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Coddan CPM Ltd. – Company Registration Agent in the UK

Follow the practical journey of your Companies House Personal Code as you manage key corporate changes and maintain compliance throughout your company's lifecycle.

Step 1
Understand Compliance Duties
Step 2
Review Corporate Changes
Step 3
Protect Verified Identity
Step 4
Complete Statutory Updates
Step 5
Secure Company Records
Step 6
Maintain Ongoing Compliance
Companies Registry's e-Services Portal Identity Verification Director ID Verification The Director’s Digital Passport: Managing Your Companies House Personal Code

The Director’s Digital Passport: Managing Your Companies House Personal Code

Manage, Protect and Recover Access to Your Companies House Personal Code

Once Companies House has issued your Personal Code, the practical task changes from verification to access, protection and appropriate use of the code. The code has 11 characters, belongs to you as the verified individual rather than to a company, and ordinarily remains associated with you when you have more than one applicable role or appointment. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

This page helps you establish what to do if you can access the code, cannot locate it, did not receive it after ACSP verification, need to share it for a legitimate filing, or believe it has been disclosed or compromised.

I have the code

Keep it accessible and protected. It is personal to you and should only be shared where a legitimate filing on your behalf requires it.

I cannot find it

The recovery route depends on whether you verified through GOV.UK One Login or an ACSP and whether the issue concerns account access, email delivery or the information supplied.

I need to share it

A trusted person or authorised agent may receive the code where they are legitimately filing on your behalf.

I think it was compromised

Companies House can change a Personal Code where it has been shared or compromised. Coddan does not replace the code.

Support available does not mean support required. If your code is accessible, secure and every presently applicable role-related action is complete, Nothing Further Required may be the correct outcome.

Access, Protect and Recover Your Personal Code According to How It Was Issued

Verified through GOV.UK One Login

Sign in to your Companies House account and use Manage account to view your Personal Code. Companies House guidance also states that, for identity verification completed through GOV.UK One Login after 8 July 2026, the code is sent by email as well. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

If you have not yet completed identity verification, the legitimate free GOV.UK One Login route remains available where you meet the applicable service requirements.

Verified through an ACSP

Companies House sends the Personal Code to the email address supplied by the ACSP. If you did not receive it, first check with the ACSP which email address was provided. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

If the ACSP supplied an incorrect email address, the ACSP needs to correct the relevant information. Where the supplied address is correct but the code has not arrived, the current Companies House guidance provides a route to contact Companies House.

If you cannot access or locate the code

Establish which problem you actually have before treating it as a missing Personal Code:

  • the identity verification may not have completed successfully;
  • you may be using the wrong email address or Companies House account route;
  • an ACSP may have supplied incorrect contact information;
  • the code email may not have been received even though the relevant information is correct; or
  • you may simply need to access a code that has already been saved to your Companies House account.

If the remaining issue concerns the underlying identity-verification result rather than access to an issued Personal Code, use the identity-verification issues and post-verification reconciliation destination instead.

Keep the Code Secure Without Treating It as a Company Credential

Your Personal Code is a personal Companies House identifier. It is not a password, government identity document, company asset or general filing credential. The term “digital passport” is used here only as an explanatory metaphor; it is not an official Companies House term.

Keep it accessible

Keep the code available through the appropriate Companies House account route where applicable, rather than relying solely on an old email.

Protect access

Treat the code as information that should only be disclosed when there is a legitimate reason for another person to use it on your behalf.

Review sharing requests

Check who is requesting the code, which role or filing requires it and whether the request genuinely relates to a Companies House process.

Companies House guidance permits you to share the Personal Code with people you trust to file on your behalf, such as an agent or accountant. The code should therefore not be treated as information that can never be shared, but neither does every employee, adviser, company or service provider need permanent access to it. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Share the Code Only for a Legitimate Filing Need

Before providing your Personal Code to another person, establish the purpose and authority for the request.

Who?

Identify the person, company or authorised agent requesting the code.

Why?

Identify the exact director, PSC or other applicable Companies House filing.

