Who needs it
- Any company appointing an individual as a director after incorporation.
- Directors at incorporation are named on the registration itself, not on an AP01.
What you need before you start
- The company's authentication code and your Companies House account.
- The new director's Companies House personal code, from verifying their identity.
- Their personal details, including a nationality from Companies House's standard list, and a service address for the public register.
- The date of appointment.
How to file AP01
- 1Check the person can act: they must be 16 or over, and need court permission if they're disqualified or an undischarged bankrupt.
- 2Ask them to verify their identity through GOV.UK One Login or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, and give you their personal code.
- 3Agree a service address. It's public, so think twice before using a home address.
- 4File the AP01 online, including the personal code and confirming the director has verified.
- 5Do it within 14 days of the appointment.
Identity verification comes first
Since 18 November 2025 every director must verify their identity. GOV.UK's AP01 page says you'll need to give the director's Companies House personal code and confirm they've verified. Verification is free through GOV.UK One Login, by app, online questions or a Post Office visit, or can be done by an Authorised Corporate Service Provider such as an accountant.
A person who doesn't verify can't be appointed as a new director, and Companies House says that acting as a director without meeting the requirements may be an offence.
Online only
Companies House has moved the AP01 online. You need a paper form only when restoring a company to the register or for a UK Societas. Other director changes have their own filings: TM01 when someone stops being a director, CH01 when their name or address changes.
What becomes public
Directors' names, personal information and service addresses are publicly available from Companies House. If a director uses their home address as the service address, GOV.UK says they can ask Companies House to remove it from the register.
Common mistakes
- Appointing someone before they've verified. The filing needs their personal code.
- Looking for a paper AP01 to download. It's online only, except for restorations and a UK Societas.
- Entering a nationality that isn't on Companies House's standard list. Only listed entries are accepted.
- Giving a home address as the service address without realising it's published.
Related
What else will you need?
- TM01TM01 director resignationTM01 tells Companies House that a director's appointment has ended, whether they resigned, were removed or died.
- CH01CH01 change director detailsCH01 tells Companies House about a change to an existing director's details.
- CS01CS01 confirmation statementThe CS01 confirmation statement tells Companies House that the information it holds about your company is up to date.
- PSC01PSC01 person with significant controlPSC01 tells Companies House about an individual with significant control of a company: usually someone with more than a quarter of the shares or voting rights, who can appoint or remove most directors, or who otherwise controls the company.
Rather we did it?
Countify can handle this for you, for a fixed fee agreed upfront.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
How long do I have to report a new director?
GOV.UK says to tell Companies House within 14 days of a change to directors, including a new appointment.
Does the new director need to live in the UK?
No. Directors don't have to live in the UK, though the company must have a UK registered office address.
What if the person is already a director elsewhere?
They only verify once. They use the same personal code for each company where they hold a role.
Checked against GOV.UK on · Reviewed by Kamran Ishaq FCCA, Founder & CEO, on .
Sources: Appoint a director (AP01) (opens in a new tab) (Companies House); Running a limited company: company changes you must report (opens in a new tab) (GOV.UK); Tell Companies House about changes to your limited company (opens in a new tab) (Companies House); Set up a private limited company (opens in a new tab) (GOV.UK); Companies House fees (opens in a new tab) (Companies House); Verifying your identity for Companies House (opens in a new tab) (Companies House).
Countify is an independent accountancy practice. We aren't part of, or endorsed by, Companies House. Always file using the official form or service.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (opens in a new tab).