Companies House Confirms Identity Verification Deadline

Earlier this year, Companies House introduced a voluntary process for verifying the identities of company directors, this is part of the wider Companies House Reform under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. This voluntary identification initiative was part of a broader effort to improve transparency and strengthen the integrity of the UK’s corporate register. Companies House has confirmed that identity verification will become mandatory from 18 November 2025.

This change will affect a significant number of individuals and introduces several key requirements:

• New Appointments: from 18 November 2025, anyone seeking to incorporate a company or become a director of an existing company must first verify their identity.
• Existing Directors: those already listed as directors will be required to verify their identity when submitting their next confirmation statement after the deadline.
• People with Significant Control (PSCs): PSCs will have a 12-month window to 18 November 2026, to complete their identity verification.

Companies House has estimated that between 6 and 7 million individuals will need to verify their identities over the next year. Fortunately, the process is expected to be straightforward and should only take a few minutes for most users. There are two main methods of verifying your ID:

• Online: using a smartphone to take a picture of yourself and your ID, which is then matched using facial recognition.
• Post office: if you are unable to use the online identification method, you can verify in person at a post office.

Once verified Companies House will provide an eleven digit personal verification code which will be used for future Companies House filings.

This development marks a significant step in the ongoing reform of Companies House and reflects a growing emphasis on corporate accountability. Organisations should begin preparing now to ensure all relevant individuals are aware of their obligations and ready to act when the new rules come into force.

Failure to complete the identification verification could result in not being able to make filings on time and thus incur late filing penalties.

If you have any questions on this please speak to your usual Ensors contact.

The information contained herein is given by way of general guidance only, is correct and applicable only at the time of delivery and no action should be taken solely on the basis of the information contained herein. Ensors Accountants LLP will be pleased to provide further guidance on the issues, and how they might affect you. No liability is accepted by the firm for any actions taken without seeking appropriate professional advice.