New Companies House verification requirements – how will the process work?
1 October 2025
There are new rules that are coming into force that require officers and PSCs of companies that are active on the Companies House (CH) register to undertake a new verification process. Once this has been successfully completed, a code will be issued to the person. The code will be required in the future by anyone who will be filing any Companies House document, accounts, confirmation statements, or any other official forms.
This article provides information on how to navigate the verification process. There is a link at the bottom of the article that gives a link to the Companies House page to start the process.
This is the third in a three-part series of articles which relate to the new Companies House verification rules, which you can view here:
How verification will work & practical steps
- Single verification, multiple roles
Individuals will verify their identity once, obtain a personal code (unique identifier), and then provide that code for each company role (director, PSC, etc.) they hold. It will be vital that the verification codes are provided to any trusted source, such as your Accountant, who will deal with filing documents on your company’s behalf, such as Accounts, Confirmation Statements and any other form required to adjust information held at Companies House.
- Methods of verification
- Via GOV.UK One Login: upload an acceptable photo ID (passport, driving licence, etc.) and possibly confirm address.
- In person at the Post Office (where needed) – for people with low digital confidence.
- Via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP): especially helpful for overseas individuals or more complex cases.
Overseas / non-standard cases
Overseas individuals may need to provide additional proof (proof of address, certified translations) because automatic checks on foreign data may not always work.
If a person doesn’t hold an acceptable form of ID, they must acquire one before taking on the role or making filings.
ACSP registration & role
Entities (e.g. accountants, agents) that want to facilitate filings or identity verification for clients must register as ACSPs and satisfy anti-money laundering supervision requirements.
ACSPs will need to validate client identity to the same standard as Companies House.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
- If a person acts in a role (e.g. as a director) without having verified their identity, that person may be committing a criminal offence.
- The company or LLP may also be liable (or commit an offence), if it allows someone to act without verification in certain circumstances.
- Failures to verify in time may block or invalidate filings or result in penalties.
Recommendations & Preparatory Actions
- Begin early – even though the mandatory start is 18 November 2025, individuals can verify voluntarily now.
- Audit your people/roles – map out all directors, PSCs, LLP members, including overseas or less obvious ones, to assess who will need to verify and when.
- Engage with an ACSP (or become one) – especially for complex or overseas cases, or if you file on clients’ behalf.
- Ensure documents are in order – passports, driving licences, address evidence, translations, and certified copies when required.
- Track deadlines – particularly the next confirmation statement date post 18 November 2025, and PSC 14-day windows.
- Monitor guidance from Companies House – as regulation details may be clarified or fine-tuned ahead of rollout.
If you have any questions on the new Companies House requirements, please contact us on 020 7613 8161.
Here is a link to the Companies House page to start the verification process: Verify your identity for Companies House – GOV.UK
Duncan Forsyth – SameDay Company Services