Verify your identity for Companies House from India
Indian directors and shareholders of UK companies can complete the Companies House identity check entirely from India, on a phone, with a passport. The documents you use every day in India — Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID — are not the ones to reach for here, and this page explains what is.
What this means
- Your Indian passport is the document to use, and it does not have to be the new chipped e-passport. The £39 digital check reads any machine-readable passport, which covers Indian passports issued in the current design with the two character lines at the foot of the photo page.
- Aadhaar, PAN and voter ID cards are not on the Companies House list for the automated check — which accepts identity cards only from the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein — and we would not rely on them on a video call either. They are not photographic identity documents in the sense Companies House means, so please do not pay expecting them to work.
- No proof of address is needed for the digital check — so it does not matter that your electricity bill is in a parent's name or your bank statement is in Hindi. If you take the video call, a bank statement is accepted whatever address it shows.
- One rule applies because you live outside the UK: at least one document must be government-issued. Your passport satisfies it on its own.
- Founders forming a new UK company from India often do everything in one order with us: verification for each director and shareholder, the incorporation itself, and the UK registered office address the company must have. The verifications come first, because Companies House will not appoint an unverified director.
How to put it right
- 1
Check your documents
Tell the free checker what you hold. For almost everyone from India the answer is the digital check with your passport.
- 2
Verify on your phone
About five minutes, from anywhere in India: photograph the passport, 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
Does Companies House accept an Indian passport?
Yes. There is no approved-country list. The digital check accepts any biometric or machine-readable passport, and Indian passports in the current design are machine-readable whether or not they carry a chip. If the automated check cannot read yours, a qualified accountant can examine it on a video call.
Can I use Aadhaar or my PAN card?
No. Neither is on the Companies House list for the automated check, and neither is a document we would accept on a video call. Your passport is the document for this. If you do not hold a passport, call us before paying and we will tell you honestly what the quickest route is.
I am visiting the UK soon. Should I wait and do it in person?
There is no need. The digital check takes five minutes from India and costs £39. If you would prefer to sit with a qualified accountant, we do offer in-person verification in Manchester at £59, but most people find the phone check easier and it produces exactly the same personal code.
I am a shareholder, not a director. Do I need this?
If you hold more than 25% of the shares or voting rights you are a person with significant control, and PSCs must verify their identity in the same way directors do. The check is identical and the £39 fee is the same.
Can you incorporate the company too?
Yes. Incorporation is £200 and includes the UK registered office address the company must have. Directors and shareholders are verified first; the incorporation follows once Companies House has issued their codes, usually the same day.
What does it cost in total?
The digital check is £39 per person and the video call is £49. We add no VAT and there is no overseas surcharge. Card payment in pounds sterling; your bank converts at its own rate.
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.