Companies House on their own verification system, what it means for Arab directors

Companies House published this blog post shortly after the verification system went live. It explains the design philosophy, why the system was built the way it was. We find it useful for reassuring Arab clients who are cautious about sharing biometric data with a foreign government system.

The verification system offers overseas directors two routes. GOV.UK One Login accepts a current biometric passport from any country, while an authorised ACSP provides an agent-assisted alternative using evidence allowed by the Companies House standard.

Companies House also explains the purpose of verification: to remove fraudulent directors from the register. There are tens of thousands of people listed as directors of UK companies who either don't know it, or never consented to it, names used in fraud without the individual's knowledge. Identity verification closes that loophole. For legitimate Arab directors, it's a small administrative step. For the integrity of the UK register, and for your company's credibility, it's significant.

On the data and privacy question, which we hear often from Arab clients: we check identity against the Companies House standard, and we keep identity documents and verification evidence for the seven years the rules require. Our privacy policy explains how we handle them, and we can tell you about the checks and data handling used in your case.

The process, in practice: we confirm which document you will use, then you complete the check remotely, for example by photographing your document and recording a short video. Companies House receives the result, without a UK visit at any point.