Director ID, Identity Verification, Residency: 7-Country Comparison

Last verified: 2026-05-02

In 2026, every major economy has converged on a director-identification regime — but each one is different. Australia’s DIN is a permanent number tied to one human. The UK’s ECCTA verification is one-off but expanding. France binds the registered representative to a passeport-talent visa if non-EU. Sweden uses BankID as the spine of every filing. This guide explains all seven regimes and how they interact for a non-resident founder.

Quick Answer (TL;DR)

• Australia: Director Identification Number (DIN) mandatory for every director, permanent, one-time application, requires myGovID + 100 points of ID.
• United Kingdom: Identity verification under ECCTA 2023, mandatory from 2026, one-time, via GOV.UK One Login or Authorised Corporate Service Provider.
• France: No standalone director ID, but Bénéficiaires effectifs filing required at INPI + visa rules for non-EU acting Président.
• Sweden: No director ID, but every Bolagsverket filing requires BankID — non-residents use samordningsnummer + alternative routes.
• United States: No federal director ID; FinCEN BOI report applies to “beneficial owners” of LLCs and corps (CTA 2021).
• New Zealand: No director ID currently; identity verified at appointment by the Companies Office.
• Canada: No federal director ID under CBCA, but Quebec REQ requires individual representative identification.

Comparison Table at a Glance

Country-by-Country Deep Dive

Australia — Director Identification Number (DIN)

Statute: Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Part 9.1A; Treasury Laws Amendment (Registries Modernisation and Other Measures) Act 2020.

The DIN is administered by ABRS (Australian Business Registry Services). Every director appointed on or after 1 November 2021 must have a DIN before the appointment date.

Application (Australian-resident):

1. Set up myGovID with strong identity strength.
2. Apply on the ABRS website with TFN + two ID documents.
3. DIN issued instantly.

Application (non-resident):

1. Cannot use myGovID (Australian-only).
2. Paper application via ABRS, with certified copies of passport, driver licence, and a third document.
3. Average processing 28 days.

DIN is permanent and single — a director keeps the same DIN across all directorships, all companies, lifetime.

Source: https://www.abrs.gov.au/director-identification-number

United Kingdom — ECCTA 2023 Identity Verification

Statute: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 sections 64–73.

ECCTA introduces mandatory identity verification for:

• All new directors and PSCs from 2026.
• Every existing director and PSC during a phased rollout.
• Every “presenter” filing on behalf of a company (i.e., paid agents).

How to verify:

• GOV.UK One Login: upload passport (UK or non-UK), national ID, or driving licence; biometric face match.
• Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP): UK-regulated agents (formation agents, accountants, solicitors) verify on Companies House’s behalf.

Failure to verify before filing renders the filing rejected. Continuing to act as a director without verification is an offence.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/identity-verification-at-companies-house

France — Bénéficiaires Effectifs + Visa Rules

Statute: Code monétaire et financier L.561-46 (BE registration); CESEDA L.421-13 (passeport-talent).

France does not issue a director ID, but two separate identity layers apply:

1. Bénéficiaires effectifs (RBE). Every SAS / SARL / SA must declare its ultimate beneficial owners (BE) — natural persons holding ≥25% of shares or voting rights, or exercising control. Filing with INPI within 30 days of incorporation.

2. Visa for the Président. A non-EU resident actively performing Président functions in France needs a carte de séjour passeport-talent — création d’entreprise under CESEDA L.421-13. Holders must invest at least €30,000 or be the legal representative of an “innovative company”.

Source: https://www.inpi.fr/services-et-prestations/registre-des-beneficiaires-effectifs

Sweden — BankID Spine + Samordningsnummer Workaround

Statute: Aktiebolagslagen Ch. 1 § 13 (signing); Folkbokföringslag (1991:481) for personnummer; Skatteförfarandelag for samordningsnummer.

Sweden lacks a “director ID” but uses BankID as the spine of every interaction with Bolagsverket and Skatteverket. BankID requires personnummer (Swedish residents) or samordningsnummer (coordination number for limited residents).

Non-resident routes:

1. Samordningsnummer + Swedish bank BankID: open a residence account at SEB / Handelsbanken / Swedbank, obtain BankID. Time: 4–8 weeks.
2. Paper filing: notarised passport copy + paper forms, fee SEK 1,900 (vs SEK 1,200 online).
3. EU eIDAS: German Personalausweis or Estonian e-Residency partially accepted, full integration pending.
4. Procurator (ombud): Swedish-resident bolagsbildningsbyrå signs on the founder’s behalf with notarised power of attorney.

Source: https://bolagsverket.se/en/

United States — FinCEN BOI (Corporate Transparency Act)

Statute: Corporate Transparency Act 2021 (31 U.S.C. §5336).

