From 18 November 2025, all company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) will be legally required to verify their identity under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
- new directors will need to verify their identity to incorporate a company or be appointed to an existing company.
- existing directors will need to confirm they have verified their identity at the same time as they file their next annual confirmation statement, during a 12-month transition period.
- existing PSCs will need to verify their identity within 12 months of the commencement of mandatory identity verification on 18 November. The period for doing this will depend on their situation a
- directors and PSCs will be able to check the Companies House register to see identity verification due dates for all their roles.
Identity verification requirements for limited partnerships, corporate directors of companies, corporate members of limited liability partnerships, and officers of corporate PSCs, will be introduced at a later date.
Companies House will send an email to all registered email addresses to tell companies about identity verification requirements, and what directors and PSCs need to do. If you're a third-party agent who receives this email on behalf of a company, please forward the email to the company director(s) of all companies you work with.
The rollout of identity verification will boost business, and support growth, by giving more assurance about who is setting up, running and controlling companies in the UK. Companies of all sizes will benefit from more accurate and trustworthy register data and greater protections against fraud.
