Companies House identity verification is a legal identity check for directors and PSCs, mandatory since 18 November 2025. Your deadline depends on your role. You can verify free through GOV.UK One Login, or an approved ACSP can verify you. Your Company Formations is an approved ACSP and verifies clients as part of company formation.
Companies House identity verification is a legal identity check introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 to confirm that an individual is who they claim to be. Once verified, they receive an 11-character Companies House personal code, which is different from a company authentication code and belongs to the individual rather than to a specific company.
If you are forming a new UK company, identity verification for up to four officers is included at no extra cost with every Your Company Formations package. We complete the Companies House-standard identity checks as an approved ACSP alongside your company formation.
New directors and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) are subject to Companies House identity-verification requirements. If you are being added as part of a new company formation with us, we handle the required identity checks through our approved ACSP process.
You do not need to live in the UK to use an ACSP for Companies House identity verification. If you are forming a UK company from overseas, Your Company Formations can complete the required identity checks as part of your formation package, subject to acceptable identity evidence.
If you already have a company and a director or PSC still needs to complete Companies House identity verification, our ACSP service is designed for this requirement. We check the required identity evidence, complete the verification checks, and report successful verification to Companies House.
In case your identity verification is due with your next confirmation statement, our filing service can help you complete the required checks and submit your confirmation statement.
Your Companies House identity verification deadline depends on your role and when you became a director or PSC.
|
Situation
|
When you must complete the requirement |
|---|---|
| New director from 18 November 2025 | Provide your Companies House personal code as part of your appointment filing or when incorporating the company. |
| Existing director | Provide your personal code in your company’s next confirmation statement filing. |
| Existing PSC who is also a director | Provide your PSC verification details during the 14-day period starting the day after the company’s confirmation statement date. |
| Existing PSC who is not a director | Provide your personal code during the first 14 days of your birth month. |
| New PSC from 18 November 2025 | Provide your personal code when you are first added to the Companies House register or within 14 days of being added. |
Important: 18 November 2025 marked the start of mandatory identity verification and the 12-month transition period. It was not a single deadline for every existing director and PSC. Your actual deadline depends on your role and circumstances.
Identity verification for up to four officers is included at no extra cost with every Your Company Formations company formation package. Here is how the process works:
Select the Your Company Formations package that suits your business. Choose from our Digital, Digital & Print, Privacy, Fully Inclusive, Entrepreneur or Non-Resident UK Company Formation packages, then complete checkout and pay for your order.
Log in to the company registration portal and provide the required company information, including details of your directors, shareholders and PSCs.
You will receive a secure identity-verification invitation. Provide the requested identity evidence through our verification platform, and Your Company Formations will complete the required checks as an approved ACSP.
Once your identity has been successfully verified, Companies House issues your unique 11-character personal code. Keep this code secure because it is linked to your verified identity.
Your Company Formations reviews your application and submits it to Companies House once the required checks are complete. After Companies House approves the incorporation, we send your company formation documents to you.
Both routes can satisfy the Companies House identity verification requirement. The main difference is whether you complete the process directly through the government service, which is GOV.UK One Login or have an approved ACSP verify your identity on your behalf.
| Feature | GOV.UK One Login | Your Company Formations as an ACSP |
|---|---|---|
| Verification method | Direct government verification | Verification through an approved ACSP |
| Self-service required | ||
| Identity checks completed on your behalf | ||
| Requires GOV.UK One Login for verification | ||
| ACSP review of your identity evidence | ||
| Suitable for overseas applicants | Yes, subject to an available One Login verification method and accepted ID | Yes, from any country, subject to acceptable identity evidence |
| Personal code issued by Companies House | ||
| Can be completed alongside company formation | ||
| Cost | Free | Free (with any Your Company Formations package) |
| Best suited to | People who are comfortable completing the verification themselves through GOV.UK One Login | People who want an approved ACSP to handle the verification checks for them, with verification for up to four officers included at no extra cost when forming a company with Your Company Formations |
Missing your applicable Companies House identity-verification deadline can prevent filings and may lead to enforcement action.
Find clear answers to common questions about Companies House identity verification, including who must verify, deadlines, accepted documents, overseas applicants, personal codes and how the verification process works.
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Yes. Companies House identity verification is a legal requirement for company directors, Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) and certain other roles. Mandatory verification began on 18 November 2025, with each person required to comply by the deadline that applies to their role and circumstances.
Your deadline depends on your role. Existing directors provide their personal code with the next confirmation statement. Director-PSCs have a separate 14-day window after the confirmation statement date, while non-director PSCs must provide their code within the first 14 days of their birth month.
Yes. Companies House identity verification can be completed from outside the UK. An approved Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) like Your Company Formations can verify your identity from any country, provided you supply acceptable identity evidence and the information required to complete the Companies House-standard checks.
No. You do not need a UK residential address or necessarily UK-issued ID. ACSP verification is available from any country, while GOV.UK One Login accepts certain overseas documents, including biometric passports from any country. You must still provide your genuine home address and acceptable identity evidence.
The documents depend on the verification method. Technology-based ACSP checks can use one qualifying photographic identity document. For checks completed by a person, Companies House requires either two approved photographic identity documents or one approved photographic ID plus one qualifying supporting document.
The identity check itself is usually completed in minutes, provided your identity evidence is accepted without additional checks. After an approved ACSP reports your successful verification, Companies House sends your personal code to the email address you gave the ACSP, usually within a few hours.
Companies House sends your personal code after successful identity verification. If an ACSP verifies you, the code is emailed to the address you provided to the ACSP, usually within a few hours. If you save the code to your Companies House account, you can view it later under ‘Manage account’.
No. In most cases, you verify your identity only once and receive one personal code. If you are a director of multiple companies, you use the same code to connect your verified identity separately to each company where you hold a directorship.
No. Companies House identity verification is separate from our standalone Registered Office Address and Director Service Address services. Identity verification for up to four officers is included at no extra cost when you purchase a Your Company Formations company formation package.
Identity verification for up to four officers is included at no extra cost with a Your Company Formations company formation package. If your company has more than four officers who require verification, additional verification may need to be arranged separately.
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