Companies House on their own verification system — what it means for Gulf 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 Gulf clients who are cautious about sharing biometric data with a foreign government system.

The key point the post makes: the verification system was designed with overseas directors in mind from the start. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act — the legislation that created the verification requirement — explicitly recognised that UK companies frequently have directors who don't live in the UK. The ACSP route exists precisely because the government understood that the One Login route (which requires UK documents) would exclude a large proportion of legitimate directors.

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 Gulf 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 Gulf clients: the biometric verification software used by ACSPs is the same technology deployed at UK airports and border control. It processes your biometric data in the moment of verification and does not retain it beyond that event. Fileminder does not store your biometric data — we collect your document details for our own compliance records, but the biometric check itself leaves no permanent data footprint on our systems.

The process, in practice: you send us your ID document. We initiate a secure video link. You hold your document to the camera. The software reads the chip and matches it to your face in real time. Companies House receives the verified result. Total time: under 15 minutes.