Verify for Companies House without a biometric passport
The GOV.UK One Login app is built around a biometric passport, which is why so many people get stuck on it. Verifying through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider accepts a wider range of documents — and ends with the same personal code.
What this means
- Our £39 digital check accepts more than a passport: a photocard driving licence from the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or EU, a biometric identity card from the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, a UK biometric residence permit or card, a UK Frontier Worker permit, or an eVisa.
- A machine-readable passport from any country also works — it does not have to be the newest biometric design.
- If none of those fit, the video call route is examined by a qualified accountant rather than automatically, and it accepts any photographic identity document catalogued on PRADO. That covers most national driving licences and identity cards, including those issued well outside the UK and EU.
- The video call needs two documents rather than one — either two photographic IDs, or one photo ID plus a supporting document such as a bank statement or a bill at your current address.
- Whichever route you use, every document must be in date. We do not use the short grace period Companies House allows on a recently expired passport.
How to put it right
- 1
Tell us what you have
Describe your documents in the free checker — in your own words — and it will tell you which route accepts them, and why.
- 2
Pick the route it points to
Digital at £39 if your document is on the automated list, or a video call at £49 if it needs a person to examine it.
- 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
I only have a driving licence. Is that enough?
For the £39 digital check, a photocard driving licence issued in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or the EU is enough on its own — full or provisional, and no proof of address is needed. A licence issued anywhere else is accepted on the video call route instead, alongside one more document.
My driving licence was issued outside the UK and EU. Can I use it?
Yes, but on the video call or in-person route rather than the digital check. Companies House limits photocard driving licences on the automated check to the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the EU. When a qualified person examines your documents instead, any photographic identity document catalogued on PRADO is accepted — and most national licences are.
My passport is old and not biometric. Does that rule me out?
Not necessarily. The digital check reads machine-readable passports as well as biometric ones, and almost every passport issued this century is machine-readable. If yours predates that, a qualified accountant can examine it on a video call instead.
What counts as a supporting document for the video call?
A bank or building society statement is accepted whatever address it shows. A council tax bill, utility bill, mortgage statement, insurance policy or rental agreement is accepted if it shows your current address. A birth, adoption, marriage or civil partnership certificate also counts.
What if I have no photographic identity document at all?
Then nobody can verify you yet, and we would rather say so than take your money. At least one photographic identity document is required on every route. Call us and we will tell you honestly what would be the quickest to obtain.
Does it cost more if I need the video call?
The video call is £49 against £39 for the digital check. We add no VAT to either, so those are the totals.
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.