Yes. Selling to customers outside the UK doesn't stop you getting a Start Up Loan. What matters is that your business is a UK business: registered here, run from here, and paying tax on its revenue here.
The three conditions
- Registered in the UK, with Companies House, HMRC or both.
- Run from the UK. The business is operated from here.
- Revenue taxed in the UK. Your business's income is taxed here, wherever your customers are.
Examples that can qualify
- an online shop based in the UK that ships worldwide
- a UK-based consultant or designer with clients overseas
- a UK maker who exports products
When it won't qualify
If the business is run from outside the UK, or its income is taxed in another country, it isn't eligible.
Everything else is the same
The usual criteria still apply. See Start Up Loan eligibility: am I eligible?, and Eligibility: which businesses and loan purposes are excluded? for the business types and loan uses that are excluded.
Not sure?
Last reviewed: 8 October 2026