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If you have recently received an email from Companies House requesting identity verification, it is advisable to take action as soon as possible. You have two options to complete this process:
- Do it yourself for free – You can verify your identity online at no cost. This step-by-step guide will help you complete the entire process quickly and easily.
- Use an authorised agent – If you prefer, you can have your verification carried out by an approved agent. We are a certified identity verification agent for Companies House and can handle the entire process on your behalf. Contact us for more information.
Acting promptly helps avoid delays in filing documents or managing your account with Companies House.
About Identity Verification at Companies House
New identity verification procedures at Companies House have been introduced to prevent the misuse of companies for illegal activities, such as fraud.
Once you have successfully completed the verification, you will receive a personal Companies House code, which is assigned solely to you, not to any company. This code will be required in the future, for example, when:
- filing a confirmation statement,
- becoming a Person with Significant Control (PSC),
- being appointed as a director.
Why It’s Worth Verifying Your Identity
Verifying your identity allows you to conduct business safely and legally through Companies House and prepares you for the required formalities in the future.
Who Needs to Verify Their Identity
Verification is required for:
- all directors, members, partners, and persons in control,
- any Person with Significant Control (PSC),
- any Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), e.g., an accountant,
- anyone submitting documents on behalf of a company, e.g., a company secretary.
When Verification Is Required
As of June 2025, verification is not yet a legal requirement for many people. Deadlines depend on the role:
- Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) – from 18 March 2025, if you want to register as a Companies House agent, you must verify your identity. From 8 April 2025, you can register to verify your clients’ identities.
- Director or Person with Significant Control (PSC) – from 8 April 2025, you can voluntarily verify your identity. In the future, this will become a legal requirement.
- Person submitting documents to Companies House (e.g., company secretary) – verification is not yet required, but will soon become mandatory.
Ways to Verify Your Identity
There are three methods of verification:
- Online – using the GOV.UK One Login app, free of charge.
- At a post office – you can verify your identity in person at your local post office. More information can be found [here].
- Through an ACSP – we are an authorised corporate service provider. Click here if you want us to carry out the verification on your behalf.
In the rest of this guide, we will focus on the online method.
How to Verify Your Identity at Companies House
The easiest way to complete the process is via a smartphone, instead of switching between a computer and a phone.
You can watch our short instructional video, but here’s a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Go to the page shown below by clicking here. If you are reading this article on a computer, you can scan the QR code with your phone to open the same page via Bitly.
Step 2: Scroll down the page – you will find a list of the required documents. At the very bottom, click “Verify your identity.”
Step 3: Click “Go to GOV.UK One Login.”
Step 4: Click “Create your GOV.UK One Login.”
Step 5: You must enter the email address associated with your Companies House account, then click “Continue.”
Step 6: Enter the 6-digit security code sent to your email, then click “Continue.”
Step 7: Create a password, then click “Continue.”
After this, you will need to set up two-factor authentication (2FA) using your phone number or an authenticator app.
Step 8: Once your GOV.UK One Login account is created, you can start the identity verification. Click “Open GOV.UK ID Check.”
Step 9: Select whether your identity has been verified before. If not, tick “No”, then click “Continue.”
Step 10: Click “Continue” again.
Step 11: Select whether you live in “Great Britain, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man” or “another country,” then click “Continue.”
Step 12: Select whether you have the appropriate photo ID documents, then click “Continue.”
Step 13: Select whether you are using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. We recommend using a smartphone, as indicated here. Then click “Continue.”
Step 14: Select the type of smartphone you are using, then click “Continue.”
Step 15: Select whether you have a valid passport. We chose “Yes”, then click “Continue.”
Step 16: Select whether your passport has this symbol on the cover. We chose “Yes”, then click “Continue.”
Step 17: To use your passport and the ID Check app for identity verification, click “Continue.”
Step 18: IMPORTANT: Keep this page open or bookmark it, as you will need to return to it. Then click “Download GOV.UK ID Check app.”
Step 19: After downloading the app, return to this page and click “Link GOV.UK ID Check.”
Step 20: Once the app is linked, you will see the following screen on it. Click “Continue” to scan the photo page of your passport.
Step 21: After scanning the passport page, click “Continue.”
Step 22: Then follow the instructions and click “Continue” to scan the biometric chip located in the passport cover.
Step 23: Finally, click “Start” to scan your face using the front camera (selfie).
Step 24: Click “Go to GOV.UK” to exit the app.
Step 25: A confirmation message should appear. Click “Continue.”
Step 26: Enter your postcode and click “Find address.”
Step 27: On this page, click “Continue to the service.”
Step 28: Allow the GOV.UK service to check your details by clicking “Continue.”
Step 29: The final page should display the message “Identity verification complete.” Make sure to store your personal Companies House code safely, as you will need it in the future.
Congratulations – you’re done! ✅
Summary
For those who want to complete the process themselves, we hope this guide will help you successfully verify your identity. Remember, we are also an authorised agent – click here if you would like us to handle it for you.
Although identity verification is not yet a legal requirement, we recommend completing it early to avoid potential issues in the future. If you are already our client, you can share your personal Companies House code with your accountant. If you are not yet working with us, fill out the form below to get started:
