Ready, set, go! Compulsory identity verification to begin from 18 November 2025

Companies House has confirmed that compulsory identity verification (IDV) will begin from 18 November 2025. IDV will become a compulsory part of the incorporation process, new director appointments and the registration of persons with significant control (PSCs). There will be a transition period for existing directors and PSCs. Voluntary IDV is already open so you can get ahead of this deadline by completing the IDV process now.

Impact for directors

From 18 November 2025, new directors must verify their identity before being appointed to an existing company or incorporating a new company.

Existing directors benefit from a 12 month transition period which is tied to the date of the company's confirmation statement. Existing directors will need to have verified their identity before the company makes their first confirmation statement after 18 November 2025. So, if a confirmation statement is due on 19 November 2025, then directors will need to have completed IDV by this date so they can provide their personal codes. If an individual is a director of more than one company, then they will need to provide their personal code and a verification statement confirming they have successfully verified their identity for each company.

Impact for PSCs

From 18 November 2025, new PSCs will have a 14 day window starting from the date they register at Companies House to submit a statement confirming they have verified their identity with their personal code.

Existing PSCs registered before 18 November 2025 will benefit from a 12 month transition period and will need to verify their identity in line with an appointed date. The exact due date depends on the circumstances.

If the individual is a director and PSC of the same company, they will need to provide their personal code for each role so in the company's next confirmation statement (for their role as director) and within 14 days of the confirmation statement (for their role as a PSC).

If the individual is a PSC but not a director of that company, then they must provide their personal code within 14 days of the first date of their birth month. For example, the 14 day period starts on 1 March 2026 if their date of birth on the register is March 1990. We recommend checking birth dates are correct, so the IDV due date is calculated correctly for PSCs in this category.

What to do now?

Voluntary IDV is already open so you can complete the process now. In our experience, direct verification with Companies House is relatively straightforward. There can be complications for overseas directors without biometric passports and if the registered name at Companies House does not match ID documents so identifying anyone in these categories should be a priority.

We also recommend checking when the company's next confirmation statement is due after 18 November 2025. Companies House has announced that directors and PSCs will be able to check the Companies House register to see IDV due dates across all their roles from 18 November 2025.

Companies House will send IDV updates to registered e-mail addresses so keep an eye out for these updates.

We have set out some more practical steps to consider taking now to ensure compliance and the consequences of non-compliance with IDV in our earlier briefing.

Is there an update on timings on IDV for other roles?

The Companies House announcement did not mention IDV for individual members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs). We expect that compulsory IDV will begin on 18 November 2025 for individual members of LLPs based on previous Companies House statements.

IDV for limited partnerships, corporate directors of companies, corporate members of limited liability partnerships, and officers of corporate PSCs will commence later.

IDV for individuals who file at Companies House is expected to commence in Spring/Summer 2026.

How can I verify my identity?

You can verify your identity online using the GOV.UK One Login service. This service is free of charge.

If you cannot verify online, then you can verify in person using One Login at a designated Post Office or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

If you do not hold a biometric passport then you may need to use an ACSP to verify your identity.

Please see our earlier briefing and the Government guidance for more on IDV.

Once verified, you will be allocated a unique identifier code also known as a Companies House personal code. Please take a note of this code as no confirmation email containing the code is sent. Your personal code will also be available from the Manage section of your GOV.UK One account. This code will need to be provided with a verification statement for each company role you hold to confirm your identity has been verified successfully. IDV is an individual requirement so you only need to verify once for all roles, but you will need to provide the code for each role held.

More information

More information can be found in our earlier briefing and our Corporate law timeline if you would like to track the key implementation dates.

This article was also authored by Laura Brumwell, Company Secretarial Manager at Womble Bond Dickinson.