What you need to know about identity verification

Our FAQs below outline what you need to know, how to complete IDV, and what to be aware of in the coming months.

• 1. Why is identity verification (IDV) required?

  The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) has introduced a new mandatory IDV regime in an attempt to reduce economic crime.

• 2. Is IDV for the ECCTA the same as the Anti Money Laundering checks for lawyers or accountants or banks?

  No. IDV for ECCTA purposes is a separate, standalone process and needs to be done to comply with the new ECCTA IDV regime. If an individual is required to complete IDV for ECCTA purposes, it is not possible to rely on any AML checks previously carried out.

• 3. Who needs to verify their identity?

  • All new and existing directors of UK companies.
  • All individuals who are new and existing Persons with Significant Control (PSC) of UK companies.
  • All new and existing directors of overseas companies with UK establishments.
  • All new and existing members of limited liability partnerships.
  • From spring 2026, all people filing at Companies House who haven’t otherwise had to complete IDV.
  • At a later date, yet to be confirmed, officers of all corporate PSCs will need to verify their ID, as well corporate directors of LLPs and members of limited partnerships, including Scottish limited partnerships.
    

• 4. When did the new IDV requirements come into force for directors?

  The mandatory IDV regime came into force on 18 November 2025.

  From now on, anyone being appointed as a director for the first time has to have their ID verified before their appointment is filed at Companies House. It will not be possible to incorporate a company if the first director(s)’ IDV has not taken place.

  Directors appointed before 18 November 2025 must have had their ID verified before the company’s next confirmation statement after 18 November 2025 is filed.

• 5. What if I am not yet a director?

  If you know you are going to be appointed as a director – or will become a PSC – of a company in the coming months, it is advisable to IDV now.

• 6. What happens if a director does not carry out IDV?

  It is a criminal offence to act as a director without having complied with the IDV requirements, punishable by a fine. The company will also be committing a criminal offence if any of its directors have not had their ID verified when they are supposed to have.

  Companies House has published guidance on enforcement which explains its approach to non-compliance with IDV. Companies House says it will send people who have not complied with the IDV requirements by the due date a default letter which sets out the offence of not complying and explains that it may pursue enforcement action without further notice.

  Persistent failure to comply with IDV requirements could potentially lead to disqualification of a director, under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

• 7. Is IDV a one-off process?

  IDV should only have to be done once, unless Companies House requires re-verification, for example if it suspects fraud. It is immaterial how many director and/or PSC roles a person has – IDV only needs to happen once.

• 8. How can I verify my identity?

  IDV can be done in two ways – using the Companies House/GOV.UK One Login route or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). The Companies House IDV route can be done via the GOV.UK One Login app or website or in person at a Post Office in the UK.

• 9. What are the key differences between the two IDV options?

  Doing IDV through Companies House is free; ACSPs will charge for IDV services.

  ACSPs can accept a wider range of documentary evidence, needed for a person to prove their identity, than Companies House.

  Your personal code will be emailed to you by Companies House if you use an ACSP for IDV. If you go down the Companies House route, the personal code will appear on screen once IDV has been successfully completed but, currently, won’t be emailed to you.

• 10. What information do I need for IDV?

  You must have an email address which has not been used by anyone else for IDV purposes. You also need to register for a Companies House account, if you don’t already have one. This is not the same as a Companies House webfiling account.

  You must also supply your full name, your date of birth and your address (plus a previous address if you have lived at your current address for less than 12 months).

  If you are an existing company director or an individual PSC, it is important to check that your details on the Register are correct and match your ID evidence.

• 11. How do I verify my ID through Companies House?

  Using this link will start your ID verification process – it involves downloading the GOV.UK One Login app onto your phone or other device, if you are doing IDV digitally rather than in person at the Post Office.

  You will be asked to enter the information mentioned above and then complete an ID check. If you use a biometric passport, the process is simple and involves placing your device on the biometric chip in your passport and then a scan of your face. Using a UK driving licence will involve answering some questions linked to a credit check.

  If you live in the UK, it may be possible to complete the ID verification process through Companies House without photographic ID evidence.

  The GOV.UK service will let you know if you can verify:

  • with bank or building society details; you will then need to provide your National Insurance number and answer some security questions;

  or

  • in person at the Post Office.

  Once the IDV has been successfully completed, your 11 digit personal code, which is in the format YV7-J123-4567, will appear on screen. Ensure you take a screenshot or photograph of the code when it appears on screen as currently Companies House is not emailing the personal code to people. Your personal code should appear in the ‘Manage Account’ section of your Companies House account, after successful IDV.

  You can also complete IDV in person at the Post Office.

• 12. What ID documents do I need for IDV via Companies House?

