Elemental Verify FAQs

Elemental Verify is our secure, online identity‑verification service. Elemental is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), offering support to meet the Companies House identity verification requirements under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA).

The ECCTA reforms aim to improve the accuracy of the Companies House register by ensuring that those that manage, own or control companies and those that file on the register are who they say they are.

Identity verification will become mandatory for:

• Company directors
• People with Significant Control (PSCs)
• Members of LLPs
• General partners of limited partnerships
• Relevant officers of registrable legal entities (RLEs)
• Anyone filing documents at Companies House on behalf of a company (unless employed by an ACSP).

Voluntary Identity Verification became available on  April 8, 2025. It will become mandatory from Autumn 2025 (exact date TBC by Companies House)

Yes. The process is fully remote and works globally with an internet connection.

Yes.

You can begin verification here.

With our standard service, most users who are verifying will be required to:

• Enter the details of the person(s) being verified
• Complete payment
• Scan your ID document
• Take a selfie
• Upload additional documents (if required depending on your personal circumstances)

In most cases, identity verification must be completed by the individual themselves, using their own device and ID documents. This is because the process involves biometric checks, such as scanning your face and passport, which must match.

However, if you’re unable to complete the process or need assistance, we offer a Verify Exec service where someone, such as a professional advisor or assistant, can complete the checks on your behalf using your ID.

• You’ll receive an email confirming your submission.
• We’ll send you a secure link to begin the ID check.
• If you selected card payment, we’ll confirm receipt; if you requested an invoice, we’ll issue that before moving forward.

In most circumstances, our Identity Verification Technology (IDVT) verifies the document and matches it to your image. We’ll notify you by email once we’ve received a result and/or if we need anything else.

Usually within a few minutes, but in some cases may take up to a few hours if additional checks are needed.

Most rejections are caused by blurry or incomplete images and can be resolved by retaking the photos. If it fails due to other reasons, we’ll be on hand to provide further help.

To verify your identity, you are likely to need the following:

• Your selected ID document (and any second document, depending on your circumstances). For further details see “The ID Document Check”.
• A smartphone or tablet with camera (iPhone 7 or newer, or Android 0 or later)
• A method of payment e.g. a credit card.

Yes. Our portal allows you to verify multiple individuals. For large numbers of verifications e.g. for a large partnership, information can be uploaded using a CSV file. Alternatively, please contact us if you would like assistance.

If you’re coordinating verification for others, we’ll provide access to our admin dashboard so you can track progress and status in real time.

No. Our processes rely on Identity Verification Technology that uses software that checks an individual’s documents and a selfie. This is an easy and straightforward process that can be completed by each director in their own time no matter where they are in the world.

Yes. With our Verify Exec service, we support UHNW individuals, busy directors, and others seeking additional verification assistance.

The email address you provided for registration with Companies House can only be used once to verify someone’s identity. You will not be able to use it again for anyone else whose identity you have verified. It should be unique to the individual and should not be a group email address.

Verify Exec is our premium service designed for law firms, family offices, and professional support teams verifying on behalf of UHNW individuals, busy executives, or those needing additional assistance. With our exec service clients receive:

• A dedicated Verification Officer
• Individuals can receive complete assistance from their professional support teams
• The physical ID can be scanned on the individual’s behalf
• Liveness can be certified without the individual present (via an authorised person e.g. a qualified lawyer).

For more information and to begin the process, visit our Identity Verification Services page.

Elemental Verify is our core online verification service designed to offer a simple and straightforward route to those verifying themselves or others. The process can be initiated by someone else but the verification has to be completed by the individual being verified. Elemental Verify Exec is our premium offering allowing professional support teams, with Elemental’s help, to carry out the verification process on behalf of UHNW, busy directors and those who require extra support.

For more information and to begin the process, visit our Identity Verification Services page.

The software ID Check process journey can be viewed here.

If your ID has a chip, you will be prompted to download an app to read the embedded chip. This step is only required for certain documents like biometric passports. You will be prompted to download this during the process. The name of our technology partner is TrustID and the app is called TrustID Chip Reader.

Your browser (or the app) will need access to your phone camera to take a picture of your ID and your selfie. This is a normal part of the verification.

Our identity verification technology needs a clear image of your document in order to read certain cryptographic features and carry out the necessary checks. Please see here for further guidance on how to capture a suitable image.

As part of the Identity Verification, we need to check that the identity document belongs to a real person. To do this you will need to carry out a liveness check, or in other words, take a selfie. Please see here for a guide on how to take one.

