Quick Answer
UK directors must verify their identity with Companies House by 18 November 2026. In practice, the deadline arrives earlier: you cannot file your next confirmation statement without a verified personal code. The free GOV.UK One Login route takes around 15 minutes and works on any smartphone with a biometric passport.
What Is Companies House Identity Verification and Who Must Do It?
Companies House identity verification is a legal requirement introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) that came into force on 18 November 2025. Every individual who acts as a UK company director, equivalent officer, or person with significant control (PSC) must verify their identity with Companies House and obtain a personal code before they can file documents on behalf of their company.
The requirement applies to all UK limited company directors, LLP members, overseas company directors with a UK establishment, and PSCs — estimated at 6 to 7 million individuals across the UK. If you run an agency as a limited company and you are the sole director, this applies directly to you. If you have co-directors, each one must verify independently.
It does not apply to corporate directors — companies cannot verify their own identity. For more on the separate ban on overseas corporate directors under ECCTA, see our ECCTA corporate director ban guide.
Companies House IDV Transition Deadline
Non-Compliance Penalty (Max)
Verification Completion Time
Your Real Deadline Is Probably Sooner Than You Think
Most guides quote 18 November 2026 as the deadline, and technically that is the end of the 12-month transition period. But that is the outer limit, not your personal deadline. The practical trigger is your company's next confirmation statement filing date.
Under the verification rules, you must provide your personal code when filing your company's confirmation statement. If your confirmation statement is due in July 2026, that is when you need your code — not November. For many agency directors whose companies have mid-year financial year ends, this means the real deadline is within the next few weeks or months, not half a year away.
Agency founders running multiple companies face a compounding version of this. Each company has its own confirmation statement date. You only need to verify once, but you must associate your personal code with each company separately when each of those statements falls due. If your trading company's statement falls in June and your holding company's falls in August, you have two distinct filing deadlines that could both fail if you haven't verified first.
Check your confirmation statement date now
Sign into your Companies House account at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk to see your next confirmation statement due date. That is your real verification deadline, not 18 November 2026. If it is within the next 60 days, act now.
How to Complete Companies House Identity Verification via GOV.UK One Login
The GOV.UK One Login route is the primary method for most UK directors and is completely free. Here is the step-by-step process:
- Go to the Companies House identity verification service — start at GOV.UK — Verify your identity for Companies House.
- Create or sign in to a GOV.UK One Login account using your email address. Note: each email address can only be used for one identity, so use your personal email rather than a shared business one.
- Confirm your current address and the year you moved there.
- Scan your photo ID using the GOV.UK ID Check app on your smartphone. Accepted documents are biometric passports (any country, must not be expired), UK photo driving licences (valid if expired within the last 90 days), and UK biometric residence permits.
- Complete the check. The app-based route typically takes around 15 minutes. You may also be asked for your National Insurance number or bank account details as a supplementary check.
- Retrieve your personal code by signing into your Companies House account and going to “Manage account.” Your 11-character code will appear there.
If you cannot complete the app route, you can verify in person at a Post Office after starting the GOV.UK One Login process, or answer security questions online using your National Insurance number and bank details if you have a UK credit history. These alternatives are slower but use the same One Login system.
The ACSP Route — When to Use an Authorised Agent
An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) is a UK-regulated professional — an accountant, solicitor, or company formation agent — who is registered with Companies House to verify identities on behalf of clients. The ACSP submits the verification result directly to the register, and you receive your personal code in the same way as the direct route.
The ACSP route is the right choice if you do not have an eligible biometric document, you have a non-biometric machine-readable passport, you find the GOV.UK One Login process difficult, or you are an overseas director who cannot easily access the digital route. Most ACSPs can handle verification remotely by collecting documents electronically. A fee will apply, so confirm pricing with your accountant or solicitor before proceeding.
If you are already working with an ACSP-registered accountant, ask them to handle this as part of your annual compliance. At Alto Accounting, we are registered as an ACSP and can verify your identity on your behalf.
Your Personal Code — What Happens After Verification
Once you have verified, Companies House assigns you an 11-character alphanumeric personal code. This code is yours for life — it does not expire and does not change when you change companies or roles. If you are a director of three companies, you verify once and then provide the same code when filing each of those companies' confirmation statements.
The code belongs to you as a person, not to any company. You can find it by signing into the Companies House account you used during verification and navigating to “Manage account.” Some directors report delays in the code appearing, so complete this step several weeks before your confirmation statement is due rather than leaving it to the last minute.
