Companies House has announced that legal requirements for directors and people with significant control (PSCs) of companies to verify their identities will begin on 18 November 2025.
From this date:
- New directors will need to verify their identity to incorporate a company or be appointed to an existing company.
- Existing directors will need to confirm they have verified their identity at the same time as they file their next annual confirmation statement, during a 12-month transition period.
- Existing PSCs will need to verify their identity in line with an appointed day within 12 months of the commencement of mandatory identity verification on 18 November.
The rollout of identity verification is expected to boost business and support growth by giving more assurance about who is setting up, running and controlling companies in the UK.
Companies of all sizes will benefit from more accurate and trustworthy register data and greater protection against fraud.
“We are phasing in identity verification over 12 months to provide the best support to all companies and individuals in scope of this new requirement,” Companies House said in an accompanying statement.
“We estimate that six to seven million individuals will need to verify their identity by mid-November 2026. For most people this will be a one-off process that can be done in a few minutes. We will contact companies to tell them what their directors and PSCs need to do to meet identity verification requirements. We encourage individuals to verify their identities as early as possible.”
From 18 November, directors and PSCs will also be able to check the Companies House register to see identity verification due dates for all their roles.
A compulsory requirement
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced robust new laws to tackle economic crime and deliver a more reliable companies register to underpin business activity.
The changes we are introducing in phases will enable us to crack down on misuse of the UK companies register. Since 8 April 2025, individuals have been able to voluntarily verify their identity using GOV.UK One Login or via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).
From 18 November 2025, Companies House will make identity verification a compulsory part of incorporation and new appointments for new directors and PSCs.
Every PSC has a 14-day period during which they must submit a statement confirming they have verified their identity, along with their Companies House personal code.
How to verify
Individuals can verify their identity with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).
Identity verification through GOV.UK One Login is free and can be completed quickly online.
In most cases, individuals will only need to verify their identity once. Once they have successfully verified their identity, they will receive a personal code from Companies House.
From 18 November 2025, users will need to provide their personal code and a verification statement confirming they have successfully verified their identity for each company role they hold.
“Identity verification will play a key role in improving the quality and reliability of our data and tackling misuse of the companies register. To support business and help people verify their identities, Companies House is contacting all companies with advice and guidance,” said Companies House CEO Louise Smyth.
“This is part of a coordinated effort to help companies comply. We encourage people to verify as early as possible. More than 300,000 individuals have already done so during the current voluntary period, which started in April,” she said.
Leave a Reply