Authority?

Establish that the person is legitimately acting on your behalf for that filing.

How?

Consider how the code will be transmitted and stored once provided.

Sharing the code for one legitimate filing does not create a general entitlement to retain or reuse it for unrelated company administration.

If You Believe the Code Has Been Shared or Compromised

If you believe someone has obtained or misused your Personal Code, do not treat this as a new identity-verification application. Companies House states that it can change a Personal Code where it has been shared or compromised and will send a new code by email while cancelling the previous code. The current route is to contact Companies House to request the change. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Coddan does not create, issue, retrieve, replace or control the Personal Code. Companies House remains responsible for issuing or changing it. Where the underlying issue instead concerns incorrect information supplied during ACSP verification, Coddan may assist with the appropriate correction or contact process.

Multiple Companies, Multiple Roles and Nothing Further Required

The Personal Code belongs to the individual, not to one company. The same code is ordinarily used when the individual needs to confirm their verified status for different applicable appointments. A person who is both a director and a PSC does not ordinarily repeat identity verification merely because they hold both roles, although the director and PSC roles remain separate and each applicable role-related process must be completed. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

The code remains yours

Having several companies or applicable roles does not turn the Personal Code into a separate company credential.

The connected process remains separate

Holding the code does not itself complete director-role linkage, PSC-role linkage, incorporation, appointment, Confirmation Statement or another corporate event.

Nothing Further Required

If your Personal Code is accessible and appropriately protected, no recovery or management issue remains, and every presently applicable role-related and corporate process has been completed, Nothing Further Required may apply. Do not create additional work merely because the Personal Code continues to exist.

If the remaining question is how the Personal Code must be provided for a director, PSC, appointment or Confirmation Statement, use the dedicated Using the Personal Code destination rather than treating that filing task as Personal Code management.

If the question is instead what the Personal Code is, who issues it or how it is initially received, use the Understanding and Receiving the Personal Code destination.

Optional professional support: Coddan support may be relevant where the Participant needs appropriate assistance with an ACSP-related correction or a defined Companies House identity-verification matter. Support available does not mean support required.

Where Coddan-supported identity verification is relevant, technology performs the applicable identity and document checks; Coddan reviews the resulting information; Coddan determines whether it is satisfied that the Companies House standard has been met; and, following a successful outcome, Coddan performs its applicable notification responsibility. Coddan cannot order Companies House to issue a Personal Code, control the checking technology's result or replace a Personal Code.


Start Your Business Today: Fast Formation Services to Meet All Compliance Standards

Ensure compliance with Companies House through rapid, secure ID verification for Directors and PSCs. Complete the process online with an authorized ACSP

treamline your compliance with Companies House using our fast, secure ID verification for Directors and PSCs, all completed online by an authorized ACSP
£40.00
+VAT

IdentityGuard Pro™

Recommended for

1
package

Buy Now Identity Verification Bundle™ (Professional Director Identity Verification) – Obtain Your Companies House Personal Code Through Remote Director Identity Verification for £40.
The Identity Verification Bundle™ provides a simple, secure and professionally managed solution for applicants who need to complete mandatory Companies House director identity verification and obtain their unique 11-character Companies House Personal Code without travelling to the United Kingdom. Delivered through Coddan CPM's regulated Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) framework, this service enables UK and overseas directors, international entrepreneurs and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) to complete identity verification remotely while meeting the requirements introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) . Whether you are preparing to incorporate a UK company, accepting your first directorship, joining an existing company or completing identity verification during the Companies House transition period, this professionally managed service provides the first step towards establishing your verified corporate identity. Verification is completed using secure Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) , with every application supported by experienced compliance professionals who help ensure your submission is complete, accurate and compliant with Companies House requirements, enabling you to begin your long-term Companies House journey with confidence.

