Directors mandatory ID verification

Posted Monday 1st September 2025

From 18 November 2025, the UK companies registrar (Companies House) will require identity verification for individual directors and persons with significant control (PSC). This has been implemented by the UK Government to increase transparency across Companies House. This article explains who’s affected, how to verify and what steps are necessary to stay compliant.

Will this affect me or my company?

This new obligation applies to all UK companies and anyone who is a director, individual PSC and all individual members of UK LLPs. A PSC is a person with significant control of a company who holds either more than 25% of shares in the company, more than 25% of voting rights in the company, or the right to appoint or remove the majority of the board of directors. Often, PSCs are referred to as the ‘beneficial owners’ of the company.

The requirement is applicable to any of these individuals regardless of their country of residence – once the identity verification is complete, it will be valid for all positions that a person is a director PSC or LLP Member for.

Where an individual is appointed as an officer of a registered overseas company on or after 18 November 2025, they must complete their identity verification before their appointment is notified to Companies House.

What is the process for verifying my identity?

• You can verify your identity directly on Companies House using the GOV.UK One Login service (Using your GOV.UK One Login: Sign in to your GOV.UK One Login – GOV.UK) and this will then guide you to verify with the GOV.UK Check App; by answering security questions online or by entering your details from your photo ID, or by going to a participating post office.
• Corporate service providers who are registered to be an authorised corporate service provider can undertake this verification for you and will notify Companies House that it has done this.
• To verify your identity, you will need a photo ID which can be any of the below:
  • Biometric passport from any country;
  • UK photo driving licence;
  • UK biometric residence permit;
  • UK biometric residence card; or
  • UK Frontier Worker Permit.

You will also need:

• • your current address and the year you moved in; and
  • to sign in or create a GOV.UK One Login.
• Once you have verified your identity, you will receive a ‘personal code’ from Companies House, and this code will need to be provided when filing for a new company registration or for the company’s next annual confirmation statement.

What are the key deadlines?

• You can verify your identity now ahead of the deadline.
• From the 18 November 2025 – any individual who becomes a director will be required to verify their identity before being appointed.
• Any individual who becomes a PSC after 18 November 2025 will be required to provide their ‘personal code’ within 14 days of being registered as a PSC.
• Current individual directors and PSC’s will have a 12-month transitional period, in which they must provide their ‘personal code’ in the annual confirmation statement.
• Current PSCs (who are also directors of a company) must provide their ‘personal code’ for each role. For PSC roles this must be within 14 days of their company’s confirmation statement date.
• Current PSCs (who are not directors) must provide their ‘personal code’ within 14 days of the first day of their birth month.

What do you need to do going forwards?

All companies should notify their current directors and individual PSCs to help prepare them for the identity verification process and ensure that they have their personal codes in the necessary time frame.  It is suggested that companies revise their onboarding requirements for new directors and PSCs to include identity verification steps to simplify this process further down the line.

Conclusion

We advise that all directors and PSCs start completing their identity verifications as soon as possible. With the identity verification process becoming mandatory, the demand for assistance will likely increase and by 2026, Companies House will start enforcement activity against those who fail to complete the verification.

The impact on founders and small businesses could be significant, potentially delaying product launches, supplier contracts or funding rounds if verifications are not completed ahead of the company registration.  The visibility of a company’s verified status on Companies House may also affect the supply chain and partnership implications could be huge. As suppliers, retailers or investors in regulated sectors might prefer verified entities, this could create additional barriers for unverified founders in relation to partnerships and funding options.

This makes it even more essential for directors and PSCs to verify their identity now Verify your identity for Companies House – GOV.UK.

Please contact us if you would like further information or require assistance.

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This article is for reference purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Specific legal advice about your specific circumstances should always be sought separately before taking or deciding not to take any action.

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