Business registration

Date published: 23 March, 2018

You can register your business online by creating an account on Rural Payments and Services.

Once you have registered your business, you will receive a Business Registration Number. In some cases, you may also receive a County Parish Holding Number.

Registering online has several benefits:

  • it’s secure, quick and easy to use
  • the system can check and validate information before you submit
  • making changes is also quick and easy

You can register several different types of business with us and, depending on the business type, we may need various kinds information from you.

Find out more about business types

If you are a livestock keeper you are required to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency for a flock or herd number.

You will need your County Parish Holding Number to do this. We are required to share some of the information you give us with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

If you carry out any animal feed activities you are required to tell us. We will then share some of this information with Food Standards Scotland.

It's important that the information we hold about you and your business is accurate and up to date. If not, it could affect funding you have received or may be applying for.

Changes should be made as soon as possible using the online system.

If you prefer not to register online, you can print out and complete our registration form and send it to your nearest area office.

PF01 - Registering a business form

Area office contacts

If you previously registered with us using the paper application form (or used an advisory firm to register on your behalf) you can change to become an online customer.

When you registered your business, you will have nominated a Responsible Person.

To become an online customer, the Responsible Person must now register with the online system – using the instructions contained in the 'Claim Offline Identity Guidance'.

Use the link below to open the guidance booklet and follow the instructions to change from a paper to online customer.

If you are having trouble using the new system, contact your local area office.

Click 'Download this page' to create a printable version of this guidance you can save or print out.