Correct at the time of writing (September 2026). Companies House guidance may change, so check the latest position before acting.
Since 18 November 2025, every director and every person with significant control (PSC) of a UK company has had to verify their identity with Companies House. It is one of the biggest changes to company law in years, introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and the transition period for existing directors ends on 18 November 2026.
For many owners, the real deadline is earlier than that.
Who needs to verify
- Every director, whatever their nationality or where they live, including directors of dormant and family companies.
- Every person with significant control, broadly anyone who owns or controls more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, can appoint or remove most of the board, or otherwise has significant influence.
- LLP members and equivalent roles, under similar rules.
When you need to do it
- New directors must verify before they can be appointed.
- Existing directors must verify before their company's next confirmation statement is filed. The 18 November 2026 date is the end of the transition period, but your practical deadline is your company's confirmation statement date if that falls sooner.
- Existing PSCs have a separate 14-day window to provide their verification details. For someone who is both a director and a PSC, that window starts the day after the company's confirmation statement date.
If you are a director of several companies, your effective deadline is the earliest confirmation statement date across all of them.
Why it matters
This is not just an administrative box to tick.
- The confirmation statement cannot be filed unless every director's personal code is included. One unverified director blocks the whole filing.
- It is an offence to act as a director without having verified your identity once the rules apply to you.
- Buyers, lenders and larger clients increasingly check the register. An up-to-date, verified record is part of looking like a well-run business.
How verification works
There are two ways to verify:
- Directly with Companies House, using GOV.UK One Login and photo ID.
- Through an authorised corporate service provider (ACSP), an agent registered with Companies House to carry out verification on your behalf. This is often easier for directors who live overseas or who do not have the documents the online service accepts.
Once verified, you receive a personal code. Directors provide it through the confirmation statement, and PSCs provide it using the separate PSC verification service. Companies House explains the process on GOV.UK and on its official blog.
A simple checklist
- List every company you are a director or PSC of, with each confirmation statement date.
- Verify your identity at least a few weeks before the earliest date.
- Keep your personal code somewhere safe; you will need it for each company and role.
- Check your fellow directors, as the filing cannot go through until everyone has verified.
- Diarise the PSC window separately from the confirmation statement.
Need to verify directors or PSCs? Upscale Consultants is an authorised agent with Companies House and can verify identities for you, including for overseas directors. Get in touch and we'll take care of it.
This article is general information, not legal advice for your specific circumstances.
