ICAEW's director ID guide, what it means in practice for Arab directors

ICAEW published this piece shortly after identity verification launched in October 2025. It's a solid overview, but it reads from a UK perspective. Here's our translation for Arab directors.

The article explains two verification routes: directly through GOV.UK One Login, or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. One Login accepts a current biometric passport from any country. The ACSP route is an alternative for people who prefer guided support or need to use other evidence allowed by the current standard.

ICAEW correctly notes that verification doesn't expire automatically. Once you've verified, you're verified, it stays on your Companies House record permanently. You don't repeat it annually. The only scenario requiring re-verification is if Companies House flags a discrepancy, which in practice is rare for legitimate directors.

One thing the article doesn't address: which documents from GCC countries are accepted? From our day-to-day verification work, the following all pass the biometric checks: biometric passports from any GCC country, Saudi national ID (هوية وطنية), Emirates ID, and national IDs from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. The verification software is the same technology used at UK border control, it's robust and designed for international documents.

The public register point matters for Arab directors particularly. If you don't verify, Companies House annotates your company's public record with an 'unverified director' notation. This is visible to anyone searching your company, including banks when you apply for UK business accounts, suppliers doing due diligence, and investors. Verification removes this risk entirely.