Each confirmation statement for each company will now require you to confirm that all directors and PSCs have verified identities. Companies House will reject a filing where any required individual has not yet verified.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline
The enforcement approach is graduated. Companies House sends reminder emails before a confirmation statement filing date and issues a default notice if the deadline passes without compliance. That notice states that an offence has been committed and provides a window — typically up to two months — to submit written representations if there are genuine extenuating circumstances.
If enforcement continues, Companies House has three escalation routes: financial penalties (up to £5,000 per individual), referral to the Insolvency Service if directors remain unverified, and criminal prosecution through the courts. Prosecution is more likely when three or more offences have occurred within five years, or where fraudulent identity documents were used.
The more immediate risk for most agency directors is operational: without a verified personal code, you cannot file a confirmation statement. Failure to file a confirmation statement is a criminal offence under the Companies Act 2006, separate from the verification offence. In extreme cases — where a company consistently fails to file — Companies House can begin strike-off proceedings, dissolving the company and transferring its assets to the Crown.
Keep your iXBRL and corporation tax filings in mind too. For the full picture of Companies House changes affecting your agency this year, see our guide to mandatory iXBRL filing from April 2026.
Special Cases: Overseas Directors, Multiple Entities, and Directors Appointed After November 2025
Overseas directors must comply on the same timetable as UK-based directors. If you have a biometric passport, the GOV.UK One Login route works from any country via a smartphone. If not, you must use a registered ACSP. Some overseas-focused service providers offer identity verification specifically for international clients without UK documents.
Directors appointed after 18 November 2025 must verify their identity at the time of appointment — they cannot begin acting as director without a personal code. When appointing new directors to your agency, factor verification into the onboarding process. The form AP01 (appointment of director) now includes a field for the personal code.
For PSCs who are not directors, the verification timetable is different: existing PSCs must verify within the first 14 days of their birth month in any given year (for example, a PSC born in March must verify between 1 and 14 March). New PSCs must verify within 14 days of being added to the register.
Tip for agency directors using the salary calculator: if you are optimising your director salary and dividends for 2026/27, this is also a good time to complete your identity verification. Both tasks affect your standing as a company director and are worth ticking off before your next confirmation statement. Try our director salary and dividend calculator to review your extraction strategy while you are at it.
How Alto Accounting Can Help
Alto Accounting is registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) with Companies House, which means we can verify your identity on your behalf if the GOV.UK One Login route is not practical for you. We also track confirmation statement deadlines for all of our clients, so nothing falls through the gaps during a busy year.
Book a free consultation to speak with a specialist about your annual compliance calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to verify my identity if I am a director of multiple companies?
You only need to complete the identity verification process once. Once verified, you receive a single Companies House personal code that belongs to you as an individual. You then provide that code separately for each company you direct — either when filing its next confirmation statement (if you are a director) or through the dedicated PSC service (if you are a person with significant control). So verification is a one-time task, but you need to associate your code with each company individually.
Can I verify my identity if I do not have a UK passport?
Yes. The GOV.UK One Login route accepts any biometric (chip-enabled) passport from any country, plus UK photo driving licences and UK biometric residence permits. Non-biometric passports and other document types require verification through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), such as an accountant or solicitor registered with Companies House. Your ACSP can handle verification remotely using documents you provide to them.
What is a Companies House personal code?
A Companies House personal code is an 11-character alphanumeric identifier assigned to you after successful identity verification. It is personal to you — not tied to any specific company — and you use it to link your verified identity to each of your Companies House roles. You need it when filing a confirmation statement as a director, when being appointed as a new director, and when registering as a person with significant control (PSC). You can find your code by signing into your Companies House account and navigating to "Manage account".
What happens if I miss the Companies House identity verification deadline?
If you have not verified before your confirmation statement falls due, you will be unable to file it — and failing to file a confirmation statement is itself a criminal offence under the Companies Act 2006. Beyond that, persistent non-compliance can result in a financial penalty of up to £5,000 per individual, director disqualification proceedings, and Companies House initiating strike-off proceedings against the company. Companies House will send reminder notices before escalating, but the practical risk begins at your next confirmation statement date, not November 2026.
Does identity verification apply to people with significant control (PSCs)?
Yes. PSCs must also verify their identity and provide their personal code to Companies House. The deadline for a PSC who is also a director of the same company is within 14 days starting the day after the company's confirmation statement date. For a PSC who is not a director, the deadline is within the first 14 days of their birth month each year. New PSCs added after 18 November 2025 must verify when first added or within 14 days of being added to the register.
Can I verify my identity if I live abroad?
Yes. The GOV.UK One Login route works from any country if you have a biometric passport — the app-based verification can be completed on a smartphone anywhere in the world. Overseas directors without a biometric passport, or who cannot complete the digital process, must use an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). Many ACSPs offer remote verification for international clients and can accept documents electronically.