How to Verify Your Identity for Companies House

Knowing how to verify your identity for Companies House is essential if you are a company director, PSC, LLP member or authorised filer. The process was introduced under ECCTA and is now a legal requirement. This guide walks you through the practical steps, whichever route you choose.

Step 1: Determine whether you need to verify

If you hold any of the following roles in connection with a UK company, you must verify your identity:

• Director of a limited company
• Person with significant control (PSC)
• Member of a limited liability partnership (LLP)
• Authorised filer (someone who submits documents to Companies House on behalf of a company)

This applies to both UK-based and overseas individuals. Visit who needs to verify for full eligibility details.

Step 2: Choose your verification route

Companies House offers two ways to verify your identity:

• GOV.UK One Login - a free, self-service option. You create or sign in to a GOV.UK One Login account and verify your identity using a UK passport or UK driving licence. This route is limited to UK-issued documents and requires a smartphone for the identity check.
• Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) - an approved agent who performs the identity checks on your behalf. ACSPs typically accept a broader range of documents, including international passports, and can support applicants who cannot use GOV.UK One Login.

Companies House ID Verification offers a guided ACSP verification route at a fixed £19 per person. See our pricing page for full details.

Step 3: Gather your documents

Before starting, make sure you have:

• A current, valid photo identity document (passport, national ID card or driving licence)
• Your full legal name as it appears on your identity document
• Your date of birth
• Your current residential address
• The company number for each company where you hold a role

Your identity document name must match the name recorded at Companies House. Any discrepancy - middle names, spelling differences or name changes - can cause problems when linking your personal code to your role. Check the document requirements before you begin.

Step 4: Complete the identity check

The identity check involves submitting your identity document, providing personal details and completing a liveness check (a real-time photo or video to confirm you are the person on the document). The check is carried out digitally and takes most people around 15 minutes.

If you are using an ACSP service like Companies House ID Verification, the guided process walks you through each step and tells you exactly what is needed.

Step 5: Receive your personal code

Once your identity is verified, Companies House issues your 11-character personal code. You will receive this through the service you used - either via your GOV.UK One Login account or from your ACSP provider.

Store your personal code securely. You will need it to complete the final step.

Step 6: Link your personal code to your roles

Having a personal code is not the same as having completed verification. You must also provide your code for each company role you hold. For directors, this is done through the company’s confirmation statement. For PSCs, there is a separate service on the Companies House website.

If you hold roles at multiple companies, you need to provide the same personal code separately for each one. Read the official Companies House identity verification guidance for full details.

What happens if you do not verify?

After the deadline, Companies House will note unverified individuals on the public register. Directors who continue to act without verification may face criminal liability. The deadline for existing directors and PSCs is November 2026.

Get started now

If you are ready, start your verification with Companies House ID Verification. The guided process takes most applicants around 15 minutes, costs a fixed £19 and supports UK and international documents.