Companies House ID Verification: Accepted Documents Explained

This comprehensive guide explains every document type accepted for Companies House ID verification, which verification route each document qualifies for and practical tips to ensure your documents are accepted first time.

Complete list of accepted documents

UK passport

• Routes: GOV.UK One Login and ACSP
• Requirements: current, valid, machine-readable
• Notes: the most widely accepted document. Both burgundy and blue UK passport designs are accepted.

UK photocard driving licence

• Routes: GOV.UK One Login and ACSP
• Requirements: current, valid, photocard format (full or provisional)
• Notes: old-style paper licences without a photo are not accepted. The holographic overlay can cause glare issues when photographed.

Foreign passport (any country)

• Routes: ACSP only
• Requirements: current, valid, machine-readable (ICAO-compliant MRZ)
• Notes: this is the standard document for international directors and PSCs. Passports from all countries are accepted provided they meet the basic requirements.

EEA national identity card

• Routes: some ACSPs
• Requirements: current, valid, issued by an EEA member state
• Notes: not universally accepted by all ACSPs. Check with your chosen provider. A passport is more widely accepted.

UK Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

• Routes: some ACSPs
• Requirements: current, valid
• Notes: accepted by some but not all providers. Note that BRPs are being phased out and replaced by eVisas, which may affect future acceptance.

Documents NOT accepted

The following are commonly submitted but are not accepted for Companies House identity verification:

• Expired passports or driving licences — regardless of how recently they expired
• UK paper driving licence (without photocard)
• Foreign driving licences
• National ID cards from outside the EEA (Aadhaar, NICOP, Emirates ID, etc.)
• Birth or marriage certificates
• Utility bills, bank statements, council tax bills (these are address documents, not identity documents)
• Travel documents such as refugee travel documents or emergency passports (case-by-case)
• Student or employee ID cards
• International Driving Permits

How to ensure your document is accepted

1. Check validity — confirm your document has not expired
2. Check name matching — your document name must match the Companies House register exactly
3. Check physical condition — the document must be undamaged with all text and the photo clearly visible
4. Photograph properly — use good lighting, no flash on laminated pages, ensure all edges and the MRZ are visible
5. Use the right route — GOV.UK One Login for UK documents only; ACSP for foreign documents

Which document should you choose?

If you have multiple valid documents:

• Use the one whose name best matches the Companies House register
• Prefer a passport over a driving licence (higher acceptance rate and better MRZ reading)
• If you are international, your national passport through an ACSP is the standard route

Start your verification

Companies House ID Verification accepts UK and foreign passports through a guided service at a fixed £19 fee. Check the full requirements and begin your verification.