Verify your identity for Companies House from outside the UK
You do not need to live in the UK, hold a UK passport, or travel here. The whole check is done on your phone from wherever you are, and Companies House issues your personal code exactly as it would for a UK resident.
What this means
- There is no requirement for a UK company director or person with significant control to live in the UK or be a UK national. The company needs a UK registered office; the people behind it do not need to be here.
- Our £39 digital check accepts a biometric or machine-readable passport from any country. There is no list of approved nationalities, and we will never tell you your passport is unsupported simply because it was not issued in the UK or the EU.
- No proof of address is required for the digital check, which matters when your utility bills are not in English or not in your name.
- One rule does apply to you that does not apply to UK residents: at least one of your documents must be government-issued. A passport, national identity card or driving licence satisfies it, so in practice almost everyone already meets it.
- If the automated check cannot read your document, a video call with one of our qualified accountants can — and we will work around your time zone rather than ours.
How to put it right
- 1
Check what you hold
Our free checker tells you which route your documents allow, and why, before you pay anything.
- 2
Verify from where you are
About five minutes on your phone: photograph your document, then take a short live photo. No appointment and no travel.
- 3
Get your code
Companies House issues your personal code once we confirm your identity — usually within minutes, occasionally up to two working days.
Regulated Companies House agent (ACSP AP006589)
We deal with strike-offs, overdue filings and identity verification every day. If we can’t help, we’ll tell you who can.
Check your documents free →Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a UK resident or citizen to be a director?
No. There is no residency or nationality requirement for a UK company director or PSC. The company must have a UK registered office, but the people running it can live anywhere in the world.
Will my passport be accepted if it is not British or European?
Yes. The digital check accepts biometric and machine-readable passports from any country. We regularly verify directors holding passports from across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
Do I need to prove my overseas address?
Not for the digital check — it asks for one photographic document and nothing else. The video call and in-person routes need a second document, and a bank statement is accepted whatever address it shows.
Can I use my national identity card or residence card?
It depends which route. The digital check accepts biometric identity cards from the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, plus UK residence permits and cards. On a video call a qualified accountant can accept any photographic identity document catalogued on PRADO, which covers most national identity cards and driving licences. Tell our checker what you hold and it will say which applies.
What if I am in a very different time zone?
The £39 digital check needs no appointment at all, so the time zone is irrelevant. If you need a video call we will book it around you, including early mornings and evenings UK time.
Is there VAT on top for an overseas customer?
No. We do not add VAT to any of our fees, wherever you are. The price quoted is the total.
We’re TaxStats ID, an authorised Companies House agent (ACSP AP006589) from TaxStats Ltd — independent, and not Companies House or GOV.UK. We’ll do what we can and, for anything outside what we handle, we’ll tell you honestly and point you to the right person. Prefer to talk? Call 0161 317 8556.