What Documents Count for Companies House ID Verification? FAQ

Knowing which documents to prepare is one of the simplest ways to avoid a delayed Companies House identity verification. The right answer depends on the route you use. TAH offers a secure digital route for supported photo ID and a manual route for people who need a wider document choice. This FAQ sets out the accepted ID documents for Companies House verification in plain English.

Before you begin, decide whether you can use a phone-based digital check or need a manual review. You can start your application before providing documents. The application, online engagement letter and payment come first; the appropriate identity check follows. You can also read the step-by-step guide if you want the wider process explained.

Documents for the online and manual routes

What counts as acceptable ID for the online (digital) verification route?

TAH’s Route A is an online digital identity verification check. You receive a secure link on your phone, photograph an accepted identity document and take a live selfie. The check normally takes about 10 minutes. This route is intended for a document that can be read digitally, rather than for a scanned copy sent by email.

The Route A document list is: a biometric or machine-readable passport; an Irish passport card; a UK, Crown Dependency, Isle of Man or EU photocard driving licence; an EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein biometric national identity card; a UK biometric residence permit (BRP) or biometric residence card (BRC); or a UK Frontier Worker permit. TAH’s ACSP service page explains the two routes and how the secure check is arranged.

The Registrar’s technical rules govern document acceptability and expiry tolerances for ACSP verification, so the document needs to be suitable for the route as well as simply showing your name and photograph (Registrar’s Identity Verification Rules). If your document is not on the digital list, the manual route may be the better fit.

What counts as acceptable ID for the in-person (manual) verification route?

TAH’s Route B is a manual check. A trained reviewer examines two original documents, either at a TAH office in Bedford or London–Stratford, or on a scheduled video call. You need either two documents from Group A, or one document from Group A and one document from Group B.

Group A documents are: a non-biometric passport; an EEA national identity card; a UK or international photocard driving licence; a UK BRP or BRC; an HM Forces ID card; or a UK, Crown Dependency or Isle of Man firearms licence. These are identity documents. The applicable Registrar’s rules are the technical reference point for the documentary standard (Registrar’s Identity Verification Rules).

Group B documents are proof-of-address documents dated within three months. They are a bank or building society statement, utility bill, council tax statement, mortgage statement, birth certificate, or marriage or civil partnership certificate. Select the combination before arranging the appointment so the reviewer can examine the right originals.

How to combine the documents

What's the actual difference between Group A and Group B documents?

The labels describe the job each document does in the manual route. Group A is the core identity evidence. It includes the kinds of official photo documents that help establish who you are: for example, a passport, national identity card or photocard driving licence. Group B is supporting evidence, mainly for your address.

That difference is why the combination rule matters. You can present two Group A documents, or one Group A document with one Group B document. A Group B item is not a substitute for the core Group A identity document. Keep the Group B date in mind too: the statement, bill, council tax statement or mortgage statement needs to be dated within three months.

The document categories and technical standards for ACSP checks come from the Registrar’s rules (Registrar’s Identity Verification Rules). If you are unsure which route best matches what you hold, the practical next step is to review the options on the service and pricing page and start an application rather than guessing.

Can I use a bank statement or utility bill on its own?

No. A bank statement or utility bill is a Group B document in the Route B manual check. It supports proof of address and, if used, must be dated within three months. It cannot make up a complete manual verification on its own.

Pair it with a Group A document. The permitted manual combinations are two Group A documents, or one Group A document and one Group B document. That means a current bank statement plus an eligible passport or photocard driving licence can be the relevant type of combination, provided the documents meet the route requirements.

A utility bill can serve the same supporting role, but it does not turn into photo ID just because it is recent. The Registrar’s rules set the documentary standard for this type of ACSP verification (Registrar’s Identity Verification Rules).

Overseas, copies and expired documents

What if I live outside the UK — are there extra document rules?

Yes. For a Route B applicant who lives outside the UK, at least one of the two documents must be government-issued. This is an extra document rule for the manual route, alongside the normal requirement for two Group A documents or one Group A plus one Group B document.

This rule is particularly important if your usual proof of address is produced by a private provider. Check that one of your selected documents is government-issued before the review. The underlying identity verification rules are set by the Registrar (Registrar’s Identity Verification Rules).

If you have an accepted biometric or machine-readable passport, the online route may instead be suitable. It is not limited to UK passport holders: the Route A list is based on the document type and the supported digital check. See the how-it-works guide for the application sequence.

Can I use photocopies or photographs of my documents?

Not for the manual route. Route B requires two original documents to be examined by a trained reviewer. A photocopy, printout or saved image is not the original document the reviewer needs to see.

The digital route also does not work by sending a photocopy. Instead, you use the secure phone link to photograph the accepted original identity document and take a live selfie. That is a different process from providing a photograph of a document as a substitute for the document itself.

Prepare the physical original for a manual appointment, or keep the original to hand for the online check. The Registrar’s rules are the official technical reference for document acceptability (Registrar’s Identity Verification Rules).

My passport is expired — can I still use it?

An expired passport may still be usable, but the answer depends on the route and how long it has been expired. The Registrar’s rules give specific tolerances rather than a simple rule that every expired passport is accepted or rejected (Registrar’s Identity Verification Rules).

For example, a machine-readable biometric passport can be used for up to six months after its expiry date. On the two-document route, a passport can be up to 18 months past expiry when it is used with a second document. Those are route-specific tolerances, not a reason to overlook the rest of the document requirements.

If your passport falls outside those tolerances, use another accepted document combination instead. Starting through the application page gives TAH the details needed to point you to the appropriate check.

Prepare the right route before you start

A good document check starts with a quick choice between the digital and manual routes. If you have a supported biometric or machine-readable photo document and can use a phone for the secure link, Route A is usually the straightforward option. If you need to rely on the wider Group A and Group B list, Route B is the route to prepare for. The choice is about the documents you can genuinely present, not about finding a shortcut.

For Route A, keep the accepted original photo ID with you when the secure link arrives. The process asks for a photograph of that original and a live selfie. Make sure you can complete both parts in one sitting. If the document does not fit the digital list, do not try to substitute a scan or a different category of document. Use the manual route instead.

For Route B, build the pair first and then check it again. Start with a Group A document. Next decide whether your second document is another Group A item or an in-date Group B proof-of-address item. This avoids turning up with two documents that look useful but do not make one of the permitted combinations. The current three-month dating rule is especially easy to overlook for a bank statement, utility bill, council tax statement or mortgage statement.

Originals matter because the manual check is an examination of the documents themselves. Keep them safe and take them to the arranged review. The digital route is different, but it still relies on the original document being photographed through the secure process. The technical document standard comes from the Registrar’s Identity Verification Rules.

If you are choosing between an accepted digital document and a manual combination, use the option you can complete accurately and promptly. You can read the TAH ACSP service overview before applying, or start the application and select the route that reflects your available documents. Being clear about the route from the beginning helps avoid an unnecessary change later.

Key takeaways

• Route A is a phone-based digital check using an accepted original photo ID and a live selfie.
• Route B needs two original documents: two Group A documents, or one Group A and one Group B.
• Group B documents support proof of address and must be dated within three months; they do not work on their own.
• Applicants living outside the UK need at least one government-issued document for the manual route.
• Expired passports can sometimes be used, but only within the Registrar’s route-specific expiry tolerances.