GOV.UK One Login Verification for UK Directors and PSCs

Companies House WebFiling Now Requires GOV.UK One Login

Companies House completed its transition to GOV.UK One Login on 13 October 2025. From that date, all users must connect their WebFiling account to a One Login to access the service. Signing in to WebFiling without a connected account triggers an automatic redirect to the connection process.

One important restriction applies: only one person can connect each WebFiling account to their GOV.UK One Login. Shared account access is no longer possible. If your company previously shared WebFiling credentials between directors or with an accountant, you need to decide who holds the primary connection before attempting to link.

GOV.UK One Login replaces the old system of separate logins for each government agency. Instead of maintaining different credentials for Companies House, HMRC, and other services, you sign in once and prove your identity once. The same account then works across more than 200 government services.

Verify Your Identity Before 18 November 2026 or Face a Criminal Offence

The WebFiling migration was the first stage. Identity verification became compulsory on 18 November 2025 for all new incorporations and director appointments. Any director or PSC appointed from that date onward must verify their identity before the appointment takes effect.

Existing directors and PSCs appointed before 18 November 2025 have until 18 November 2026 to complete verification.

Two consequences follow from missing that deadline. First, failure to verify is a criminal offence under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Second, Companies House blocks the company from filing its confirmation statement until all directors and PSCs are verified.

Once verified, Companies House issues an 11-character personal code. You must quote that code when submitting any filing that requires identity confirmation. The personal code is separate from your company’s six-character authentication code.

Four Ways to Verify Your Identity: App, Security Questions, Post Office, or ACSP

Companies House estimates that 6 to 7 million people need to verify their identity by mid-November 2026. Hundreds of thousands have already done so during the voluntary period that began in April 2025. GOV.UK One Login asks a few simple questions when you start the process, then directs you to the route that best fits your situation.

Three of the four routes run through GOV.UK One Login directly. The fourth runs through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider.

Route 1: GOV.UK ID Check app

The fastest option. You download the GOV.UK ID Check app from the App Store or Google Play, scan your passport or driving licence with your phone’s camera, and take a short video of your face to match against the photo on your document. The app reads the biometric chip embedded in your passport or the data on your driving licence. Companies House reports that the average completion time through the app is under 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

You need a smartphone running iOS 14 or higher (iPhone) or Android 10 or higher, plus one of the following photo IDs:

• UK passport
• UK photocard driving licence
• Non-UK passport with a biometric chip
• UK biometric residence permit (BRP)
• UK biometric residence card (BRC)
• UK Frontier Worker permit (FWP)

Not every device supports the app. Older smartphones without NFC capability cannot read biometric chips, and expired documents will not pass the check. If the app cannot verify you, One Login redirects you to another route.

Route 2: Online security questions

GOV.UK One Login may direct you to verify by answering security questions online instead of using the app. The questions draw on information held by credit reference agencies and government records to confirm your identity without requiring a physical document scan. The system decides which route to offer based on your answers to the initial screening questions.

Route 3: Post Office

You enter your photo ID details on GOV.UK One Login, then visit a participating Post Office in person. A Post Office staff member completes the identity check on your behalf. The process starts and ends digitally, but the in-person step provides support for people who are less confident online or who encounter difficulties with the app or the security questions route. A family member or someone you trust can also help you through the digital steps before and after the Post Office visit.

GOV.UK One Login’s customer contact centre operates every weekday for anyone who gets stuck during the process. As of November 2024, the contact centre answers calls in an average of 7 seconds, with an 85% user satisfaction score.

Route 4: Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)

You can bypass the GOV.UK One Login verification process is entirely based on verifying through an ACSP registered with Companies House. An ACSP is typically an accountant, solicitor, or company formation agent approved to carry out identity checks on behalf of clients.

Your Company Formations is a registered ACSP and can complete identity verification on your behalf as part of the formation process or as a standalone service. The ACSP route is also faster for directors managing multiple appointments, because the provider handles verification centrally rather than requiring each director to complete the process individually.

Create Your GOV.UK One Login Account in Seven Steps

Visit the official GOV.UK One Login page at gov.uk/using-your-gov-uk-one-login and click the green sign-in button.

1. Step 1: Select “Create your GOV.UK One Login”

   The system presents two options. Choose the account creation path.

2. Step 2: Enter your email address

   GOV.UK sends a confirmation code to the email you provide.

3. Step 3: Enter the confirmation code

   Check your inbox and enter the six-digit code to verify your email address.

4. Step 4: Provide your full name

   Enter your name exactly as it appears on your photo ID. Mismatches cause verification failures later.

5. Step 5: Set a password

   Choose a password that meets GOV.UK’s requirements.

6. Step 6: Choose a recovery word

   The recovery word allows you to reset your password without access to your email. Store it securely.

7. Step 7: Sign in to your chosen service

   Your One Login account is now active. Navigate to Companies House WebFiling or any other government service on the One Login system and sign in with your new credentials.

HMRC Begins One Login Migration for Individual Taxpayers

HMRC joined GOV.UK One Login on 9 February 2026. From that date, new individual users who do not already hold a Government Gateway account create a GOV.UK One Login uses an email address and password, rather than a 10 to 12-digit user ID.

Existing Government Gateway users keep their current credentials for now. HMRC will contact each user individually when the time comes to migrate. The rollout for existing users is expected to begin towards the end of 2027.

Once signed in through One Login, you can access your Personal Tax Account to check your tax code, view your National Insurance record, manage Self Assessment, and track your State Pension forecast.