3-Year Address History for ID Verification
How to give a complete three-year address history for Companies House verification, including moves, time abroad and gaps, so your application is not delayed.
Gaps in your address history are one of the most common reasons an identity verification application gets held up. When you verify for Companies House through CorpAssist, you give a three-year residential address history with no gaps. For most people that takes two minutes. It gets harder if you have moved often, lived abroad, rented short-term or had no fixed address for a while.
This guide explains exactly what to enter in each of those situations, so your application is complete the first time. For everything else you need, see our ACSP verification checklist.
What a Complete Address History Looks Like
For each address, you give:
- the full address, including postcode or local equivalent,
- the country,
- the month and year you moved in, and
- the month and year you moved out (or “current”).
The dates must join up. If you moved out of one address in March and into the next in May, April is a gap that needs explaining.
Address History Problems and How to Fix Them
| Situation | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Moved several times | Every address, in order, with dates that join up. Use bank statements to confirm dates. |
| Lived abroad | The foreign address in its local format, with the country. International addresses are accepted. |
| Travelling or between homes | The address you used as a base, such as a family home, plus a short note. |
| Student accommodation | The term-time address, and your home address for holidays if you returned there. |
| Short overlap between leases | Enter both. An overlap is fine; a gap is what causes questions. |
| No fixed address | Where you actually stayed, with a note. A compliance officer will follow up if needed. |
Why Address Gaps Cause Delays
Automated systems don't ask questions. They stop or reject. That is one reason applications fail on the GOV.UK route, where the security questions rely on your UK financial records matching your address history. Directors who have recently moved, or who lived abroad, are caught out most often. See our verification failed guide for other common causes.
On the CorpAssist route, a compliance officer reviews your address history before submission. If there is a gap, we contact you and ask about it, rather than letting the application fail.
Why Directors With Complicated Address Histories Choose CorpAssist
If you have moved often or lived abroad, a reviewed application saves you from repeated rejections:
- A compliance officer checks your three-year address history for gaps before anything is submitted
- International addresses accepted, in their local format
- No reliance on UK credit or bank records, unlike the GOV.UK security questions
- We contact you directly if something needs clarifying, and resubmission is free
- Passports from 190+ countries accepted, including non-biometric passports
- From £29.99 + VAT, with Fast Track within 24 hours
Before You Start
- Write your addresses down in order, newest first.
- Check move dates against bank statements or tenancy agreements.
- Look for gaps of a month or more between addresses.
- Check that the name on your document matches the register. If it doesn't, read our name mismatch guide.
Directors living outside the UK should also read our overseas director verification guide. Then follow the steps in our complete verification guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to give three years of address history?
Address history is part of confirming that you are who you say you are. CorpAssist collects a full three-year history so your application is complete when it is checked, which avoids delays caused by missing information.
I lived abroad for part of the last three years. Is that a problem?
No. International addresses are accepted. Enter each address in the local format, with the country and the dates you lived there.
What if I cannot remember the exact move dates?
Give your best estimate of the month and year. What matters is that the periods join up with no gaps. If you are unsure, check old bank statements, tenancy agreements or emails.
I had no fixed address for a while. What should I enter?
Enter where you actually stayed, such as a family member’s home, and add a note explaining the situation. A compliance officer will review it and contact you if anything else is needed.
Does my residential address become public?
No. Your residential address history is used for verification and is not published on the Companies House register. Directors show a service address publicly.
CorpAssist is an independent commercial service and is not Companies House or GOV.UK. We facilitate identity verification through a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider.
Last verified: September 2026
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