| Compulsory since | 18 November 2025, with 12 months' transition for existing companies |
| Who | directors, PSCs, directors of overseas companies, ACSPs |
| How | GOV.UK One Login (free) or a registered ACSP |
| From abroad | possible from any country through an ACSP |
| Result | a personal code you give for every role |
Who must verify
Since 18 November 2025 identity verification has been a legal requirement. It covers directors and equivalent officers, directors of overseas companies with a UK establishment, people with significant control (PSCs) and the registered providers themselves. People who only file documents, limited partnerships and corporate directors come later.
In most cases you verify only once. You then receive a personal code, the Companies House personal code. It belongs to you, not the company, and you give it for every role you hold in a company.
When you must give your code
The deadline depends on your role and when you took it on.
| Role | When |
|---|---|
| Director of a new company | at incorporation, as part of the application |
| Existing director | with the company's next confirmation statement, separately for each company |
| PSC registered since 18 November 2025 | at registration or within 14 days after |
| PSC who is also a director | within 14 days from the day after the confirmation statement date |
| PSC who is not a director | in the first 14 days of their birth month |
| Directors of an overseas company | by the anniversary of the UK establishment's registration |
GOV.UK: When you need to verify your identity for Companies House
Two routes to verification
GOV.UK One Login: the government service is free. Online it works with a biometric passport from any country, plus your current address and the year you moved in. Other routes such as bank details or the Post Office are meant for people living in the UK.
Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP): a UK provider registered with Companies House and supervised by a UK anti-money-laundering body verifies your identity for you. That works from any country. You give the provider your full name, home address, email address and the evidence they ask for. Companies House sends the code by email. A note then appears on the register with your name, the date of verification and the provider.
For founders and directors abroad the ACSP is often the more practical route, especially if the app check fails over an identity document or an address. Identity verification is included in our UK company formation.
Companies House wants filings in future to come only from verified people and registered ACSPs. On the current timetable, providers filing for clients must be registered as ACSPs no earlier than November 2027; Companies House will announce the date at least six months in advance. The previously mentioned November 2026 date has therefore moved.
What happens if you do not verify
Failing to meet your identity verification duties in time can be an offence. Companies House mentions prosecution with a fine or a financial penalty. In future a note is to appear next to your name on the register, and you will not be able to become a new director or form a new company while verification is missing.
And a warning Companies House gives itself: do not lend your identity so that others can form or run a company. If you lend your name as a front, you answer for what happens in that name. More on directors' responsibility in directors' liability.
Frequently asked questions
Does identity verification cost anything?
Verification through GOV.UK One Login is free. An ACSP may charge a fee for its service.
I am a director of several companies. Do I verify more than once?
No, you verify once. But you give the code separately for each company and each role.
Is a national identity card enough?
For online verification GOV.UK names a biometric passport from any country. Which evidence an ACSP accepts, the provider will tell you.
Does this apply to my holding company?
Yes. Directors and PSCs of every UK company are covered, including a holding company. Corporate directors will be brought in later.
Sources: GOV.UK: Verify your identity for Companies House; GOV.UK: When you need to verify your identity for Companies House; GOV.UK: Verifying your identity for Companies House; GOV.UK: Using an ACSP to verify your identity; Companies House: Authorised Corporate Service Providers
