New Identity Verification Rules for Companies House Start from 18 November 2025

From 18 November 2025, identity verification becomes a legal requirement for all directors and people with significant control (PSCs) of UK companies. If you’re a business owner or company officer, you’ll need to act — but you also have time.

This isn’t a one-off deadline. Instead, it marks the beginning of a 12-month transition period. During this time, everyone required to verify their identity must do so in order to maintain compliance with Companies House and continue filing key documents, such as your confirmation statement.

With over 1 million people already verified, the process is well underway. But if you or your company haven’t addressed this yet, now is the time to understand what’s changing and what steps you need to take.

Who Needs to Verify Their Identity?

The identity verification requirement applies to:

• Company directors
• People with significant control (PSCs)
• Anyone filing on behalf of a company (in some cases)

This will eventually extend to corporate directors, members of LLPs, and corporate PSCs, although those rules are coming later and not part of this 2025/26 rollout.

Why Identity Verification Matters

These changes are part of the broader Companies House reform under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. The aim is to:

• Prevent fraudulent company appointments
• Increase transparency and accountability
• Protect legitimate business owners from being impersonated
• Ensure the integrity of the UK’s company register

For business owners, this adds another layer of compliance — but it’s also a step toward a more secure business environment. Once verified, your identity will be linked to a Companies House personal code — used to confirm your role with each company you’re involved in.

When Do You Need to Verify By?

Although 18 November 2025 marks the start date, it is not a single deadline. Instead:

• Companies House will assign verification due dates for each individual
• You’ll be able to check the register to see when your own deadline is
• All directors and PSCs must be verified before the due date shown

That means you have up to 12 months to comply — but we strongly recommend doing it well ahead of time, particularly if you have multiple companies or act in multiple roles.

How to Verify Your Identity

There are two main ways to complete identity verification:

1. Online via Companies House (Using GOV.UK One Login)

This is the quickest method. You’ll be asked a few simple questions and, depending on your ID and devices, you’ll verify using:

• A UK driving licence, UK passport, or non-UK biometric passport
• A smartphone, if using the app version
• Supporting documents or facial recognition, if required

Once complete, you’ll receive a personal verification code that proves your identity.

You can then use that code to confirm each role you hold — for example, if you’re a director in multiple companies.

 If you’ve already verified your identity once, you do not need to do it again — but you must still provide your personal code for each role you hold.

2. Via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)

If you prefer not to use the online service, or if you’re already working with an accountant or solicitor, they can verify your identity on your behalf.

Merranti is a QuickBooks Premium Certified and fully authorised corporate service provider. We can handle identity verification for you securely and efficiently as part of our existing company compliance services.

Your Confirmation Statement Will Be Affected

From 18 November 2025 onward, you will not be able to file your company’s next confirmation statement unless:

• All company directors have verified their identity, and
• Each director’s personal verification code is included with the filing

If someone else is submitting the confirmation statement for your company (e.g. your accountant), they must be provided with all directors’ codes in advance.

Failure to do so will result in the return or rejection of your confirmation statement — and potentially place your company in non-compliance.

What Happens If You Don’t Verify?

Companies House has not yet published full enforcement actions, but failure to verify could result in:

• Inability to file statutory documents (like confirmation statements or appointments)
• Potential criminal or civil penalties
• Directors being flagged as non-compliant on the Companies House register
• Disruption to company operations, especially if filings are blocked

This is not a step you can skip or delay indefinitely — all directors and PSCs will need to verify in order to meet statutory filing obligations in the future.

What About Corporate Directors and LLPs?

The identity verification requirement currently applies to individuals. However, Companies House has confirmed that rules for:

• Corporate directors of companies
• Corporate members of LLPs
• Officers of corporate PSCs
• General partners in limited partnerships

…will follow in a later phase. If this applies to you or your structure, we recommend early planning — especially if you’re using offshore entities or complex group structures.

How to Stay Up to Date

We recommend taking these steps:

1. Check your status — You’ll be able to see verification due dates on the Companies House register after 18 November.

2. Verify early — Don’t wait until your filing is due. Get your verification done and your code stored securely now.

3. Inform other directors or PSCs — Forward this update or ensure they’re aware of the requirement.

4. Let your accountant handle it — Merranti can manage identity verification and confirmation statements as part of our company secretarial service.

5. Stay informed — Subscribe to Companies House updates or talk to us about what’s changing.

Need Help? Merranti Can Handle It

We’re already helping clients prepare for these changes — especially those managing multiple companies or who prefer not to deal with the GOV.UK login process themselves.

As a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider, we can:

• Verify your identity for Companies House
• Submit your confirmation statement correctly
• Ensure your company remains fully compliant
• Manage multiple roles and deadlines for group structures

Need support with identity verification or filing obligations?
Contact Merranti today — and stay one step ahead of the changes.