  Companies House accepts a range of documents including a biometric passport from any country, a UK driving licence, a UK biometric residence or work permit. The full list of ID documents can be accessed here.

  As mentioned in Question 11 above, if you live in the UK you may be able to verify your ID without photographic evidence.

• 13. What should I do with my personal code?

  You should keep your personal code secure as it needs to be used for all companies of which you are a director and/or PSC. Only share the code with people who require it for filing purposes.

• 14. What if I don’t have any of the documents for IDV via Companies House?

  If you do not have any of the documents needed to IDV at Companies House and do not live in the UK, you will need to verify your ID through an ACSP.

  See Question 11 if you live in the UK and don’t have photographic ID evidence as it may still be possible to use the Companies House service.

• 15. Verifying ID through an ASCP

  Companies House maintains a list of ACSPs, however, not all the ACSPs on the list will necessarily be providing IDV services.
  

  We are aware that Elemental, Vistra and Law Debenture provide IDV services.

  You will need the same information as for IDV through Companies House but there is a wider range of documentary evidence that can be accepted by an ACSP when verifying ID. This includes non-biometric passports and expired documents, as well as certain proofs of address.

  Once the ACSP has successfully verified your ID, the ACSP will confirm that it has done so to Companies House and Companies House will send your personal code to the email you gave to the ACSP

• 16. How do I tell Companies House that I have successfully completed my IDV?

  You do not need to do anything. If you use Companies House, they will know you have completed your IDV. If you use an ACSP to do IDV, they will confirm to Companies House that your IDV has been successfully completed. A verification statement by the ACSP will appear on the Register.

• 17. How do I link my IDV status to my directorships(s)?

  Every company will need to supply the personal codes for each of their directors in their first confirmation statement filed after 18 November 2025. Once this is done, your IDV status will be linked to the company of which you are a director.

• 18. What happens if I am a director of more than one company?

  When IDV is complete, Companies House will NOT automatically update the records of all companies of which the individual is a director. Rather, each company of which you are a director will be required to confirm that their directors have completed IDV and supply the directors’ personal codes on the confirmation statement filed during the transitional year from 18 November 2025.

• 19. Will IDV status be shown on the Companies House Register?

  Companies House is intending to show IDV status on the Register.

  Directors and PSCs can check the Register to see IDV due dates for all their roles.

• 20. Can someone in the company complete the IDV process for me?

  It is not possible for bulk IDV to be done by, for example, the company secretary using one email address. It might be possible for someone in the company to set up IDV through an ACSP, such as Elemental. However, individuals will still need to complete the ID check themselves and provide the necessary information and documentary evidence.

• 21. How does the IDV regime apply to Persons with Significant Control?

  Individuals who are PSCs of UK companies are required to have their ID verified.

  Where the PSC is a company (a registrable legal entity (RLE)), an officer in that company will have to have their ID verified. However, the IDV rules for RLEs were not brought into force on 18 November 2025.

  It will not be the responsibility of the company to ensure its PSCs are ID verified and companies will not be subject to any sanctions where their PSCs have not complied with the IDV rules. However, full IDV compliance for PSCs by companies is desirable.

  PSCs who do not complete IDV could be subject to criminal sanctions themselves.

• 22. Is there a difference between the IDV rules for directors and PSCs?

  IDV for PSCs is the same process as for directors.

  However, the timing for IDV for PSCs is different from IDV for directors and depends on whether the person is a director as well as a PSC.

  Mandatory IDV for PSCs which are companies is being brought into force at a later date (to be confirmed) so officers of RLEs will not have to verify their ID during the transitional period which started on 18 November 2025.

• 23. When do individual PSCs have to complete IDV?

  Individual PSCs will have a 14 day period during which they must submit a statement to Companies House confirming they have verified their ID and supplying their personal code.

  The dates of this 14 day period will be different for each PSC and depend on whether the person was an existing PSC, on 18 November 2025, and on whether they are also a director of the company.

  If an individual becomes a PSC after 18 November 2025, their 14 day period starts from the date they are registered as a PSC with Companies House.

  If a person was already a PSC of a company on 18 November 2025 and is also a director of the company, their 14 day period starts from the company’s confirmation statement date.

  If a person was already a PSC of a company on 18 November 2025 but is not a director of the company, their 14 day period starts from the first day of their month of birth, as it is shown on the Register. For example, if the date of birth is shown on the register as March 1990, the 14 day period will start on 1 March 2026.

• 24. Can PSCs who are also directors confirm IDV status on the company’s confirmation statement?

  We understand that where a PSC is also a director two separate notifications have to be made to Companies House, confirming a person’s IDV status and supplying their personal code. PSC notification cannot be made on the company’s confirmation statement.