OSCR, pension schemes, unit trusts and other trusts are identified by their own registration or trust deed instead, and the trustee or scheme administrator signs the application on their behalf.
What a UK application needs
- Companies House CRN: 8 characters, e.g. 01234567, SC123456 for Scotland, NI012345 for Northern Ireland or OC… for an LLP
- Registered office address exactly as it appears on the register
- Name and role of the person applying (director, company secretary or an authorised employee)
- Parent company details, if the entity is consolidated into a group that prepares accounts
- For trusts, charities and schemes: the trust deed, charity number or scheme registration instead of a CRN
UK LEI registration questions
Does my UK limited company need an LEI code if it never trades shares?
Not necessarily. The legal requirement comes from UK MiFIR and UK EMIR, so it applies when the company buys or sells financial instruments through an FCA-authorised firm or enters into derivatives such as FX forwards. Banks and payment providers also ask for LEI codes more and more often, so many companies get one before a broker or lender asks.
Which number from Companies House do you need?
The company registration number (CRN) shown on the certificate of incorporation and on the Companies House search page. English and Welsh companies usually have eight digits, Scottish companies start with SC, Northern Irish ones with NI, and LLPs with OC, SO or NC.
Can a UK sole trader get an LEI code?
Generally no. LEI codes identify legal entities. A sole trader acting in a business capacity can qualify in limited cases, but most sole traders do not need one because UK MiFIR identifies individuals with a national client identifier instead.
We changed our registered office. Do we need a new LEI code?
No. The LEI code stays the same for the life of the company. Update the address at Companies House first, then update the LEI record when you next renew, or sooner if a counterparty relies on the address.
Will the FCA accept an LEI code from a provider outside the UK?
Yes. LEI codes are part of one global system overseen by GLEIF. An LEI code issued through any accredited issuer is valid for UK MiFIR and UK EMIR reporting, wherever that issuer is based.