The service has been developed for both UK and international applicants, including directors using eligible non-UK identity documents and biometric passports. Once your identity has been successfully verified, you receive the Companies House Personal Code that becomes your permanent verified identifier throughout your corporate career. Where additional assistance is required, our compliance team provides practical guidance throughout the remote verification process, helping you understand the documentation requirements while reducing the likelihood of unnecessary delays. For a fixed fee of £40, the Identity Verification Bundle™ offers a secure, transparent and professionally managed route to obtaining your verified Companies House identity through a regulated ACSP. It is ideally suited to first-time directors, overseas entrepreneurs, non-UK resident directors, international investors and anyone seeking a trusted, professionally supported route to obtaining their Companies House Personal Code and building a strong foundation for long-term UK corporate compliance.



£65.00
+VAT

RapidVerify Pro™

Recommended for

2
package

Buy Now Fast-Track Expert Director ID Verification™ (Priority Director Identity Verification Service) – Priority Remote Identity Verification to Obtain Your Companies House Personal Code for £65.
The Fast-Track Expert Director ID Verification™ service is designed for directors who require priority Companies House identity verification and rapid access to their 11-character Companies House Personal Code without compromising accuracy, security or regulatory compliance. Delivered through Coddan CPM's regulated Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) framework, this premium service combines secure Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) with priority review by experienced compliance professionals, enabling UK and overseas applicants to complete identity verification remotely and begin using their verified Companies House identity as quickly as possible. Ideal for urgent UK company incorporations, director appointments, corporate transactions and statutory filing deadlines, this service provides priority handling from the moment your application is received. Every submission is carefully reviewed to help ensure your documentation is complete, consistent and compliant before progressing through the verification process, reducing the likelihood of unnecessary delays and helping you obtain the Personal Code needed to support your future Companies House responsibilities. Where all required information is provided, and no additional enquiries are necessary, most applications are processed within one business day.

If additional documentation is required, our compliance team will contact you promptly to help keep your verification progressing efficiently. The service has been developed for UK and international directors, including applicants using eligible non-UK identity documents and biometric passports. Once your identity has been successfully verified, you receive the Companies House Personal Code that becomes your permanent verified identifier for future company formations, director appointments and ongoing Companies House compliance. For £65, the Fast-Track Expert Director ID Verification™ service provides a faster, professionally managed route to obtaining your verified Companies House identity through a regulated ACSP. It is ideally suited to entrepreneurs, non-UK resident directors, international investors and businesses working to urgent commercial or regulatory deadlines that require their Companies House Personal Code quickly, securely and with the reassurance of experienced ACSP compliance specialists—without travelling to the United Kingdom.



£125.00
+VAT

VerifyFlex Solutions™

Recommended for

3
package

Buy Now Expert Director ID Verification™ (Professional Director Verification Service) – Two Remote Identity Verification Pathways to Obtain Your Companies House Personal Code for £125. The Expert Director ID Verification™ service is designed for directors, overseas entrepreneurs and international applicants who require greater flexibility when completing Companies House identity verification and obtaining their 11-character Companies House Personal Code. Delivered through Coddan CPM's regulated Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) framework, this professionally managed service offers two remote verification pathways, allowing applicants to choose the option that best matches their identity documents, country of residence and individual circumstances while meeting Companies House requirements. Our Fast-Track Digital Verification pathway uses secure Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) to verify eligible biometric identity documents quickly and efficiently. Where digital verification is not suitable, our Expert Manual Verification pathway provides a professionally supervised alternative, enabling experienced compliance specialists to review a broader range of acceptable identity documents and supporting evidence in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements. Both verification pathways have been developed to support UK and overseas applicants using eligible non-UK identity documents, biometric passports and other accepted forms of identification, helping them establish the verified identity that leads to the issue of their Companies House Personal Code.

Throughout the remote verification process, our compliance team provides practical guidance, carefully reviews every application and helps ensure all documentation satisfies Companies House requirements before identity verification is completed, reducing the likelihood of delays caused by incomplete or unsuitable submissions. We also help applicants determine which verification pathway is likely to be the most appropriate for their documentation before the process begins. For £125, the Expert Director ID Verification™ service combines advanced verification technology with experienced professional oversight, providing a flexible and reliable route to obtaining your verified Companies House identity through a regulated ACSP. It is ideally suited to overseas directors, non-UK resident applicants, individuals whose identity documents are unsuitable for straightforward digital verification and anyone seeking a trusted, professionally managed pathway to obtaining their Companies House Personal Code while building a secure foundation for future company formations, director appointments and long-term Companies House compliance.



