UK makes identity checks mandatory for company directors and owners

From today, November 18, 2025, identity verification is a legal requirement at Companies House, the UK government body that registers companies and keeps the public record of who runs and owns them. Directors and people with significant control of UK companies now have to prove they are who they say they are.

For years, almost anyone could be listed as a company director with no check at all. The change comes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and Companies House expects around 6 to 7 million people to verify by mid November 2026.

Who has to verify

• Directors of UK companies.
• People with significant control, usually called PSCs. Broadly, these are individuals who hold more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, can appoint or remove a majority of the board, or otherwise control the company.
• Members of limited liability partnerships, the UK structure often shortened to LLP, are expected to be covered as well.

Company secretaries do not need to verify. Rules for people who file on behalf of companies, corporate directors and some other roles are due to start later. Each person verifies only once, even if they hold roles in several companies.

Timelines for new and existing companies

Companies House describes today as the start of a 12 month transition, not a single deadline:

• New directors must verify before they can form a company or be appointed to an existing one.
• Existing directors confirm their verification when the company files its next confirmation statement, the annual filing that confirms the company's details are up to date.
• Existing PSCs who are also directors confirm within 14 days of the company's confirmation statement date.
• Existing PSCs who are not directors confirm within the first 14 days of their birth month during the transition year.
• New PSCs must confirm within 14 days of being added to the register.

From today, the public register shows each person's verification due date. Acting as a director without verifying becomes an offence once the requirement applies to that person, although Companies House has said it will take a proportionate approach to enforcement.

How founders outside the UK verify

There are two routes, and both are open to people who live abroad:

• Directly, through GOV.UK One Login. This is the government's sign in and identity service, and it is free. The quickest way is the GOV.UK app on a smartphone, using a biometric passport, and Companies House says it usually takes a few minutes. Companies House has said passports issued outside the UK can be used. Some other options, such as checks at a Post Office, are designed for people in the UK.
• Through an authorised corporate service provider. An ACSP is an accountant, solicitor or company formation agent registered with Companies House to verify identities for clients. This suits people who cannot use the app. Each provider sets its own charges and can decline a request.

Once verified, the person receives a personal code. That code is given to whoever files for the company and is linked to each director or PSC role. It should be kept private and shared only with people trusted to file.

Other changes from the same date

Companies no longer have to keep their own registers of directors, secretaries and PSCs, because the Companies House record becomes the single source. More reforms under the same act are planned, including tighter checks on the agents who file for companies.

What it means for holders of UK companies and LLPs

If you own a UK limited company or LLP and live outside the UK, the change is manageable but needs to be on your calendar. Find your next confirmation statement date, verify before it falls due, and pass your personal code to your filing agent. If you hold shares above 25% without being a director, note your birth month.

For anyone forming a new UK company, verification now comes first. It adds a step at the start, but it also makes the UK register more trustworthy, which tends to help when opening bank accounts and dealing with counterparties. We set up and maintain UK companies and LLPs with our local teams, and can handle the verification step as part of formation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice.