What identity documents do directors need to provide?

What you need to supply

Each named director or guarantor usually provides one photographic identity document — a passport or full UK driving licence — and one proof of address dated within the last three months, such as a utility bill, council tax statement or bank statement. Increasingly this is done digitally through an ID-verification app rather than by uploading scans.

Why lenders must ask

These checks are not optional box-ticking; they are required under anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer rules that apply to regulated lenders. Verifying who controls the borrowing company is a legal obligation, part of the wider verification every application goes through. Refusing or delaying ID stalls the file.

Getting it right first time

Have current, in-date documents ready, make sure names and addresses match your Companies House record, and ensure every director the lender needs is available to verify. The application checklist lists the ID pack alongside the financial documents so nothing is left to the last minute.