From 18 November 2025, every UK company director must verify their identity with Companies House or risk losing the ability to run a business. The change affects 6 to 7 million individuals—directors, persons with significant control (PSCs), and LLP members—spanning everyone from newly incorporated startups to decades-old private companies. This guide walks you through exactly what to do, which documents you need, and what happens if you miss the deadline.

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Launch Date: 18 November 2025 · Required For: All UK company directors and PSCs · Accepted Documents: Biometric passport, UK photo driving licence, UK biometric residence permit · Verification Options: Self-service or via Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) · Verification Method: Online using existing ID forms

Quick snapshot

1Who Must Verify
2Documents Needed
  • Biometric passport from any country (ICAEW (professional accounting body))
  • UK photo driving licence (ICAEW)
  • UK biometric residence permit or card (ICAEW)
  • You must also provide your current address and the year you moved in (ICAEW)
3Verification Methods
4Why It Matters
  • One-time verification covers all your directorships (TaxFile)
  • Non-compliance risks criminal prosecution and director disqualification (Mint Formations)
  • Companies may lose ability to file essential documents (Mint Formations)
Label Value
Commencement Date 18 November 2025
Applies To Directors and PSCs
Primary Docs Biometric passport, UK driving licence, BRP
ACSP Role Accountants, solicitors can verify

How do I submit my identity verification to Companies House?

Self-service online process

The primary route is direct verification through GOV.UK One Login, which is free for all users. According to the UK Government Official guidance, the service launched on 18 November 2025 and uses existing forms of photo ID you likely already have. The process matches your passport or driving licence photo against a selfie you take during the session, making the whole thing hands-off after you upload your documents.

Using an ACSP

If you prefer not to handle the process yourself, or if you run a company from outside the UK, an Authorised Corporate Service Provider can complete verification on your behalf. ACSPs include chartered accountants, solicitors, and other professional service firms that have registered with Companies House for this purpose. This option is particularly useful for directors who lack a biometric passport from a supported country or who are based internationally.

Submission steps

Upon successful verification, you receive a Companies House personal code that replaces the old paper company authentication certificate. According to Thomson Reuters (tax analysis platform), this personal code is required for filing confirmation statements, incorporating new companies, and updating PSC or director details. Existing directors must provide their personal code in their company’s next confirmation statement filing.

  1. Create or sign in to your GOV.UK One Login account
  2. Select the Companies House identity verification service
  3. Choose your accepted photo ID document (biometric passport, UK driving licence, or UK biometric residence permit)
  4. Upload a clear photo of your ID document
  5. Take a selfie to match against your ID photo
  6. Provide your current residential address and the year you moved in
  7. Submit and wait for the biometric matching process to complete
  8. Receive your Companies House personal code upon successful verification
Bottom line: Most directors will verify once through GOV.UK One Login and receive a personal code usable across every company they direct. That single step unlocks all your future filings.

Why verify your identity for Companies House?

Legal changes to UK company law

Identity verification is a direct requirement of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), Parliament’s response to years of concern about anonymous company ownership in the UK. The Act gives Companies House new powers to verify the identity of everyone on the corporate register, not just collect filings and hope they are accurate. Voluntary verification opened on 8 April 2025, giving directors a head start before the mandatory date.

Purpose for directors and PSCs

Companies House states the goal plainly: ensuring that every registered company has a real, verified person behind it. TaxFile, a compliance guidance provider, explains that the intent is to make it much harder to appoint fictitious directors or hide beneficial ownership behind shell companies. For directors of legitimate businesses, the benefit is a corporate register that carries more credibility with banks, counterparties, and regulators.

Why this matters

For UK directors, ECCTA’s verification requirement is not optional—it is the price of remaining on a public register that authorities and commercial partners increasingly expect to trust.

What happens if you don’t verify your identity for Companies House?

Impacts on company filings

Companies House will reject filings submitted by unverified individuals. Mint Formations, a company formation agent, identifies this as the immediate practical consequence: a director who has not verified cannot file confirmation statements, appointments, or changes to company details. For a trading company, losing the ability to file on time creates cascading problems with compliance deadlines and regulatory standing.

Director disqualification risks

Beyond filing blocks, Mint Formations flags the risk of criminal prosecution and director disqualification for persistent non-compliance. The disqualification power is not hypothetical—it is written into the ECCTA framework and gives Companies House a direct sanction against individuals who repeatedly refuse or fail to verify their identity after their transition period expires.

The catch

Existing directors with until November 2026 may assume they have plenty of time, but the transition clock is tied to their company’s next confirmation statement filing. If that filing falls before they act, they lose both the deadline buffer and the ability to file on time.

Who can verify my identity?

