Personal Verification Codes (PVCs) from Companies House
What is a PVC and what is it used for?
A Personal Verification Code (PVC) is a unique 11-digit identifier issued to individuals by Companies House after they’ve verified their identity.
Each director and Person with Significant Control (usually a person who owns over 25% of a company) must verify their ID and provide a PVC to us before their company application can be submitted to Companies House.
When forming a company with us, we will submit your ID verification to Companies House directly, which will trigger them to send you a PVC.
Once you have verified your identity with Companies House you should keep the PVC for your records, as it is unique to you and you will need it to make company filings. The code lasts forever, and you will not need to create a new one again.
How do I request my PVC?
If you are forming a company with us and have never verified your identity before:
You do not need to request your Personal Verification Code (PVC), we will do this on your behalf after you complete your ID checks with us. Each officer and Person with Significant Control (PSC) will then receive an email from Companies House containing their PVC, a few hours after our ID checks are complete.
The email containing your PVC should be from ‘noreply@companieshouse.gov.uk’ with the subject line 'Your identity has been verified for Companies House'.
If you have verified your identity previously with Gov One Login:
- Sign in to your Companies House account using the same email address you used for verification.
- Navigate to the 'Manage account' section to view your code.
When will I receive my PVC?
Your Personal Verification Code will be sent to you by Companies House by email a few hours after you complete your identity checks with us.
The codes have been sent to the incorrect email address, what should I do?
Please contact us and we will contact Companies House on your behalf to resolve the issue.
I haven’t received my code yet, what should I do?
If you haven’t yet completed our ID checks using Onfido:
Please look for an email in your inbox from Onfido. You will need to complete our ID checks before a Personal Verification Code (PVC) can be sent to you by Companies House.
If you have completed our ID checks and haven’t verified with Companies House before
You should receive your PVC(s) by email within a few hours of successfully verifying your ID with us. Should you not receive your code within 1 working day of successfully submitting ID to us, please contact us.
The email containing your PVC should be from ‘noreply@companieshouse.gov.uk’ with the subject line 'Your identity has been verified for Companies House'.
If you have completed our ID checks but have verified with Companies House before
Gov One Login do not send emails to people who verify their identity directly, so you need to login to your Companies House account to access your PVC:
- Sign in to your Companies House account using the same email address you used for verification.
- Navigate to the 'Manage account' section to view your code.
Who requires a PVC?
All directors and Persons with Significant Control require a Personal Verification Code (PVC) to form a company and to enable companies to make required statutory filings.
Do all shareholders require a code?
No, only shareholders who are a Person with Significant Control (usually people who own over 25% of the company) require a Personal Verification Code (PVC).
I have received my code, but my name is wrong on the confirmation email. What do I do?
Please contact us and we will contact Companies House on your behalf to resolve the issue.
Is the code unique to the company?
No, a Personal Verification Code (PVC) is unique to a person, not a company. So, if a person is part of two different limited companies, they will need to use the same PVC for each company.
What do I do once I have received the PVC?
Once you have received your PVC, you must add this to your application. After uploading the code, notify us by replying to the email from our Compliance Team. We will not be able to proceed with your application until we receive your confirmation.
How do I add the PVC to my application?
You can add your code to your application by following the steps below:
- Log in to your account
- Navigate to your Customer Dashboard
- Go to the “Verification Pending” section
- Select the relevant company by clicking ‘Details’
Can I use my PVC for multiple companies?
Yes, you must use your Personal Verification Code (PVC) for every company you are a director or Person with Significant Control of.
Where will my PVC be sent?
If you form your company with us and you verified with Gov One Login before
Each Personal Verification Code (PVC) will be sent to the email address you inputted in your company application for each officer and Person with Significant Control (PSC).
Each PVC will be emailed by Companies House, a few hours after you successfully complete your ID checks with us.
The email containing each PVC should be from ‘noreply@companieshouse.gov.uk’ with the subject line 'Your identity has been verified for Companies House'.
If you have verified your identity before with Gov One Login
Gov One Login do not send emails to people who verify their identity directly, so you need to login to your Companies House account to access your PVC:
- Sign in to your Companies House account using the same email address you used for verification.
- Navigate to the 'Manage account' section to view your code