Companies House identity verification did not arrive as a single hard cut-off. It rolled out in phases, and understanding which phase applies to you is the difference between having months to prepare and needing to act now. This article walks through the actual timeline, using Companies House's own published dates.
The three phases, in order
Phase 1: Voluntary verification (from 8 April 2025)
Companies House opened voluntary identity verification well before it became compulsory, giving directors and PSCs the option to verify early and be ready ahead of the mandatory rollout.
Phase 2: Mandatory rollout begins (18 November 2025)
From this date, identity verification became a legal requirement. Companies House confirmed the rollout with a clear structure (GOV.UK, November 2025):
- New directors and PSCs appointed or registered on or after 18 November 2025 must verify their identity as part of that appointment or registration — there is no grace period for new roles.
- Existing directors and PSCs (in post before 18 November 2025) enter a 12-month transition period, during which they must verify by reference to their company's confirmation statement date. Companies House's own January 2026 update describes this explicitly as "the start of the 12-month transition period for all company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) to verify their identities" (Companies House).
Companies House estimated that around 6 to 7 million individuals would need to verify their identity by the time this transition period closes.
Phase 3: Transition backstop (18 November 2026)
For existing directors and PSCs, the 12-month window runs from 18 November 2025 and closes on 18 November 2026. In practice, your individual deadline within that window is earlier — it's tied to your company's next confirmation statement date after 18 November 2025 (for directors) or your PSC 14-day window (for PSCs) — but 18 November 2026 is the outer limit for anyone who hasn't yet had a triggering confirmation statement fall due.
How to find your own deadline
There is no single date that applies to everyone — your deadline is a function of your company's own filing calendar. As a rule of thumb:
| Your role | Your effective deadline |
|---|---|
| New director or PSC (appointed/registered on or after 18 Nov 2025) | Immediately, at appointment or registration |
| Existing director | Alongside your company's first confirmation statement due after 18 Nov 2025 |
| Existing PSC who is also a director | 14 days starting the day after that confirmation statement date |
| Existing PSC who is not a director | First 14 days of your birth month |
If you're a director or PSC of several companies, each company has its own confirmation statement date — so you may face several different deadlines across your directorships in the same year. Practitioner guidance recommends checking the "People" tab on the Companies House register for each company you're involved with to see your specific due date (Companies House).
Where the rollout stands
By January 2026, Companies House reported that "more than 2.5 million people have already been issued personal codes following a successful verification," and stated that completing verification for everyone required to do so remains "a key focus this year," adding "we're on track to achieve that" (Companies House). The same update confirmed that Companies House will begin compliance activity against people who have failed to verify, describing a "fair and proportionate approach to enforcing the law."
What's coming after this transition period
Identity verification currently applies to directors and PSCs. Companies House has confirmed that additional requirements — for people who file information with Companies House, and eventually for corporate directors, LLP corporate members, and officers of corporate PSCs — are planned but "will begin no earlier than November 2026," with advance notice to be given before they take effect (Companies House). Relevant legal entities (RLEs) and corporate PSCs currently have no identity verification requirement at all under this phase.
Not sure which deadline applies to you? We'll check your specific dates and get you verified in good time.
Start your applicationKey takeaways
- Mandatory verification started 18 November 2025; the transition period for existing directors and PSCs runs 12 months, to 18 November 2026.
- New directors and PSCs from 18 November 2025 onward must verify immediately — there is no transition period for new roles.
- Your specific deadline is tied to your company's confirmation statement date (directors) or your birth month (PSCs who aren't directors), not a single fixed date.
- Directors and PSCs of multiple companies can face several different deadlines in the same year.
- Over 2.5 million personal codes had been issued by January 2026, with Companies House targeting full completion within the transition year.