UK company guide · checked 13 October 2026

UK director ID verification deadline

Every director and person with significant control (PSC) of a UK company must verify their identity with Companies House. For existing directors the transition year ends on 17 November 2026, and the first people have already been prosecuted for acting without verifying.

You are a… DirectorDirector and PSC (e.g. you own over 25%)PSC only, not a director

When were you appointed director? Before 18 November 2025On or after 18 November 2025

Your company's next confirmation statement "due by" date

Find it on your company's page: search the name or number on Companies House and look under "Confirmation statement".

Who has to verify

• Every director of a UK company or LLP member, wherever they live. Directors appointed since 18 November 2025 had to verify before being appointed.
• Every PSC: usually anyone owning or controlling more than 25% of the shares or votes.
• Directors of overseas companies with a registered UK establishment, on a separate timetable tied to the establishment's opening date.

How to verify

1. Free, online: through GOV.UK One Login, using the GOV.UK ID Check app and photo ID (a biometric passport works from most countries). You get an 11-character personal code.
2. Through an agent: an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), such as many accountants and formation agents, can verify you for a fee. This is the usual route if the app won't accept your documents.
3. Then give your personal code to whoever files your company's confirmation statement (directors), or to Companies House directly (PSCs).

Non-UK directors

Many founders outside the UK, including in India, the US and the UAE, set up UK companies through formation agents and never deal with Companies House directly. Verification is personal and can't be done by the company. If the GOV.UK app fails on your passport or phone, use an ACSP. Start early: confirmation statements can't be filed until every director is verified, and a late statement can lead to the company being struck off.

What happens if you don't

Acting as a director without verifying is a criminal offence, and the company commits one too if it lets you. Companies House and the Insolvency Service brought the first prosecutions in 2026 and warned directors in September 2026.

Own a US LLC too? Check what it owes

Sources: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023; Companies House identity verification guidance (from 18 Nov 2025); Mishcon de Reya on the first prosecutions; Hawksford ID verification guide. Guidance, not legal advice.