£220.00
+VAT

FlexiVerify Option™

Recommended for

4
package

Buy Now FlexiVerify Option™ (Expert Manual Director ID Verification Service) – Professionally Managed Manual Identity Verification to Obtain Your Companies House Personal Code for £220.
The FlexiVerify Option™ is designed for directors whose Companies House identity verification requires individual assessment beyond standard digital verification in order to obtain their 11-character Companies House Personal Code. Delivered through Coddan CPM's regulated Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) framework, this professionally managed manual verification service provides a flexible and compliant solution for UK and overseas applicants whose circumstances are more complex or whose identity documents are unsuitable for automated verification. While eligible applicants may still use our Fast-Track Digital Verification pathway, FlexiVerify Option™ has been developed specifically for situations where biometric verification is unavailable, unsuitable or unable to verify identity with sufficient confidence. Rather than relying solely on automated technology, experienced compliance specialists assess every application individually, reviewing a broader range of acceptable identity evidence, including government-issued photographic identification, supporting proof of address and other documentation where appropriate, in accordance with applicable Companies House and anti-money laundering requirements. Applications are submitted securely through our online verification portal, with in-person verification available where appropriate, enabling even complex applicants to establish the verified identity that leads to the issue of their permanent Companies House Personal Code.

Every application receives an individual professional review, with comprehensive verification records maintained to support an appropriate regulatory audit trail and demonstrate compliance with applicable legal obligations. Where documentation requires additional clarification, our compliance professionals provide practical guidance throughout the verification process, helping applicants understand the most appropriate evidence for their individual circumstances while reducing unnecessary delays. For £220, FlexiVerify Option™ provides the highest level of professionally managed support for complex identity verification requirements and the secure establishment of your long-term Companies House identity through a regulated ACSP. It is ideally suited to directors requiring manual assessment, applicants using non-standard international identity documents, individuals with more complex verification circumstances and anyone seeking a fully supervised route to obtaining their Companies House Personal Code, providing a strong foundation for future director appointments, company formations and ongoing Companies House compliance throughout their corporate journey.





Manage your Companies House Personal Code with confidence after it has been issued.

Your 11-character Companies House Personal Code is personal to you. This page explains how to keep it accessible, decide when it may legitimately need to be shared, diagnose access or delivery problems, and respond appropriately if it has been disclosed or compromised.

Already have your Personal Code?

Keep access to the email address and Companies House account associated with your verification, and save the code using an appropriate secure method.

Cannot find or access it?

First identify whether the issue concerns delivery, email or account access, incorrect information, or a separate role-linkage or filing requirement.

Start by identifying your Personal Code position

Personal Code management begins with identifying what has actually happened. The appropriate next step is different where the code is available, where it was never received, where access has been lost, or where the code has already been supplied to someone legitimately filing on your behalf.

Your code is available

If you can access the code and there is no disclosure or access concern, the appropriate outcome may simply be to retain it securely and keep the relevant account or email access available.

Your code cannot be found

Establish which verification route you used and whether the code should be available through your Companies House account or the email address supplied during verification.

Your code was shared

Sharing with a trusted person who is legitimately filing on your behalf is different from an unexpected request, accidental wider disclosure or suspected compromise.

Support available does not mean support required. Use the appropriate free Companies House route where it resolves the issue. Professional support is relevant only where there is a genuine task for Coddan to perform.

Understand exactly what your Personal Code is — and is not

A personal Companies House identifier

Companies House issues a Personal Code after successful identity verification. It is an 11-character code belonging to the verified individual rather than to a company. The same person can use the same code in relation to relevant companies and roles.

The Personal Code is not a password, an identity document, a company asset or proof that every subsequent role-related or corporate requirement has been completed. Possessing the code does not itself complete director or PSC linkage, an appointment, a Confirmation Statement or another corporate filing.