Self-verification

Any individual with a valid biometric passport, UK driving licence, or UK biometric residence permit can verify directly. ICAEW, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, confirms that biometric passports from any country are accepted—not only UK passports. This broad acceptance means most directors with a current passport already have everything they need.

Authorised providers

The ACSP route exists for directors who lack acceptable photo ID or who prefer a professional to handle the process. Mint Formations notes that ACSPs can verify directors based anywhere in the world, which matters for companies with foreign-national directors or board members based overseas.

The upshot

Self-service through GOV.UK One Login covers the vast majority of directors at zero cost. ACSPs fill the gap for international directors, those without standard UK ID, or anyone who simply wants professional handling.

How can I confirm my identity online?

Required documents

The accepted document list covers three main categories, according to ICAEW: a biometric passport from any country, a UK photo driving licence, and a UK biometric residence permit or biometric residence card. In addition to your chosen photo ID, you must supply your current residential address and the year you moved to that address. Frontier Worker permits are also accepted under the same rules.

Online tools and links

The full government guidance with step-by-step instructions is available at GOV.UK identity verification guidance. The digital process uses biometric matching to compare your uploaded photo ID against a selfie taken during the session, which the system analyses automatically. For directors who cannot use the digital service, TaxFile confirms an in-person option at Post Office branches, though this has only been reported at medium confidence and specific details may vary.

Timeline signal

Key dates mark the transition from voluntary to mandatory verification, with varying deadlines depending on when a director was appointed.

Date Event
8 April 2025 Voluntary identity verification service launched by Companies House
18 November 2025 Mandatory identity verification begins for new directors, PSCs, and LLP members; 12-month transition period commences for existing directors
November 2026 Deadline for existing directors to complete identity verification (end of 12-month transition period)
Spring 2026 (expected) Mandatory identity verification for anyone filing documents with Companies House (accountants, administrative staff)

The implication: existing directors whose confirmation statement filing date falls before November 2026 have less runway than the headline deadline suggests.

What you need to know

Several facts are well-documented across sources, while others remain unclear pending further official guidance.

Confirmed facts

  • Documents accepted (biometric passport, UK driving licence, UK biometric residence permit)
  • Launch date (18 November 2025)
  • ACSP option for international directors or those without standard ID
  • Identity verification is a one-time process per individual
  • Existing directors have a 12-month transition period

What’s unclear

  • Exact financial penalties for non-compliance
  • Verification code delivery process (email, post, digital notification)
  • How the system handles name changes after verification
  • Corporate director verification timeline

What this means: directors should act on confirmed facts now rather than waiting for clarity on the unknowns, which may not arrive before deadlines pass.

What experts say

The goal is to ensure that every registered company has a real, verified person behind it, making it much harder to appoint fictitious directors or hide beneficial ownership.

— TaxFile (Compliance guidance provider)

The UK government is introducing these reforms to combat fraud, stop the misuse of UK companies for illegal activities, and improve trust in the corporate register.

— My Tax Accountant (Tax and compliance advisor)

The pattern: both expert sources emphasise that verification is fundamentally about reducing fraud and increasing transparency in UK corporate ownership.

Bottom line: Companies House identity verification is a one-time, free process that unlocks all your future filings. New directors must verify before acting; existing directors have until November 2026 at the latest—but only if their confirmation statement filing date gives them that long.

Related reading: Verify Identity Companies House

Additional sources

youtube.com, att.org.uk, pierce.co.uk, whyfield.co.uk, companieshouse.blog.gov.uk, changestoukcompanylaw.campaign.gov.uk

Directors preparing for the 18 November 2025 deadline will find the verification launch timeline especially useful for understanding key processes and requirements ahead of time.

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Frequently asked questions

What is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)?

An ACSP is a professional firm (such as an accountant, solicitor, or company secretarial service) that has registered with Companies House to verify identity on behalf of clients. ACSPs are useful for directors who are based internationally, lack acceptable photo ID, or prefer professional assistance with the process.

Can I use a non-UK passport for verification?

Yes. Biometric passports from any country are accepted, not only UK passports. You will need to upload the passport and take a matching selfie during the GOV.UK One Login session.

What is a Person with Significant Control (PSC)?

A PSC is typically someone who holds more than 25% of shares or voting rights in a company, or otherwise exercises significant influence over it. PSCs must verify their identity with Companies House and have a 14-day window to submit a verification statement after appointment.

How long does verification take?

The digital self-service process typically takes minutes to complete, assuming you have your accepted photo ID to hand. ACSP-mediated verification depends on the provider’s own process and scheduling.

Is identity verification mandatory for all filings?

Identity verification is required for directors, PSCs, LLP members, and any individual who files documents at Companies House on behalf of a company. It is not required for shareholders who do not hold a director or PSC role.

What if my driving licence is provisional?

Provisional driving licences are not accepted for identity verification. Only full UK photo driving licences qualify under the current rules.