You must provide one of the following:

• Biometric passport (any country)
• Non‑biometric passport (any country)
• EU/EEA national ID card (biometric or non‑biometric)
• Irish Passport Card
• UK photocard driving licence
• UK biometric residence permit or card
• UK Frontier Worker Permit.

We’ll ask for an additional document if:

• You have ever changed your name
• You’ve moved home within the past 12 months
• You live outside the UK
• Your UK address cannot be verified electronically

For a change of name we can accept:

• a marriage certificate
• deed poll
• or an adoption order.

If you do not have one of these documents, we may still be able to help. Please get in touch.

If the information is not written in English we would require a translation.

To evidence an address, we need a document dated within the claimed period. This could be:

• a bank or building society statement,
• mortgage statement,
• UK council tax notice
• or utility bill.

We will need this for each address for the last 12 months if you have moved more than once.

UK residents would not normally need to provide proof of address for their current address, as we check this using industry-standard data sources.

If the address information is not written in English, we would require a translation.

A passport can be up to six months expired.

A UK biometric residence permit (BRP) can be up to 18 months expired.

No. Good quality photos and/or PDF copies are acceptable. You will need the original ID document (eg Passport) to scan via your mobile device.

No documents need to be certified. However, as part of our Verify Exec service, we ask for the identity document to be certified, but primarily to confirm that the individual looks like the photo on the identity document.

As long as an ID document is listed as one of the accepted documents, we can accept it. Where a secondary document, e.g. proof of address or proof of name, is required, we need to see the relevant information in English.

Unfortunately, on these rare occasions, when an individual does not have any of the valid forms of ID, we are unable to help.

The code will be sent directly to the individual being verified from Companies House to the email address provided. This code is unique to you and not any specific company. You will receive an option to file this code with Elemental CoSec for secure storage.

Yes. Once the verification regime is fully live, the register will indicate that your identity has been verified.

Payment privileges allow pre-approved clients (e.g., law firms we work with regularly) extra benefits, such as a lower minimum threshold for invoice payments and the ability to ‘verify now, pay later’.  

A flexible option to complete verification immediately and receive an invoice payable within 15 days. 

Yes. We give you the option to forward payment to the individual being verified. They can then choose to pay by credit card. If payment needs to be completed by another person then an invoice can be generated and passed on to that person. Verification will automatically resume once the invoice is settled.  

As our Elemental Verify is a standard service, we ask for the confirmation of our terms and conditions rather than providing an Engagement Letter. Our terms and conditions can be found here.  We can provide Engagement Letters for certain large clients, but this would generally be for a client verifying more than 30 individuals. 

If you update your name at Companies House, you may need to verify again using a supporting document such as a marriage certificate or deed poll.

Moving house doesn’t automatically trigger reverification. However, if Companies House cannot confirm your address or asks for new verification, we can assist you.

Unfortunately, we cannot proceed until you obtain one of the accepted documents. A passport is usually the best option to obtain if you’re eligible.

Yes. Copies of your identity documents and personal information will remain strictly private and confidential. We will only use your identity documentation and personal information in accordance with our terms and conditions and will only share them if required by law or where we reasonably consider it necessary to assist government or law enforcement agencies. 

Once your identity has been verified and registered with Companies House, copies of your identity documents will be securely stored as we are legally required to under the identity verification regime. 

We are legally obliged to keep copies of your identity documents and personal information for 7 years as part of the verification process. This documentation and personal information will be destroyed after this period unless it is subject to any other legal and regulatory obligations. 

Copies will be stored electronically on dedicated cloud-based servers in the UK. We do not store your data outside the UK unless required by law, and we ensure that all storage complies with UK data protection laws. 

We use industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encryption, firewalls and secure access controls. All data is transmitted over secure, encrypted channels and our systems are continuously monitored to guard against threats. 

We will only share your personal data with trusted third parties involved in the identity verification process – for example, government agencies such as Companies House. We will not share your data with others for marketing purposes. 

Only authorised personnel at Elemental will be able to access your identity documentation and personal information. This will be accessed solely for intended business use and in accordance with our terms and conditions.  

No. We are legally required to retain copies of your identity documents and personal information for a set period to comply with UK laws and regulations. This means we cannot delete your data immediately, even if you request it. We will keep copies of your documents and personal information for 7 years for the purposes of the verification process (as outlined above).  

If you think any of the information we hold about you is incorrect, please contact us. We will review and address accordingly.  

Copies of all documentation and personal information will be stored electronically. Physical storage of documentation and personal information is not available as part of our service.