As part of the ongoing commitment to transparency, and the fight against financial crime in the corporate sector, the UK Government has introduced new requirements for Company Directors to verify their identity with Companies House. All Directors should have received communication from Companies House in this regard earlier in the year.
In this context, a “Director” also includes a Company Secretary, or Partners in an LLP, in addition to newly appointed individuals. Other roles will be prescribed in the future. However, for those immediately in scope, the key deadline is 18 November 2025, from which time new submissions or appointments can only be made in respect of verified individuals.
Why identity verification with Companies House is required?
The core rationale behind Director identity verification is to improve the integrity of information held by Companies House, the UK’s official register of companies. By ensuring that only verified individuals can act as Company Directors or make official submissions, the Government seeks to combat fraudulent company activity, prevent the use of UK companies for illicit purposes, and increase public confidence in corporate records.
Directors need to verify their ID for the following reasons:
- Confirmation statements: Directors are responsible for submitting annual confirmation statements, which affirm that the company information on record is correct. Only verified individuals will be able to complete this process, ensuring the accuracy and authenticity of submitted data
- Submissions to Companies House: All filings -whether updates to Director details, annual accounts, or other statutory changes -must be made by verified individuals, guaranteeing that filings are legitimate and attributable to real persons. For companies where we provide Company Secretarial services, PKF Littlejohn is already verified and authorised to continue to make such filings, however, the ID of the relevant individuals in the company still needs separate verification
- Legal compliance: The new legal framework makes it a requirement to verify a Director’s identity before they are officially registered or allowed to act. Failure to do so can attract significant penalties or even result in criminal offences.
Requirements for Persons with Significant Control (PSC)
The obligation to verify identity is not limited to Directors alone; it extends to those who exert substantial influence or control over a company. Persons with Significant Control (PSC) are individuals who hold, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, have the right to appoint or remove the majority of the board, or otherwise exercise significant influence or control over the company. In many cases, a PSC will be a Director, and the verification obtained there is used so there is no additional step required, however, not all PSCs are Directors.
How to register and verify your identity online
The registration and verification process with Companies House is designed to be accessible, user-friendly, and efficient. The entire process can be completed online, usually within minutes, and does not involve any cost.
Follow these steps to verify your identity:
- Access the Companies House Service: Visit the official Companies House website and locate the “Verify your identity” service. You will need to create a .gov.uk account first if you do not already have one, and the site will direct you to this
- You will need to submit your full name, date of birth, residential address, and details matching those on official documents
- The system will guide you to upload a photo or scan of a government-issued document (such as a passport or driving licence) and may ask you to take a selfie or brief video for facial recognition
- Once submitted, verification is usually completed within a few minutes. You will receive confirmation by email with your personal ID number that can be used for all of your Companies House appointments.
Complications
In principal, the online service is agnostic regarding the nationality of individuals verifying their ID, as a Biometric Passport issued by any country is the key identification source used. However, some people of course do not have passports, and the system relies on checking the residential address of individuals against other publicly held data.
This could be an issue for overseas nationals where such data is not readily available in their jurisdiction, or even for those in the UK where individuals do not have a credit record, or appear on the electoral roll. In such cases, verification may be possible at a Post Office.
If this option is not possible, perhaps because you are overseas, you will need to obtain confirmation of identity from an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) who will charge a fee. If you cannot find an ACSP to support, we can provide you with contacts.
Another issue that has come to light is where individuals with multiple directorships have tried to verify their ID, but this has failed because the details in their individual appointments differ slightly between each other (perhaps, a dormant company is listed at a previous residential address). Correcting these discrepancies at Companies House before verification process is carried out should make life easier.
Conclusion
The requirement for Directors and persons with significant control to verify their identity with Companies House is a key measure to bolster the security and credibility of the UK’s corporate environment. For most, the process is straightforward, secure, and free when completed through official channels. While our firm cannot act as a verifier, we can support you by making suggestions when required.
It has come to our attention that in recent weeks, the Companies House service has been overloaded during working hours and fails. You may have an easier time if you verify your ID in the evening or at weekends.
