Verifying your Identity for Companies House
We are aware that Companies House are forwarding emails advising Company Directors that they need to verify their identities for Companies House from 18 November 2025. Please note that this is not a deadline that you need to be verified by, but you will need to be verified before the next time something is filed with Companies House.
As your Accountants, we will be able to verify your identity with Companies House for you. We are processing clients in order of urgency however, meaning that we are dealing with the clients who will need it soonest, first. If you are happy for us to do this on your behalf, we will contact you in due course and you do not need to contact us regarding this matter.
In order to verify your ID with Companies House, we will need a copy or photo of a current passport or driving licence for every director and/or shareholder, as these individuals will all need to have their identities verified. Please make sure you have one of these documents or obtain one, so that they are available for when we contact you, before your next filing is due. In addition, we will also require a unique, personal email address for each individual that needs to be verified. Each email address can only be used for one person, as Companies House will send them a unique code, so we cannot use the same email address for multiple people.
When you need to verify depends on your role, and when you started that role.
Below is a summary of the Companies House requirements.
Directors (or equivalent)
You will need to provide your Companies House personal code as part of your company’s next confirmation statement from 18 November 2025.
If you are a director of more than one company, you will need to do this for each company.
If you’re registering a new company, you’ll be asked to provide the Companies House personal code for each director as part of the registration filing.
People with significant control (PSCs)
PSCs must verify their identity and provide their Companies House personal code. The period for doing this depends on your situation.
If you’re both a director and a PSC of the same company
You’ll need to provide your personal code separately for each role.
As a director, you must provide the code in the company’s confirmation statement.
As a PSC, you must provide it using a separate service within 14 days of your company’s confirmation statement date. This service will be available when the requirement comes into force on 18 November 2025.
If you’re a PSC but not a director of the same company
You must provide your personal code within the first 14 days of your birth month. For example, if your date of birth is 22 January, your 14 day period will begin on 1 January.
If you become a PSC after 18 November 2025
You can provide your personal code when you’re first added to the Companies House register, or within 14 days of being added.
Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs)
These are also known as Companies House authorised agents, and usually have roles such as accountants, solicitors or company formation agents.
You need to verify your identity if you want to apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent.
You can verify your clients’ identities if you are registered as an authorised agent. In the future, businesses will also need to register as an authorised agent to be able to file on behalf of clients.
Other roles
We’ll introduce identity verification at a later date for:
people who file at Companies House
limited partnerships
corporate directors of companies
corporate members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs)
officers of corporate PSCs