New Legal Requirement: Directors and PSCs Must Verify Their Identity from 18 November 2025
What do you need to know?
As of 18 November 2025, identity verification will become a legal requirement for all company directors and People with Significant Control (PSCs). This is part of a wider reform under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and it’s set to impact millions of individuals connected to UK companies.
If you're a company director or PSC, this change will affect you, and it’s important to understand what is required, and when.
What’s Changing?
From 18 November 2025:
New directors will need to verify their identity when incorporating a company or being appointed to an existing one.
Existing directors will be required to confirm they have verified their identity when filing their company’s next confirmation statement - this forms part of a 12-month transition period.
Existing PSCs will also need to verify their identity within a specific 12-month period, depending on their role and date of birth.
Once the new rules come into effect, it will be an offence to act as a director without being verified.
Why Is This Happening?
The aim is to make the companies register more transparent and trustworthy, and to help tackle fraud and economic crime. With identity verification in place, it will be harder for individuals to hide behind fake names or false company appointments.
It is a one off process for most people and should just take a few minutes of your time using your passport or driving licence.
Very important:
Once you have gone through the verification process please make a note of your individual code. It is not automatically sent to you by email.
The code will be an alpha-numerical code with 11 digits e.g. XXX-1111-2222
An individual will only have this one code — it covers all directorship and PSC responsibilities
If you need to access this code again, it will be saved on your Gov.UK One Login.
Please ensure that you let us know your individual code which we will keep securely on your client record.
There are 3 ways to prove your identity with GOV.UK one login:
Our team have tested routes 1 and 2 below and both take a few minutes to complete if you carefully follow the instructions given on screen.
The process will differ from person to person so we are unable to give detailed instructions on what to follow and it will depend on what device and ID you are using.
Some clients have reported that this has not been straightforward for them, please persist with it. If route one doesn’t work for you, please try route two or vice versa.
Depending on the verification route and type of ID you use, it may ask some follow-up questions — for example, what your credit card limit is or the remaining balance on your mortgage — and you’ll need to select the correct answer on the screen.
What ID is accepted:
You can prove your identity online without a biometric chip passport, although your options will be more limited. The GOV.UK One Login system requires either a biometric passport or another form of UK photo ID, such as a full or provisional driving licence or a biometric residence permit (BRP). If you don't have one of these, you will likely have to complete the verification process in person instead.
Your options for online verification without a biometric passport:
If you have a UK photo driving licence (full or provisional) or a biometric residence permit (BRP), you can use that to verify your identity online.
What to do if you don't have a UK photo ID:
If you don't have a biometric passport or any of the other eligible UK photo IDs, you will not be able to complete the online verification process. You will be told that you cannot use the app and will need to prove your identity in person at a Post Office.
The routes you can use:
1. Use the GOV.UK mobile phone app
2. Verify online without the mobile phone app
3. At a Post Office (which still involves you needing a GOV.UK account)
Before starting any one of the three routes, complete the steps below:
Go to the below link and click the green “verify your identity” button.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/verify-your-identity-for-companies-house
Click the green “Go to GOV.UK One Login” button and click continue.
Click no to the question of “Has your identity been verified for Companies House?”
You are now ready to start verifying
Route 1: Use the GOV.UK mobile phone app:
Click continue on the screen you are left on after following the previous steps.
Select where you live. If you are from another country, select this option.
Confirm whether you have a passport with a biometric chip.
Confirm if you have any of the Photo ID’s listed
Select that you are on a smartphone currently
Select the type of phone you are using
Download the GOV.UK One Login app either from the app store or the green button on your mobile phone saying to “Download GOV.UK One Login”.
Once on the app, there will be instructions on what you need to do at each step.
Route 2: Verify online without the mobile phone app:
Click continue on the screen you are left on after following the previous steps.
Select where you live
o If you are from another country, select this option.
o Confirm whether you have a passport with a biometric chip. This process may be more difficult to do for international IDs if you do not have a biometric passport.
Confirm if you have any of the Photo ID’s listed
Say whether you are currently on a computer/tablet or a smartphone
Confirm what type of phone you have access to
iPhone – Scan the QR code, using the iPhone’s camera app, to download the app, open the app and follow the in-app instructions. Once you have submitted your information in the app, wait until it confirms if you have successfully matched to your ID or not. If you have, you have finished proving your identity and can click continue.
Android (e.g. Samsung or Google Pixel) – Exact same steps as with the iPhone.
If you don’t have access to a phone, click no. Select try to prove your identity another way and select the method you wish to try and prove your identity and enter the details required.
Hopefully the above routes will be straightforward for you. If not, there is the option to verify your ID in person at certain Post Offices as follows:
Route 3: Verify in person at a Post Office:
Please note that we have not tested this process but the Post Office route is available if the above options above have not worked for you.
Before going to a Post Office, you need to ensure you have followed this process:
Click on this link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/verify-your-identity-for-companies-house
Click the green “verify your identity” button
Sign in and say no for the “Has your identity been verified for Companies House” question and follow the instructions on screen to continue.
Select where you live
Confirm the type of photo ID you hold
Select that you are on a computer or tablet and select that you don’t have an iPhone or Android phone.
Select try to prove your identity another way, select the documentation you will use to prove your identity and confirm all the details you are asked on screen.
Enter your post code and select the Post Office you wish to go to that appears on the list.
Select email, or email and post, to receive a customer letter.
Confirm and send. A letter will be sent to your email (and in the post if you selected that option)
Download your Post Office customer letter and take it to the Post Office with your selected photo ID. Please note that the customer letter can take some time to come through.
Go to the Post Office and have your photo ID scanned and a photograph taken by the branch staff.
Only certain Post Offices offer this service and you may have to book an appointment time, so please check before visiting your local Post Office.
You should receive an email notification with the outcome of your identity check.
When Do You Need to Act?
If you’re appointed as a new director or PSC from 18 November 2025, you must verify within 14 days of being registered.
If you’re an existing PSC, your deadline depends on your circumstances:
o If you’re also a director, you must confirm that you have verified your identity within 14 days of the company’s confirmation statement date.
o If you’re not a director, your 14-day deadline starts on the 1st day of your birth month (as shown on the Companies House register), for birthdays on or after 1 December 2025.
Companies House is contacting all companies via their registered email addresses with details and guidance. You’ll also be able to log into Companies House after 18 November to check identity verification due dates for all roles you hold.
If you have any queries or concerns with this process, please get in touch with us and we will endeavour to assist.