Companies House Identity Verification for Overseas Directors
Overseas directors of companies registered in the UK are required to complete Companies House identity verification under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. Being resident outside the UK does not remove the requirement.
The process is designed to confirm the identity of directors and improve the reliability of the Companies House register.
Do Overseas Directors Need to Verify?
Yes. An overseas-resident director of a UK company must complete the required identity verification in the same way as other directors.
Companies House allows identity verification using a biometric passport from any country, among other accepted identity documents.
Once verification is successful, the director receives an 11-character Companies House personal code.
How Can an Overseas Director Verify?
An overseas director can generally verify their identity through the available Companies House verification routes.
The direct route uses GOV.UK One Login and can support eligible international directors using an accepted biometric passport.
An alternative is to use an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. This can be useful where the director has difficulty completing the direct online process or prefers professional assistance.
What Is the Companies House Personal Code?
After successfully verifying their identity, the overseas director receives a personal code.
The code belongs to the individual, not the company. It is used to connect the verified identity with the director's Companies House record.
For a director of a UK company, the personal code is normally provided as part of the company's relevant confirmation statement or appointment filing.
When Does an Overseas Director Need to Verify?
For an overseas director of a UK company, the timing depends on when they became a director and the company's relevant filing requirements.
Existing directors generally provide their personal code with the company's next confirmation statement.
New directors must provide the required verification information as part of their appointment or when a new company is incorporated.
The 18 November 2025 start date for mandatory verification was not a universal deadline. It began the transition to compulsory verification.
Overseas Companies With UK Establishments
There is a separate process for an overseas company that has a UK establishment.
All directors of the overseas company must complete identity verification and obtain their Companies House personal codes. The company must then confirm the verification details to Companies House using the appropriate overseas company filing.
For these companies, the relevant confirmation is due by the anniversary of the date the UK establishment was opened.
What If an Overseas Director Cannot Verify?
If direct verification is unsuccessful, the director should check that their personal information and identity documents are correct before trying again.
An Authorised Corporate Service Provider can also provide an alternative verification route.
This can be particularly useful for overseas property investors, international business owners and non-UK resident directors who need to maintain a UK company.
What Happens If an Overseas Director Does Not Verify?
An overseas director is not exempt from the consequences of failing to meet the identity verification requirement.
If the relevant deadline passes without compliance, the director may be committing an offence by continuing to act as a director. The company may also face compliance and filing problems.
For UK companies, the confirmation statement cannot be successfully filed unless the relevant directors have completed the required verification.
Fraser Bond Overseas Director Verification Support
Fraser Bond provides practical UK company administration and corporate compliance support for overseas directors, property investors, international businesses and UK companies.
Support can include Companies House identity verification administration, personal code assistance, confirmation statement support, director compliance, PSC requirements and wider UK corporate administration.
For overseas directors who are unfamiliar with UK Companies House procedures, professional support can make the verification and filing process easier to manage.
Complete Your UK Director Verification
If you are a non-UK resident director of a UK company, you should not assume that living overseas removes your Companies House obligations.
Complete the required identity verification, obtain your personal code and ensure it is provided to Companies House when required for your company role.
