UK Companies House introduces new identification verification service

UK Companies House is rolling out new identity verification (IDV) requirements for directors, people with significant control (PSCs) and persons filing documents on behalf of companies over the coming months.

From 18 March third-party providers have been able to register as Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) and from 8 April individuals have been able to verify their ID with Companies House on a voluntary basis.

Compulsory ID verification for new directors and PSCs is due to be introduced in Autumn 2025. At this point a 12-month transition period will open during which existing directors and PSCs will be obligated to verify their identities when an existing company files its annual confirmation statement.

Under the new requirements, the following parties will be required to have their ID verified with Companies House:

• All company directors and equivalents of directors, which include members, general partners and managing officers.
• All Persons of Significant Control (PSCs) and, where a Relevant Legal Entity (RLE) qualifies as a PSC of a company, the identity of a relevant officer of the RLE.
• All Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) members.
• All parties who file documents at Companies House on behalf of a company.
• ACSPs.

An individual’s identity can be verified either directly with Companies House or indirectly by the delivery of a verification statement to Companies House by an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

By Spring 2026, any individual filing a document at Companies House on behalf of a company, such as a company secretary, corporate service provider, accountant or lawyer, will also need to have had their identity verified unless they are an employee or officer of an ACSP.

Persons with Significant Control (PSCs)

A PSC is an individual who is regarded as owning or controlling a company, sometimes known as a ‘beneficial owner’, because they meet one of the following four conditions by holding:

• More than 25% of shares in the company.
• More than 25% of voting rights in the company.
• The right to appoint or remove the majority of the board of directors.
• The right to exercise, or actually exercises, significant influence or control over a company.

Where a trust or company would satisfy one of these four conditions if it were an individual, any individual holding the right to exercise, or actually exercising, significant influence or control over the activities of that trust or company is a PSC.

Since 2016, most companies and LLPs have been required to hold a register of PSCs and file the information on their register with Companies House.

Direct ID Verification with Companies House

Companies House provides three options for direct verification with the Registrar:

• Option 1 – Verify online using the GOV.UK One Login ID Check app to conduct a facial recognition scan against one of the following types of photo ID:
  • Biometric passport from any country.
  • UK photo driving licence (full or provisional).
  • UK biometric residence permit (BRP).
  • UK biometric residence card (BRC).
  • UK Frontier Worker permit (FWP).</li
• Option 2 – Verify online using the GOV.UK One Login web service by using bank or building society details, National Insurance number, and answering various security questions. Details will also be required from either a UK passport or a UK photocard driving licence.
• Option 3 – Verify in person at the Post Office. The individual will first need to enter details from their photo ID on GOV.UK and then go to a Post Office that offers ‘in branch verification’ services where the photo ID will be scanned and the individual will be photographed.

To sign in to or create a GOV.UK One Login, individuals will also need to provide a suitable email address that has not previously been used for the purpose and a current home address and previous addresses if resident for less than 12 months.

Once an individual’s identity has been verified, they will receive a unique identifier known as a Companies House personal code, which is personal to the individual and should be retained for all Companies House purposes.

Indirect ID Verification with Companies House

An alternative way of verifying an individual’s identity is the delivery of a verification statement to Companies House by an ACSP confirming that the individual’s identity has been verified. This route may be appropriate where an individual is unable to comply with any of the three options for verifying directly with Companies House.

Once an ACSP has verified an individual’s identity to Companies House, the individual will then be issued with a Companies House personal code.

Non-compliance

Compliance with IDV is becoming a mandatory legal requirement. Failure to comply could result in:

• Companies House not accepting filings, including incorporation or changes to the register.
• Financial penalties for companies and individuals.
• Directors being disqualified from holding office.

Sovereign Corporate & Trustee Services (SCATS)

Chester-based Sovereign Corporate & Trustee Services (SCATS) is registered as an ACSP, which authorises us to carry out identity verification (IDV) on behalf of clients and to file required documentation directly with Companies House.

For international directors or clients unfamiliar with the UK system, this offers a straightforward route to staying compliant with the evolving demands of UK corporate compliance. For any business with UK-linked structures, especially those involving non-resident directors or shareholders, understanding and navigating these changes is critical.

SCATS is also a Companies House Assured Agent, which means we are also positioned to assist with the Register of Overseas Entities (ROE), which was introduced to identify the beneficial owners of overseas entities (OEs) that own property or land in the UK. We can assist with everything from initial ROE registration and IDV, to filing update statements and verifying structural changes.