TL;DR. The Personal Code is an 11-character identifier you receive after successful Companies House identity verification. You can use the free GOV.UK One Login route where it supports your evidence, or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) for a supported, reviewed route. Below are the steps and documents to prepare.
There's plenty of generic "what is a Personal Code" content out there. This isn't that. This is the actual flow, written for someone who needs to get it done this week.
What a Personal Code is, in one paragraph
A Personal Code is an 11-character identifier issued by Companies House after you complete identity verification. It is tied to you, not to one company. You use the same code when providing verification details for each director or PSC role that requires it.
It is not a password. The Personal Code itself is not used for login — your GOV.UK One Login or your filing software credentials still do that. The Personal Code is an identifier. Think of it like a National Insurance number: not secret, but worth treating carefully.
Before you start: the four questions that determine your route
Ask yourself these before opening anything. They take 30 seconds and will save you an hour of clicking.
1. Do you hold a current chip-enabled passport?
If yes, and it's from a country on the GOV.UK ID Check app's supported list (see the current list), the biometric route via One Login will probably work. If no — skip One Login's biometric flow entirely.
2. Do you have a UK credit footprint?
The document-based fallback inside One Login asks knowledge-based authentication questions drawn from your UK credit file. If you have a UK mortgage, current account, or credit card with at least 12 months of history, this works. If you're a non-UK resident, recent arrival, or have a thin file — it won't.
3. Does your name match the Companies House register exactly?
Go to Companies House WebCheck and look up your company. Check your name and date of birth exactly as held. If the name on your passport differs (married name, anglicised name, transliterated name) — fix the register first with form CH01 (directors) or PSC04 (PSCs). Verifying with mismatched names is the single most common reason for failed applications.
4. Are you in a rush?
GOV.UK One Login and ACSP providers may publish indicative processing times, but Companies House controls Personal Code issuance. If a filing deadline is close, check the current official route and ask an ACSP to confirm its review and submission target before purchasing.
Route A: GOV.UK One Login (free, ~8 minutes)
Open https://www.gov.uk/identity-verification-companies-house and click the green button. You'll be redirected to GOV.UK One Login.
Step 1: Sign in or create a One Login account
If you've used HMRC's personal tax account, the Tell Us Once service, or renewed a UK passport online in the last few years, you probably already have a One Login. Use the same credentials.
If you don't have one, creating an account takes 2 minutes — email address, password, and a 2FA method (authenticator app or SMS).
Step 2: Start identity verification
After login, choose "Verify my identity for Companies House". One Login will ask whether you want to use the biometric flow (smartphone app) or the document-based flow.
Step 3a: Biometric flow (smartphone)
You'll be given a QR code on screen. Open the GOV.UK ID Check app on your phone (download it from the App Store or Google Play if you haven't already), scan the QR code, then follow the in-app instructions:
- Photo of the photo page of your passport. Hold the phone steady, fill the frame.
- Chip scan. Hold the phone against the back cover of the passport. The chip is embedded near the cover, not the photo page — if it's not reading, slide the phone slowly across the back cover until it picks up.
- Selfie video. You'll be asked to read three random words aloud while the camera films you. This is the liveness check — it confirms you're a real person, not a static photo or a deepfake.
If everything passes, you'll see a green tick within 60 seconds. Close the app, return to the One Login web page, and click "Continue". Your Personal Code is issued and emailed to you within minutes.
Step 3b: Document-based flow (no app)
If you don't have a phone, don't have a chip-enabled passport, or just prefer not to use the app, you can use the document-based flow. You'll:
- Upload photos of your photo ID and one address proof.
- Answer 4–6 knowledge-based authentication (KBA) questions drawn from your UK credit file. Examples: "Which of these is a previous address?" and "Which lender holds your current mortgage?"
If you get the KBA questions right, your identity is verified and the Personal Code is issued. If you get more than two wrong, you're locked out for 24 hours and must try again.
Step 4: Receive your Personal Code
You'll see the Personal Code on screen at the end of the flow and receive it by email. Save it immediately — to a password manager, a printed copy in a locked drawer, or a secure note. You'll need it on every filing.
It will also appear automatically in your Companies House WebFiling profile within 24 hours.
Route B: ACSP (paid, provider-specific target)
Use this route if One Login isn't an option — your passport isn't supported, you don't have a UK credit footprint, you've already tried and failed, or you simply want someone else to handle it.
Step 1: Choose an ACSP
Browse the register of authorised ACSPs. There are hundreds. A few practical filters:
- Price range. £15–£35 for basic services, £35–£60 for standalone verification with named support, £60–£100+ for overseas-director services with notarisation handling.
