Companies House Identity Verification: The Complete 2026 Guide

Identity verification at Companies House is now a legal requirement for the people behind UK companies. Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), directors, Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) and others must prove who they are and obtain a Companies House personal code. This guide is your complete overview: what the rules are, who they apply to, which documents you need, the deadlines, the penalties for getting it wrong, and how to verify quickly and reliably. Where a topic has its own in-depth guide, we link to it so you can go deeper.

At directorVerifications.com - a service of Finovium Limited, an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) - we verify UK and overseas directors and PSCs in minutes.

What is Companies House identity verification?

Identity verification confirms that the real people running and controlling UK companies are who they claim to be. It's a central part of ECCTA's drive to improve corporate transparency and make it harder to use UK companies for fraud. Once you verify, Companies House issues you a unique 11-character personal code (a mix of letters and numbers). That code is tied to you as an individual, so you verify once and reuse the same code for every role you hold and every future filing.

Identity verification became mandatory on 18 November 2025, with a 12-month transition period for existing directors and PSCs that ends on 18 November 2026.

Who Needs to Verify?

Verification applies to a broad group of people connected to UK companies:

•       Company directors - new and existing, sole directors, and directors of dormant companies.

•       Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) - anyone who owns or controls a company (broadly, holding more than 25% of shares or voting rights, the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board, or otherwise exercising significant influence or control).

•       People forming a new company, who must verify as part of incorporation.

•       Individuals acting through an ACSP, who must be verified before doing verification work.

Your nationality and country of residence make no difference - overseas and non-British directors must verify too.

→ Link to the detailed guide: “Who Needs Director Identity Verification in the UK? Rules, Exemptions and Key Deadlines”.

The Companies House personal code

The personal code is the practical output of verification - the proof you'll provide for filings. It's 11 characters, issued by Companies House after a successful check, personal to you rather than to any company, and reusable across all your director, PSC, LLP or partnership roles. You only ever verify once.

The two ways to verify - and why it matters

There are two official routes, and the documents accepted differ between them:

1.    GOV.UK One Login - you verify yourself, usually via a smartphone app that scans a biometric document and takes a live selfie.

2.    An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) such as directorVerifications.com - an agent registered with Companies House and supervised for anti-money laundering by HMRC verifies you, accepting a wider range of documents with expert oversight.

Both routes must meet the same Companies House verification standard. The ACSP route succeeds for many people the automated app rejects - which is why it's especially valuable for anyone with non-UK documents or a non-UK address.

→ Link to: “What Documents Do You Need for a Companies House PSC Personal Code?”

What Documents Do You Need?

The most reliable document for anyone is a biometric or machine-readable passport (any nationality). Beyond that, the accepted list includes EU/EEA biometric national identity cards (and certain other national ID cards listed on the international PRADO register), and UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and EU photocard driving licences. Note that driving licences from outside the UK and EU are generally not accepted - passport holders should use their passport.

Our PSC documents guide explains the two document “options,” expired-document tolerances, and proof-of-address rules in detail.

Non-British and overseas directors

The GOV.UK One Login app is built around UK documents and UK addresses, and frequently fails for foreign passports, non-UK driving licences, or overseas addresses - and a failed attempt can lock you out for weeks. You do not need a UK address to be a UK director or to verify. An ACSP can verify your identity from any country using a foreign passport, which is usually the most reliable route.

→ Link to: “Director ID Verification UK for Non-British Passport Holders: The Complete 2026 Guide”.

Key Deadlines

•       New directors verify as part of their appointment; existing directors must verify by their company's next confirmation statement, within the transition period ending 18 November 2026.

•       PSCs have a tight 14-day window to provide their personal code and verification statement once their deadline is triggered (often linked to the confirmation statement date or month of birth).

Because the practical trigger frequently arrives sooner than the 2026 backstop, the safest approach is to verify early.

What Happens If You Don't Verify?

Companies House has been clear that verification is a legal requirement. Non-compliance can lead to being unable to file, restrictions on appointments and filings, financial penalties at company or individual level, director disqu - potential criminal liability. Enforcement escalates from prompts, to penalties, to prosecution for the most serious cases.

How to Verify with Directorverifications.com

1. Register your details on our website - 1–2 minutes.
2. Scan your passport (or other accepted document) and let your device's camera scan your face.
3. Your identity is checked in seconds by our verification partner's technology.
4. We submit to Companies House through the official ACSP portal.
5. Companies House emails your personal code straight to your inbox.



Our standard service is £24.99 (within 24–48 hours, often quicker) and our fast-track same-day service is £39.99 for customers who register and pay before 4pm on weekdays. We also offer bulk verification for accountants, solicitors and formation agents handling multiple directors and PSCs.

Ready to verify? Get your Companies House personal code with directorVerifications.com today.

Frequently Asked Questions