UK Companies House identity verification becomes mandatory
From 18 November 2025, identity verification became mandatory for directors and people with significant control of UK companies under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. In the causal graph this event strengthens Anti-corruption enforcement capacity, a driver that strengthens Corruption Perceptions Index — Georgia — an improving welfare path.
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From 18 November 2025, identity verification became mandatory for directors and people with significant control of UK companies under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. New appointments and registrations must verify identity using specified documents through a free government service or an authorised provider, with existing directors and controllers phased in over twelve months. Companies House described the change as a shift from passive record-keeping to ongoing verification, proactively removing false entries and applying sanctions.
Who was responsible
Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.
Companies House
OrganizationDirect responsibility
verified
Operationalising identity verification directly raises the cost of using anonymous companies for fraud and laundering.
What changed
Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.
- FactUK Companies House identity verification becomes mandatory
- strengthensDriverAnti-corruption enforcement capacity
- strengthensIndicators (4)Corruption Perceptions Index — Georgia
impact weight 0.5 · Effect from 18 November 2025 · verified
Mandatory identity verification gives enforcement bodies reliable data on who controls companies, reinforcing AML enforcement.
Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.4 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.8)
Observed
50 index score (0-100) · at the normal line (2025)
At normalAbove normal = better
Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.3 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.6)
Observed
42.5 index score (0-100) · 7.53 below the normal line (2025)
Worse than normalAbove normal = better
Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.2 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.4)
Observed
0.55 index score (0-1) · 0.26 below the normal line (2024)
Worse than normalAbove normal = better
All indicators on this path (4)
Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.15 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.3)
Observed
0.57 index score (0-1) · 0.23 below the normal line (2024)
Worse than normal125 readings, 1900–2024: rose from 0.5 index score (0-1) to 0.57 index score (0-1).
Above normal = better
Causal path
How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.
- ActorCompanies House
- contributed toFactUK Companies House identity verification becomes mandatory
- strengthensDriverAnti-corruption enforcement capacity
- strengthensIndicatorCorruption Perceptions Index — Georgia
Cite this page
Factrail. (2026). UK Companies House identity verification becomes mandatory. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/gov-fact-uk-companies-house-identity-verification-2025
https://factrail.ai/facts/gov-fact-uk-companies-house-identity-verification-2025
Accessed 15 October 2026.
By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed
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