Mandatory identity verification for UK directors and PSCs come into effect from 18 November 2025
Companies House has introduced new rules designed to combat economic crime and restore trust in UK corporate structures.
Under the rules the identify of all new directors of a UK company, members of an LLP and persons of significant control (PSCs) must be verified before incorporation or appointment. The verification of existing directors, members and PSCs will be required within the following 12 months. As a result, up to 7 million individuals will be required to comply with new identity verification requirements by November 2026.
What are the consequences of not complying?
Failure to properly verify the identity of a director will be classed an offence, although importantly the validity of the actions taken by that director will not be affected. It will also be an offence for any person, without reasonable excuse, to deliver a document to Companies House that is “misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular”.
What are the options for achieving compliance?
Compliance can be achieved by pursuing one of three options:
- Self-verification via Gov.UK,
- In-person checks at UK Post Offices, or
- Verification through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).
How can Altum help?
We will be registering as an ACSP and will be able to manage the process of verifying individuals’ identities simply and efficiently, either securely and remotely using digital ID-Pal technology, or in-person, depending on preference.
This service will complement our other trusted, established UK fund and SPV service capabilities, including:
- Filing support: Accurate, compliant submissions to Companies House.
- Entity management: Incorporation, domiciliation, and secretarial services.
- Ongoing governance: Administration, accounting, and reporting for UK entities.
Why Altum?
We combine deep regulatory expertise with market-leading technology to deliver efficient, secure, and compliant solutions tailored to your structure and needs. Please reach out to Simon Drewett or James Milner to discuss how Altum can support your identity verification requirements.