Coddan uses the expression “digital passport” as an explanatory description. It is not the name of an official Companies House document or government term.

It belongs to you

The code is personal to the verified individual, not to a company or an adviser.

It can be changed

Companies House can change the Personal Code where its guidance provides for this, including where a code has been shared or compromised.

It does not complete every next step

Verification, code issuance, role linkage and corporate filings are separate parts of the Companies House process.

Find and retain access to your Personal Code

The route used for verification affects where you should look

Companies House provides different access arrangements depending on how identity verification was completed. The Post Office route is part of the GOV.UK One Login process; it is not a separate identity-verification regime.

GOV.UK One Login

Sign in to Companies House using the same email address used for verification and go to Manage account to view the Personal Code. For successful verification after 8 July 2026, Companies House also sends the code by email.

Post Office as part of One Login

If identity was proved at a Post Office through the GOV.UK One Login process, the successful result allows the participant to continue to the Companies House service and view the Personal Code in the Companies House account.

Authorised Corporate Service Provider

Where an ACSP completed the verification, Companies House issues the Personal Code to the email address supplied through the process. The ACSP does not create or issue the code.

If an ACSP supplied an incorrect email address, contact that ACSP because it may need to correct the verification details it provided. If the email address is correct but the code has not arrived, contact Companies House and ask for the ACSP team; Companies House can resend the email containing the code.

Read the current Companies House Personal Code guidance

Save and protect access without overcomplicating it

Practical Personal Code management

Companies House recommends keeping the Personal Code safe. A proportionate approach is to retain access to the relevant email address and Companies House account and save the code through an appropriate secure method that the individual can access when a legitimate Companies House process requires it.

  • Keep access to the email address associated with the verification process.
  • Where appropriate, save the code to the Companies House account so it remains accessible there.
  • Avoid unnecessary copying, publication or circulation of the code.
  • Keep the Personal Code distinct from GOV.UK One Login credentials.
  • Do not attach unnecessary identity-document information to a stored copy of the code.

There is no need to prescribe one universal technical storage method. The important distinction is between maintaining appropriate personal access and circulating the code unnecessarily.

Share your Personal Code only for a legitimate filing purpose

Trusted filing does not transfer ownership of the code

The Personal Code does not have to remain exclusively in the individual's hands in every circumstance. Companies House guidance permits a person to share the code with someone they trust when that person is legitimately filing on their behalf.

Before sharing it, establish:

  • who is requesting the code;
  • which company, role or filing is involved;
  • whether the recipient has proper authority;
  • whether the code is genuinely required for that Companies House process;
  • how the information will be transferred and stored; and
  • whether continued access is necessary after the filing task is complete.

An accountant, company secretary, formation agent or other adviser does not become the owner of the Personal Code merely because they receive it for an authorised filing.

Respond appropriately if your Personal Code has been shared or compromised

Different situations require different responses

Legitimate sharing

Sharing with a trusted person who is genuinely filing on your behalf is different from unauthorised disclosure.

Unexpected request

Establish who is requesting the code and why before disclosing it. Do not rely solely on contact details supplied in an unexpected message.

Possible compromise

If you believe the code has been shared or compromised, contact Companies House and follow its current process for changing the code.

Companies House controls the code. Where a code has been shared or compromised, Companies House can change it, sends the new code by email and cancels the previous code.

Coddan cannot replace, cancel, deactivate or reissue the Personal Code and cannot require Companies House to issue one.

Follow the current Companies House process for a shared or compromised Personal Code

Diagnose missing-code, access and record problems separately

Do not repeat identity verification simply because access has failed

A missing or unusable Personal Code does not automatically mean that identity verification must be repeated. Establish which part of the process has failed before choosing a remedy.

Verification was not completed

This is an identity-verification issue rather than a Personal Code management issue. Move to the appropriate verification route or reconciliation destination.

Verification succeeded but the code is missing

Check the route used, the relevant email address and the Companies House account. For ACSP verification, the ACSP should confirm the information supplied.

