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Companies House identity verification becomes unavoidable for existing UK directors in about five weeks. GOV.UK says the rule became law on 18 November 2025 and started a 12-month transition period. Existing directors must verify by the time they file their next confirmation statement within that window. Sources give the end date as 17 or 18 November 2026, so plan for the earlier one.
Inside this guide
- Who must verify
- The first prosecutions
- Four ways to verify
- If you live outside the UK
- A five-week plan
- Verification questions answered
Who must complete Companies House identity verification
Directors and people with significant control (PSCs) must verify, according to the GOV.UK guidance. Law Debenture adds that LLP members are covered too and that nationality and residence do not matter. A foreign owner of a UK company is covered in the same way as a British one.
Many people have not yet acted. The Law Debenture analysis cites Companies House figures from April to June 2026. By the end of June, 55% of directors, 50% of LLP members and 42% of PSCs had told Companies House they were verified. Law Debenture reads that as roughly three in ten directors, and more than half of PSCs, still to complete the step. The firm also says it sees no sign of a significant grace period after the deadline.
The first prosecutions show the risk is real
On 16 September 2026, three people appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court, according to a GOV.UK press release of 17 September. Two acted as directors while unverified, and one was charged for not stopping that. The fines were £166, £307 and £80, plus costs and surcharges. The amounts are small, but the same release says each company also filed its confirmation statement late. The wider consequences are the real cost: Law Debenture lists filing restrictions, penalties and public marking on the register.
Four ways to verify your identity
GOV.UK lists four routes. The first is GOV.UK One Login online, which needs a photo ID such as a biometric passport from any country or a UK driving licence. The second uses UK bank or building society details with a National Insurance number. The third is in person at a Post Office, after you enter your ID details on GOV.UK. The fourth is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), such as an accountant or solicitor, who verifies you on your behalf.
Check your document’s validity first. GOV.UK says an expired passport cannot be used with the One Login app. After verification, you receive a Companies House personal code. Law Debenture says existing directors need it at their next confirmation statement.
If you run a UK company from outside the UK
Take a hypothetical founder, Rafael, who lives in São Paulo and owns a UK limited company through which he sells software. He holds a Brazilian biometric passport, so the One Login app can verify him in minutes. Without one, he could use an ACSP, which Law Debenture says can verify people in more than 120 countries without travel to the UK. Rafael is an illustration, not a real client.
A five-week plan before the window closes
Begin with your own record. List every director and PSC in each company you control. Next, ask each person to verify, and collect their personal codes. Then check your confirmation statement dates, because the filing is where the code is needed. Last, keep proof of each verification. If you are weighing a UK entity, see our company formation service. For Gulf rules on the same theme, read our UAE company law checklist.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your own dates on GOV.UK.
What the rule means for new appointments
The transition period only concerns existing directors. GOV.UK’s press release says newly appointed directors had to verify before acting as a director from 18 November 2025. If you plan to add a director to a UK company, verify that person first. Otherwise the new director risks acting unlawfully on day one. The same release says existing directors verify at the next confirmation statement, so check when yours falls due in the register.
Verification questions answered
Who has to verify?
Directors and people with significant control must verify. Law Debenture adds that LLP members are covered, whatever their nationality or residence.
When is the deadline?
GOV.UK describes a 12-month transition from 18 November 2025. Sources give 17 or 18 November 2026 as the end date, so aim to finish well before.
Is it free?
Law Debenture says verification through GOV.UK One Login is free. An ACSP may charge a fee, so ask first.
Can I verify without a UK passport?
Yes. GOV.UK accepts a biometric passport from any country for One Login, and the ACSP route is another option.
What happens if I do not verify?
Law Debenture lists filing restrictions, penalties and public marking on the register. Acting as an unverified director is an offence, and three people were fined in September 2026.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Verify your identity for Companies House. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/verify-your-identity-for-companies-house
- GOV.UK — Directors warned to verify identities with Companies House following first Insolvency Service prosecutions (17 September 2026). https://www.gov.uk/government/news/directors-warned-to-verify-identities-with-companies-house-following-first-insolvency-service-prosecutions
- Law Debenture — Millions of directors still unverified (17 August 2026). https://www.lawdebenture.com/news-insights/millions-of-directors-still-unverified-the-17-november-deadline-is-closer-than-it-looks
Verification your users actually receive.
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