What are the deadlines for self-employed individuals to register for the UK's digital ID system?

1. What the Companies House deadline actually covers

Companies House confirmed a staged rollout making identity verification mandatory for company-related roles from 18 November 2025; that requirement applies to directors and people with significant control (PSCs) and will be phased in over 12 months ^[1]. From that date, new incorporations and appointments will require ID verification and existing directors/PSCs will need to provide a personal code and verification statement when filing certain company documents ^[1]. The Companies House measure is explicitly company-role focused, not a blanket rule for every self-employed person ^[1].

2. What the national Digital ID scheme changes — and who it affects

The national Digital ID scheme announced in September 2025 will make digital IDs mandatory for Right to Work checks and the government says employers will be required to check a worker’s digital ID before hiring ^{[2] [3]}. The government framed the policy as an employer-facing obligation to prevent illegal working; Reuters reported the government intends every employee to hold a digital identity document ^[4]. That makes the scheme highly relevant to anyone who employs staff (including self-employed people who employ workers), but the reporting and government explainer frame it around employers’ checking duties rather than a separate registration deadline for all self-employed people ^{[3] [4]}.

3. How this matters to self-employed people who don’t run limited companies

Several sources note that sole traders and typical self-employed contractors do not undergo Companies House identity verification because that process is tied to company incorporation, directors and PSCs ^[5]. The Commons Library and business-focused outlets distinguish the Companies House obligation from the broader Digital ID roll-out: Companies House duties apply to company officers, while the digital ID Right to Work requirement applies to employers checking workers ^{[6] [5]}. Available sources do not state a universal registration deadline for sole traders to obtain a government digital ID simply because they are self-employed — the obligations depend on whether they are acting as an employer or a company officer ^{[1] [3] [5]}.

4. Practical implications for self-employed people who hire staff or become company officers

If you are a self-employed person who employs staff, you will need to use the digital ID for Right to Work checks once the scheme is in force because employers are legally required to check digital IDs as proof of right to work ^[3]. If you incorporate a company or become a director or PSC, you will face the Companies House identity-verification requirement from 18 November 2025 and during the subsequent 12‑month phase-in ^[1]. Several business guides and legal summaries underline that November 18, 2025 is the key date for Companies House-related mandatory checks ^{[7] [8]}.

5. What’s not in the reporting — limits and unanswered questions

Available sources do not provide a distinct deadline that requires all sole traders or self-employed persons to register for a government digital ID solely because of self-employment; documentation focuses on employers and company officers ^{[1] [3] [5]}. The Commons Library explains the national scheme will build on existing GOV.UK One Login and GOV.UK Wallet tools but does not list a universal self-employed registration deadline ^[6]. If you’re unsure how this affects your specific status (sole trader who sometimes hires, contractor who also sits on a company board, platform worker), the available reporting does not provide that granular guidance ^{[1] [3] [5]}.

6. What you can do now — pragmatic next steps

If you are a self-employed person who employs anyone, prepare to adopt digital ID checks for hiring once the Digital ID scheme is rolled out and employers’ obligations come into force ^{[3] [4]}. If you plan to incorporate a company or take on a director/PSC role, verify your identity through Companies House arrangements — mandatory checks begin 18 November 2025 and will be phased in over a year ^[1]. For other self-employed people who neither employ staff nor hold company roles, available sources do not require immediate action — but keep monitoring GOV.UK guidance because the national scheme is still being implemented and linked systems (GOV.UK One Login/GOV.UK Wallet) will evolve ^{[6] [3]}.

Disclaimer: This analysis uses only the provided reporting; where a specific deadline for all self-employed registration is not mentioned, I state that it is not found in current reporting ^{[1] [3] [5]}.