The code does not connect to the record

An incorrectly entered code, incorrect date of birth or incorrect details supplied through an ACSP can prevent the verified identity from being connected correctly.

The remaining problem is role-related

If the code is available but director or PSC linkage remains incomplete, the issue concerns use of the code rather than management or recovery of it.

Where Coddan supplied incorrect information through its applicable ACSP notification process, Coddan may assist with the appropriate correction or Companies House contact process. It cannot guarantee the outcome or recover the code directly.

Move to the failed-verification and post-verification reconciliation destination

Know when Personal Code management is complete

Management is separate from using the code

Your Personal Code may later be needed for a director role, a separate PSC role, an appointment, a Confirmation Statement or another applicable Companies House process. Those uses belong to the relevant professional destination; they are not the same job as keeping the code accessible and appropriately controlled.

One individual may be connected with several companies and may hold both director and PSC roles. Identity verification is not ordinarily repeated merely because the individual has several companies or roles, but director and PSC requirements remain separate and the Personal Code does not automatically complete every linkage or filing.

If use is the remaining task

Move to the dedicated Using the Personal Code destination rather than repeating its complete instructions here.

Using the Personal Code

If receipt or meaning is the remaining task

Use the separate destination explaining what the Personal Code is and how it is received.

Understanding and receiving the Personal Code

If no professional task remains

Nothing Further Required may be the correct result where the Personal Code remains securely accessible, there is no inappropriate disclosure or access problem, all currently applicable role-related use is complete and no separate corporate event remains.

Multiple companies, overseas circumstances and later-stage requirements

Keep the Personal Code question proportionate

The Personal Code remains personal to the individual whether that person is connected with one company or several. Overseas residence does not change ownership of the code. An overseas participant may nevertheless have practical questions about access to the notified email, the verification route originally used, differences in personal information or a separate international documentary issue.

Genuine international identity or documentary problems should move to the appropriate specialist verification destination rather than turning Personal Code management into a general international-verification guide.

This director-silo page does not attempt to define every LLP or partnership obligation. Current official guidance separates directors or equivalent roles and PSCs from requirements that are due to be introduced later for limited partnerships, corporate members of LLPs and other filing Participants. An LLP member, general partner or other Participant should therefore follow the rule and implementation phase applying to that exact capacity rather than assume that the director timetable applies.

Dissolution, restoration, outstanding accounts, a Confirmation Statement, an appointment or another corporate event remains a separate professional task. A Personal Code does not itself restore a company or LLP, complete outstanding filings or reinstate an officer's role.

What Coddan can and cannot do with your Personal Code

Optional ACSP support where there is a genuine professional task

Coddan is registered with Companies House as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). That status does not make Coddan the issuer or controller of an individual's Personal Code, and it does not make professional support mandatory.

What Coddan cannot do

  • create or issue a Personal Code;
  • order Companies House to issue one;
  • control when Companies House sends it;
  • retrieve it directly from Companies House for the individual;
  • replace or cancel it;
  • guarantee access, resolution or a successful filing;
  • bypass GOV.UK or Companies House; or
  • lower the Companies House identity-verification standard.

Where Coddan-supported verification is relevant

The applicable process is separated into its respective responsibilities:

  1. technology performs the applicable identity and document checks;
  2. Coddan reviews the resulting information;
  3. Coddan determines whether it is satisfied that the Companies House standard has been met; and
  4. following a successful outcome, Coddan performs its applicable notification responsibility.

Companies House ACSP registration should also be distinguished from HMRC anti-money-laundering supervision. Personal Code management is separate from AML, KYC and CDD.

Keep the official route visible

Use the free route where it resolves the issue

Companies House and GOV.UK provide the primary routes for verifying identity, accessing and managing the Personal Code, and resolving code-related issues. Coddan support is optional and should be used only where there is a genuine professional task.

The identity-verification timetable is role-dependent. Current official guidance separates directors or equivalent roles and PSCs from roles scheduled for later introduction, so no universal November 2026 deadline should be applied to every Participant.