Companies House Verification Documents for Overseas Directors

Overseas directors face unique document considerations when completing Companies House identity verification. This guide covers the specific documents international directors need, common issues with foreign documents and how to ensure a smooth verification process.

The document challenge for overseas directors

The main challenge for overseas directors is that the GOV.UK One Login self-service route only accepts UK passports and UK driving licences. Most overseas directors do not hold these UK-issued documents, making the ACSP route the standard path for international verification.

Primary document: your passport

For almost all overseas directors, a valid passport from your home country is the primary identity document. It must be:

• Currently valid and not expired
• Machine-readable (with MRZ lines at the bottom of the data page)
• Physically intact and undamaged
• In your current legal name

Documents by region

European directors

• EU/EEA passport — widely accepted
• EU/EEA national identity card — accepted by some ACSPs as an alternative

South Asian directors (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka)

• National passport — must be machine-readable (MRP or e-passport)
• Older handwritten passports may not be accepted; obtain a current machine-readable passport

Middle Eastern directors (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar)

• National passport — accepted
• National ID cards (Emirates ID, Saudi Hawiyya) — not accepted as primary documents

African directors (Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana)

• National passport — must be current and machine-readable
• National ID cards — generally not accepted as primary documents

North American directors (USA, Canada)

• US or Canadian passport — accepted
• US passport card, state ID or driver’s licence — not accepted

Critical pre-verification checks for overseas directors

1. Name matching — check the Companies House register and confirm your name matches your passport character by character. Name transliteration from non-Latin scripts is the biggest source of mismatches.
2. Date of birth — confirm this matches on both your passport and the register.
3. Current appointment — ensure your directorship or PSC role is listed as current on the register.

If you hold dual nationality

If you have passports from two countries:

• Use the passport whose name most closely matches the Companies House register
• If you hold a British passport, you can use GOV.UK One Login directly
• You do not need to verify with both passports — one successful verification is sufficient

Verify as an overseas director

Companies House ID Verification is built for international directors, with support for foreign passports from any country. Fixed £19 fee per person. Check the requirements and start your verification.