The CTA requires every “reporting company” (most LLCs and corporations) to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report with FinCEN listing:

• Name, date of birth, residential address, and unique identifying number (passport, driver licence) of each beneficial owner.
• Beneficial owner = natural person who directly or indirectly owns 25%+ of the entity, OR exercises substantial control.

Deadlines:

• Pre-2024 entities: original deadline 1 Jan 2025; subject to ongoing litigation and Treasury changes — currently suspended for many domestic entities by 2025 Treasury action.
• New entities formed in 2024+: 30 calendar days from formation.

Foreign founders are explicitly in scope. A non-US person who owns ≥25% of a US LLC must file BOI personally.

Source: https://www.fincen.gov/boi

New Zealand — Companies Office Identity Check

Statute: Companies Act 1993 s.155 (qualification of directors); s.156 (consent).

Each director appointment requires a consent to act (Form INC2 or 1S2) signed by the director. Companies Office staff verify the director’s identity by passport or driver licence at the time of filing. There is no permanent director ID number.

Source: https://companies-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/

Canada — Federal CBCA No ID, Quebec Yes

Statute: CBCA s.105 (qualifications); Loi sur la publicité légale des entreprises (Quebec REQ).

CBCA, OBCA, BCBCA do not issue a federal/provincial director ID. Identity is verified by the federal/provincial registrar at filing through ID upload.

Quebec REQ. Every individual director or shareholder of a Quebec-registered enterprise must be entered with full legal name, date of birth, and residential address.

Source: https://www.registreentreprises.gouv.qc.ca/

Decision Framework / Q&A

Q1: I am Japanese-resident and want an Australian Pty Ltd. Can I get a DIN?

Yes. Apply via paper (ABRS form NAT 75348). You must also satisfy Corporations Act s.201A — at least one director must be ordinarily resident in Australia. Most Japanese founders pair their own DIN with an Australian co-founder or trusted nominee director who provides the s.201A residency.

Q2: I have a UK Ltd from 2019. Do I need to verify identity now?

Yes, under ECCTA 2023 phased rollout, existing directors and PSCs must verify in 2026. Verification can be done in advance via GOV.UK One Login at no charge.

Q3: My French SAS has a Japanese sole shareholder. Who files RBE?

The Président of the SAS files the RBE declaration with INPI within 30 days of formation. The Japanese shareholder appears as a bénéficiaire effectif if holding ≥25%.

Q4: Sweden BankID — can I really not register without it?

You can. Pay the SEK 1,900 paper-filing fee at Bolagsverket, use a Swedish-resident särskild delgivningsmottagare (process agent), and submit notarised passport. The flow is slow (3–6 weeks vs 24 hours digital) but legally complete.

Q5: US FinCEN BOI — am I exempt as a small LLC?

Most small LLCs are NOT exempt. The CTA’s 23 exemptions cover SEC-registered companies, banks, insurers, charities, and “large operating companies” with 20+ FTE and $5M+ US revenue. A typical foreign-founder LLC has zero exemptions.

Common Pitfalls (Gyoseishoshi View)

1. Appointing yourself as Australian Pty Ltd director without DIN — appointment is invalid; ASIC may cancel registration.

2. Filing UK Ltd CS01 without identity verification post-rollout — filing is rejected.

3. Forgetting France RBE 30-day deadline — €7,500 fine and director may be barred.

4. Sweden filing on behalf of someone without proper procuration — Bolagsverket rejects.

5. US FinCEN BOI not filed within 30 days of formation for new entities — civil penalty up to $500/day.

6. Treating Quebec REQ as optional — operating in Quebec without REQ registration is an offence.

Conclusion

In 2026, “incorporation” means seven different identity layers across the seven jurisdictions. Plan the identity work before you plan the formation: DIN paper application takes 28 days in Australia, samordningsnummer takes 4–8 weeks in Sweden, FinCEN BOI must be filed within 30 days of US formation. MmowW Scrib🐮 surfaces the right ID checklist for each cell automatically and warns when a deadline is approaching.

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Disclaimer

Legal information, not legal advice. MmowW Scrib🐮 is operated by a licensed Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) office in Japan. We are not solicitors, barristers, attorneys, avocats, or licensed legal practitioners in any jurisdiction.

Sources

• Australia ABRS DIN: https://www.abrs.gov.au/director-identification-number
• Australia Corporations Act Part 9.1A: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2024C00010
• UK ECCTA 2023: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/56
• UK Companies House identity verification: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/identity-verification-at-companies-house
• France INPI Bénéficiaires effectifs: https://www.inpi.fr/services-et-prestations/registre-des-beneficiaires-effectifs
• France CESEDA passeport-talent: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006070158
• Sweden Bolagsverket: https://bolagsverket.se/en/
• Sweden Skatteverket samordningsnummer: https://www.skatteverket.se/
• US FinCEN BOI: https://www.fincen.gov/boi
• New Zealand Companies Register: https://companies-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/
• Canada CBCA: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-44/