Companies House Director ID Verification for ACSPs
New legislation will require all directors and PSCs to verify their identity with Companies House from the 18th November either directly with them or via an Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSP).
Our new Director ID Verification check makes it simple for ACSPs to verify their clients identity to Company House’s new standards.
TRUSTED BY THESE COMPANIES
How Credas' Director ID Verification meets Companies House Standards
Companies House Requirements
Step 1 - Ask for information about the person
Step 1 of the Companies House guidance requires you to obtain the following information from the person:
- full name and any former names
- date of birth
- home address
- address history for the last 12 months
- email address
How Credas helps
Our dynamic data capture forms make the process simple for your customers by guiding them step-by-step through the information they need to provide.
If additional evidence is required, such as a utility bill to confirm a previous name or address your clients can easily upload it through the same secure journey, straight from their phone or computer.,
This not only gives your clients a clear and seamless experience but also ensures you collect all the evidence you need first time, reducing delays and unnecessary back-and-forth.
How Credas helps
With Credas, your clients can complete their ID verification quickly and securely whether they choose to use our mobile app or web portal.
They simply upload their ID documents and our certified document verification software takes care of the rest.
In the background, our smart workflow engine automatically recognises the type of document submitted, checks its authenticity, and, where needed, requests a second form of ID. This ensures the process is smooth for your clients, while giving you full compliance with both Option 1 and Option 2 requirements.
The result? Less chasing, less admin, and a better experience for your clients.
Companies House Requirements
Step 2 - Get evidence to verify the person’s identity
As part of the process you will need to ask to see documents as evidence to verify the person’s identity. There are two options for checking identity documents. You can either check the documents manually in person or use validation technology (IDVT) that can validate the cryptographic features of the document.
Option 1
If using an IDVT you can rely upon a single UK/EU issued identity document that can be cryptographically verified such a UK passport, drivers license or resident permit.
Option 2
If you client does not have a UK/EU issued identity document then you will need to get two peices of evidence such as a non-UK passport, a utility bill, a non-photographic work-permit or a recent letter from a building society.
To see the full list of acceptable documents click here
KEY FEATURES OF OUR ID VERIFICATION SOLUTION
Passiveness liveness to increase outcome rates
Verification of 2,500+ ID documents
Remote or in-person identity checks
NFC document verification
Digital Address Verification
Browser or app compatible
Amberhill Police Database Checks
HALO database mortality checks
Easy to understand reports
Companies House Requirements
Step 3 - Check the evidence is real
You must check the supplied identity documents for signs of tampering and query if there are any signs of damage to a document or tampering.
If the evidence is being checked by a person, they must be trained in detecting false documents by a specialist training provider. This could be any organisation that follows the Home Office best practice guide.
How Credas helps
Credas IDV technology is certified against the UK Government’s Digital Attributes and Trust Framework meaning you can rely upon us to verify the ID documents reducing the need and cost of putting your staff through specialist training.
The Credas mobile app utilises NFC reading technology to read the RFID chip embedded in passports which is the most reliable and secure method to determine whether it is a genuine government issued document.
We are also capable of verifying over 2,500 international ID documents, checking the security features are consistent with official guidelines, there is no evidence of tampering and document is being presenting in real-time i.e. not a print out or screen capture.
Our ID verification technology uses advanced technology to automatically detect evidence of physical tampering, digital tampering, presentation attacks / deepfakes and AI generated documents.
How Credas helps
Our passive liveness technology automatically measures and analyses physical characteristics and reactions to determine if the person being captured is live and present.
We then compare the image captured to the image on the document to verify that the same person is present in both images. By performing both actions we are able to confidently confirm the person submitting the document matches the documents submitted.
We use trusted data sources such as the electoral roll, HALO database and financial institutions to run additional address and mortality checks in the background that help establish the identity has existed over time and is not synthetic / fabricated.
Companies House Requirements
Step 4 - Check it is a real identity & it belongs to the person claiming it
The next step is to ensure the documents supplied match the information given to you such as:
- do the documents confirm the person’s name and date of birth
- does the person physically matches the photo that is on, or goes with the document(s)
are they a real person? - If you’re verifying them remotely, you’ll need to clearly see their face to compare it with the photo that is on the identity document
To lower the risk of you accepting a synthetic identity, you should ask to see additional documentation if:
- the identity documents they’ve provided do not confirm their address history for the last 12 months
- they have changed their name
Companies House Requirements
Final step - Confirm with Companies House and Keep a Record
Once you have satisfied that you have confidently verified the individual’s identity you then need to confirm this with Companies House. You must keep records of all the evidence and information you used to verify someone’s identity for 7 years from the date the identity was verified.
Companies House Director ID Verification for ACSPs FAQs
Is it just directors who need to verify their identity with Companies House?
All company directors, Persons of Significant Control (PSCs), and any individual authorised to file information on behalf of a company (for example, a company secretary) must verify their identity with Companies House.
A director, in law, may include a board member, general partner, chairperson, or managing officer. It is important to note that you do not need to hold the job title “director” to be legally registered as a director at Companies House.
What type of document can you verify?
Our software is able to extract data from official ID documents from all around the world using either NFC to read biometric passports/cards or through machine reading. We run a range of checks to ensure to the document hasn’t been tampered with, check security features and that the document in the persons possession at the time (its not a digital image). Examples documents we can verify include:
- Government issued passports
- Driving licences
- National ID cards
- Residence permits
- Military ID cards
- Travel permits
- Visas
- Work permits
- Social security cards
Please contact us for a list of documents we are able to verify
Once my client has complete their ID check what do I need to do?
Once your client has successfully completed their ID check, you must submit their details to Companies House via the web portal. This includes providing your client’s verified personal information, such as their email address, the method of verification (in-person or via an IDVT), and the details of the documents used.
You do not need to upload copies of the documents, only the key information, such as the type of document, its country of origin, and any relevant identifiers.
What is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider?
An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) is an organisation that has been authorised by Companies House to submit certain filings on their clients behalf.
Example organisations that also act as ACSPs are accountants, solicitors and company formation agents. To be an ACSP you must be registered with a UK Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory body such as HMRC, the SRA or ICAEW.
Is your service certified by Companies House?
Companies House does not directly certify IDVT service providers. Instead, Identity Service Providers (IDSPs) can apply for certification under the UK’s Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF), which forms part of the Data, Smart Data and Digital Identity legislation introduced through the Data (Use and Access) Bill.
How much do your Director ID checks cost?
We offer a range of packages tailored to different needs from single office estate agents to international firms. Our prices range from £0.80 – £1.95 a credit depending on your annual volumes.
Be ready for Companies House changes today
Verify Your Clients’ Identities with our digital ID verification technology
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