Changes to Identity Verification for Business Owners and Companies

Companies House confirms that from Tuesday 18 November 2025, legal requirements for directors and people with significant control (PSCs) of companies to verify their identities will begin.

From 18 November 2025:

• new directors will need to verify their identity to incorporate a company or be appointed to an existing company

• existing directors will need to confirm they have verified their identity at the same time as they file their next annual confirmation statement, during a 12-month transition period

• existing PSCs will need to verify their identity in line with an appointed day within 12 months of the commencement of mandatory identity verification on 18 November

The rollout of identity verification will boost business and support growth by giving more assurance about who is setting up, running and controlling companies in the UK. Companies of all sizes will benefit from more accurate and trustworthy register data and greater protections against fraud.

We are phasing in identity verification over 12 months to provide the best support to all companies and individuals in scope of this new requirement. We estimate that 6 to 7 million individuals will need to verify their identity by mid-November 2026. For most people this will be a one-off process that can be done in a few minutes. We will contact companies to tell them what their directors and PSCs need to do to meet identity verification requirements. We encourage individuals to verify their identities as early as possible.

From 18 November, directors and PSCs will also be able to check the Companies House register to see identity verification due dates for all their roles.

How to verify

Individuals can verify their identity with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).  

Identity verification through GOV.UK One Login is free and can be completed quickly online.

In most cases, individuals will only need to verify their identity once. Once they have successfully verified their identity they will receive a personal code from Companies House. From 18 November 2025, users will need to provide their personal code and a verification statement confirming they have successfully verified their identity for each company role they hold.