Sovereign Verify – the smart way to confirm your identity with UK Companies House

As of 18 November 2025, Companies House introduced new identity verification (IDV) requirements for Individual Company Directors and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) of E&W Companies under the UK’s Economic Crime & Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA).

IDV is designed to strengthen the role of Companies House as a ‘gatekeeper’ and improve the reliability of information on the Companies Register. It is important to note that standard Know Your Customer (KYC) checks for anti-money laundering (AML) due diligence do not satisfy the strict requirements of this legislation. IDV is an additional and separate Companies House procedure.

For Individual Company Directors, Companies House is phasing in IDV over a 12-month transition period, as follows:

• From 18 November, new Directors are required to verify their identity before incorporating a company or being appointed to an existing company.
• From 18 November, existing Directors are required to confirm they have verified their identity before filing their next annual confirmation statement during the 12-month transition period.
• If you are a Director of more than one company, you are required to do this for each company.

A PSC has a 14-day period during which they are required to submit a statement confirming that their identity has been verified. The date for this 14-day confirmation period varies, depending on whether the individual is a new or existing PSC, and whether he or she is also a Director of the company, as follows:

• If registering as a new PSC after 18 November 2025, the 14-day period commences from the date of incorporation of the company with Companies House.
• For an existing PSC on 18 November 2025 who is also a Director of the company, the 14-day period commences from the date of the company’s next annual confirmation statement during the 12-month transition period.
• For an existing PSC on 18 November 2025 who is NOT a Director of the company, the 14-day period commences from the first day of their month of birth as it is shown on the Companies House register. For example, if the date of birth shown on the register is in March 1990, the 14-day period will commence on 1 March 2026.

As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, Sovereign is providing a simple, digital Application (App) to ensure you can verify your identity as swiftly and seamlessly as possible. The Individual Director or PSC will need to provide their:

• Full name and any former names.
• Date of birth.
• Home address.
• Address history for the last 12 months.
• email address.

To use the Sovereign Verify app, Directors and PSCs will need a smart phone with a working camera and two original ID documents to be verified, as follows:

1. A Passport or Photo ID Card.
2. A Proof of Residential Address.

It is important to note that the ID documents to be verified must be original, physical and current. You cannot use a photocopy or digital copy as they will be rejected.

A Proof of Residential Address is a document that confirms your residential address, including utility bills, bank statements and government correspondence. To be accepted, the document must be physically issued by a recognised authority, contain your full name and residential address, and be dated within the last three months. Sovereign cannot accept e-Bills or mobile telephone bills as proofs of residential address as they will be rejected.

When successfully verified, Companies House will issue a unique 11-digit Personal Code directly to the email address provided by the Individual Director or PSC. This should be stored safely because it must be used by that individual in all filings to Companies House going forwards.

Companies House will not automatically update the records of all E&W companies of which an individual is a Director or a PSC, which means that:

• Every E&W company will be required to supply the Companies House Personal Codes of all Individual Directors on the company’s confirmation statement date during the transitional year from 18 November 2025.
• Existing PSCs will be required to supply their Companies House Personal Code in respect of every relevant company during the first 14 days of their birth month.

It is the personal responsibility of all Individual Directors or PSCs of E&W Companies to prove to Companies House that they are who they say they are.

It is now a criminal offence to act as an Individual Director without having complied with the IDV requirements. This is punishable by a financial penalty and, for persistent failures, potential disqualification. The E&W Company will also be committing a criminal offence if any of its Individual Directors have not had their ID verified as and when required.

PSCs who do not complete IDV could also be subject to criminal sanctions, but the E&W Company itself is not responsible for ensuring that its PSCs are ID verified.

For further information or to request Sovereign to carry out your IDV, please contact  idverification@SovereignGroup.com, or speak to your nearest Sovereign office.