Changes to UK company law & new Companies House requirements

Are you a Director or Person with Significant Control (PSC) of a limited company or a member of a limited liability partnership?

From 18 November 2025, anyone setting up, running, owning or controlling a company in the UK will need to verify their identity to prove who they are when dealing with Companies House. This applies to both new and existing Directors and PSCs.

To verify your identity, the first step is to set up a GOV.UK One login. Once set up you will be able to verify who you are by either uploading your ID documents or by taking a GOV.UK One generated code to a Post Office branch which offers identification verification services, along with your ID documents. You will need an email address which you do not share with anyone, either a biometric passport (all UK passports since 2006 are biometric) or a UK photo driving licence and also your current address and the year you moved in.

If you do not have a biometric passport or a UK photo driving licence, you may be able to verify using your bank or building society details and National Insurance number via a different method.

There is a 12 month period when all Directors and PSCs are required to do this. After 18 November 2025 we will be unable to file any returns with Companies House without the identity of all your Directors and PSCs being verified; this includes all annual confirmation statements (CS01s) and other documents. If you have a large number of Directors or PSCs, we recommend that you start the process sooner rather than later to ensure that everyone’s identify has been verified before your usual filing deadline.

We will be contacting you to provide further information in the coming weeks.