Do I need to verify if I'm a non-resident director?

Yes. The requirement applies to all directors regardless of where they live. Non-residents can verify using the GOV.UK One Login app or through an ACSP (accountant or solicitor).

Existing directors have until their next confirmation statement or November 18, 2026, whichever comes first. New directors must verify before appointment. New companies cannot incorporate without all proposed directors verified.

What if I don't verify?

Your confirmation statement won't be accepted. Fines up to £5,000, director disqualification, and company strike-off are possible. Companies House enforcement begins November 18, 2026.

Can I use a non-UK passport?

If it has a biometric chip, yes, through the GOV.UK app. If not, you can use the Post Office route (UK-only) or an ACSP who can verify you overseas.

Companies House Identity Verification Now Mandatory: What UK LTD Founders Need to Know (2026)

On November 18, 2025, the UK company register changed. Every director and person with significant control (PSC) of every UK company now has to verify their identity with Companies House. For non-residents setting up UK LTDs, this means getting a biometric ID check done before incorporation. If you haven't done it, your confirmation statement filing will be blocked starting with your next deadline.

What Exactly Is This?

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced this requirement. The stated goal is simple: stop people from hiding behind shell companies. By requiring actual identity verification — using a passport or driving licence biometric chip, or a Post Office in-person check — Companies House is moving from a self-reported register to one where verified people are linked to companies.

You get something called a "Personal Code" once you verify. It's an 11-character code that's yours for life, across every role you hold at Companies House. If you're a director at three different UK companies, you verify once, get one code, and use it for all three.

The Timeline for Existing Directors

If you were already a director or PSC before November 18, you have until November 18, 2026 to verify. That sounds like a year away, but there's a catch. Your deadline is actually the earlier of two dates: November 18, 2026, or whenever your company files its next annual confirmation statement.

Most UK companies file confirmation statements between March and November each year. So if your company's confirmation statement is due in May 2026, you have until May to verify. If you're a PSC who isn't a director, you have a specific 14-day window during your birthday month. Born in March? Your window opens March 1 and closes March 14.

New directors appointed after November 18 cannot be appointed at all without a verified identity. The appointment itself cannot be completed until they provide their personal code. Same for new companies incorporating — you cannot complete incorporation without all proposed directors verified.

How It Works for Non-Residents

For non-residents, the default route is the GOV.UK One Login app. You need:

A smartphone with NFC capability
A passport with a biometric chip (or UK driving licence)
Your National Insurance number (if you have one)
Your current residential address

The app scans the biometric chip in your passport, you do a face scan (the "liveness" check), and it connects to your GOV.UK One Login account. Takes 10 to 20 minutes for most people.

If you don't have a smartphone with NFC, you can go to the Post Office with your ID and have them verify you in person. Or you can use an ACSP (accountant, solicitor) who can do it for you, though you'll likely be charged a fee.

The non-resident angle matters here. You don't need to be UK-based to verify. The requirement applies equally to overseas individuals taking roles in UK companies. But if you're in UAE, for example, you can't use the Post Office route — that's UK-only. Your options are the app or an ACSP.

What Happens If You Don't Verify

This is where it gets serious. If your confirmation statement is due and you haven't verified, Companies House won't accept the filing. Your company gets flagged.

Persistent non-compliance can lead to:

Fines up to £5,000
Director disqualification
Your company being struck off the register

Being struck off means your company is dissolved. You cannot trade. Creditors have no recourse. Tax obligations remain yours.

The good news: Companies House isn't prosecuting for non-compliance in the first 12 months. But from November 2026 onwards, enforcement is active.

The Practical Next Step

If you're a non-resident founder forming a UK LTD, here's what you do:

Before you even incorporate, set up your GOV.UK One Login account
Get the app on an NFC-enabled smartphone
Verify your identity using your passport
You'll get your personal code
Use that code when incorporating or when you file your first confirmation statement

For founders already in place with a 2025 or 2026 confirmation statement due, make this a priority now. Don't wait for the reminder email. The system will be busy closer to May and June when confirmation statement deadlines bunch up.

One thing founders often miss: if you're both a director and a PSC (which is common), you verify once but provide your code twice — once as a director via the confirmation statement, and once via a separate PSC filing within 14 days of the confirmation statement date.

The Bottom Line

The verification requirement is administrative, not a barrier. For honest founders, it's a 20-minute process. For companies trying to hide, it's the end of that strategy. By November 2026, every active UK director will be a verified individual, not a name on a form.

OpenEntity forms UK LTDs for international founders and walks you through Companies House identity verification. £399, 24–48 hours, no UK address required.

See how it works