- Service target. Check whether the stated timeframe covers the provider's review and submission work or incorrectly promises Companies House issuance.
- Specialism. Some ACSPs cater to UK residents only; others specialise in overseas verification, complex name changes, or trust structures.
Step 2: Submit your documents
You'll typically be asked for:
- Photo ID: passport, BRP, or EU/EEA national ID card. Some ACSPs accept UK driving licences as a backup.
- Address proof: utility bill, bank statement, council tax bill, or HMRC letter, dated within the last 3 months.
- A short selfie or live video call. Required by most ACSPs to confirm you're the person on the ID.
- The company number and your role. So the ACSP can cross-check against the Companies House register.
ACSPs usually have a secure upload portal. Don't email passports to a generic inbox — if the ACSP only accepts email, that's a red flag.
Step 3: Review and verification
A human reviewer at the ACSP runs your documents through:
- A document authenticity check (passport MRZ verification, hologram check)
- A liveness check on the selfie or video
- Sanctions/PEP screening
- Cross-check against your Companies House record
This is where most rejections happen. If the ACSP finds a name mismatch or an unreadable address proof, they'll come back to you. Good ACSPs do this within hours of submission; bad ones leave you in a queue for days.
Step 4: Personal Code issued
When the ACSP confirms your identity, it submits the verification record to Companies House. Companies House then controls Personal Code issuance and delivery.
It's the same Personal Code you would have received from One Login — Companies House doesn't differentiate between routes. The route only affects how the verification was performed, not what you get out of it.
What gets people rejected
We've seen the same handful of failures repeatedly. None of them are interesting. All of them are avoidable.
Name doesn't match
If the register says "Robert James Smith" and your passport says "Bob Smith", verification will fail. Fix the register with CH01 (directors) or PSC04 (PSCs) before starting verification.
Address proof too old or wrong type
Utility bills more than 3 months old are rejected. So are mobile phone bills (Companies House and most ACSPs treat mobile contracts as too easily transferable). Joint statements addressed to "Mr & Mrs" are rejected unless your individual name is on the document.
Passport expired
Even if you only need IDV, an expired passport is rejected outright. Renew the passport first if it's expired or within 6 months of expiry.
Selfie too dark, too bright, or partially obscured
The liveness check is automated. Indirect natural light, no shadows, no glasses, no hat, neutral expression, mouth visible. Don't wear lipstick that washes out your lip definition.
Multiple attempts in a short window
One Login locks you out for 24 hours after 3 failed biometric attempts. Some ACSPs flag the same person trying repeatedly. If you've failed twice, stop and figure out why before trying again — usually it's one of the issues above.
Sanctions or PEP false-positive
Common names (Mohammed Khan, Wang Wei, John Smith) sometimes trigger sanctions matches against entirely different people. This isn't a rejection — it's a pause. The verifier asks for additional context and resolves it manually.
After you get the code
A few practical points that aren't obvious:
Store it like a passport number. Not secret, but worth protecting. Don't email it around.
Update WebFiling. If you use Companies House WebFiling, your profile will pick up the Personal Code automatically — but check that it shows on your profile within 24 hours of issuance. If it hasn't appeared after 48 hours, contact Companies House (the ACSP can chase if you used one).
Tell your accountant. If you have an accountant who files on your behalf, they need your Personal Code to make filings against your director record. Most accountants now ask for it on onboarding.
One code, every company. You don't need a new code each time you become a director. Same code, every company.
No expiry. The code doesn't expire. Your underlying passport can expire and be renewed; the code stays the same.
What if I'm not in a hurry?
Use the free route. There's no quality difference between One Login verification and ACSP verification — both produce the same Personal Code, both result in the same "verified" status on the public register.
Pay for an ACSP when:
- The free route isn't open to you (overseas, no UK credit file, unsupported passport)
- You've already failed the free route and don't know why
- You need a priority review and submission target
- You have edge-case issues (name changes, sanctions false positives, complex trust structures) that benefit from a human reviewer
If none of those apply, pay zero and do it yourself in 8 minutes.
Sources and references
- GOV.UK identity verification for Companies House
- GOV.UK ID Check app — supported documents
- Authorised Corporate Service Provider register
- Form CH01 — change of director's details (Companies House)
- Form PSC04 — change of PSC details (Companies House)
Request a supported ACSP review
If the free route is not workable for your situation, VerifyDirector is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider offering Standard and Express ACSP review and submission targets after complete, acceptable evidence is received. Companies House controls Personal Code issuance and email delivery.
- See pricing — view current Standard and Express options
- Reading this from outside the UK? Our overseas director guide explains exactly what works from your country.
If you can use GOV.UK One Login, do that instead and save your money. We're only worth paying when the free route is closed.