Identity verification

ECCTA 2023 (Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act) is a new British law that came into force gradually from March 2024, aiming to combat economic crime and enhance the transparency of company ownership.

The most important change for you: identity verification of directors and shareholders has become mandatory before forming any new company or appointing a new director. Companies House no longer accepts formation without verifying the identity of every person holding a position in the company.

Verification is done through an authorised provider (an ACSP — Authorised Corporate Service Provider) such as Eteform, which verifies your passport and proof of address to UK AML/KYC standards.

The law also includes: restricting the use of fictitious names, requiring a real registered office (not just a PO Box), and new requirements for foreign companies registered in the UK. If you were formed before 2024, you may need to update your identity verification when filing your first CS01 after the effective date.

Verifying the identity of a UK company director from outside Britain has become easier than many expect — and you do not need to travel to London. The process is done entirely online through an authorised ACSP provider such as Eteform.

The steps: you upload a clear image of your valid passport (or an accepted national ID), then proof of address from your country of residence issued within the last 3 months (an electricity bill, a bank statement, or a lease).

Some providers request a short video selfie (liveness check) to confirm that you are the holder of the document. The process usually takes 15–30 minutes, with approval within hours in most cases.

After verification, Companies House issues you a Personal Code — a personal code you use in all your future dealings with the register. At Eteform we handle the verification as part of the formation process, so you need no separate additional steps.

The Companies House Personal Code is a personal verification code of 11 letters and numbers, issued to every director or shareholder after completing identity verification successfully for the first time.

This code is linked to your personal identity, not to a particular company — so if you are a director in more than one UK company, you use the same code for all of them.

You will need the Personal Code every time you are appointed a director of a new company, or when updating your details in a CS01, or with any change in your position. Without this code, Companies House cannot process any request relating to you.

The code is sent to you by email after verification — keep it in a safe place and do not share it with anyone. If you lose the code, you can request that it be resent via the Companies House portal after re-verifying your identity.

At Eteform we make sure you receive your Personal Code as part of the formation process and send it to you with the rest of the company documents.