22 February 2024

The Verification of Identity Form for Ireland

Learn all about the Verification of Identity Form for Ireland, why you might need one, how you can get one, and how we can help you with getting a notarised VIF in our blog.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The Verification of Identity Form (VIF) is an Irish document that non-Irish individuals who are the beneficial owner and directors of companies operating in Ireland must use to prove their identities.

Read on to find out more about why you might need a VIF, as well as how we can help you if you need a notarised VIF form.

Why do I need a Verification of Identity Form?

In 2023, the Republic of Ireland introduced the requirement that all directors of Irish companies must provide their Personal Public Service numbers on documents submitted to the Irish Companies Registration Office (CRO).

As previously stated, if you are the director or beneficial owner of a company that operates in Ireland, you may need the form to prove your identity, as the form allows you to be provided with an identity number.

Irish citizens do not need to use the form, as they will have an Irish Personal Public Service Number, which is essentially the same as the British National Insurance Number.

Once you have submitted the form to the CRO, you will be given a Verified Identity Number (VIN). This number is unique to you, and can be used for any documents you file with CRO in the future.

If you do not complete and submit the Verification of Identity Form, then you will not be able to prove your identity, so any documents you submit will not be accepted.

How do I get a VIF?

To get a Verification of Identity Form, you will need to go to the Companies Online Registration Environment’s (CORE) website.

Here, you will have to create an account before you can access the form.

Which documents require a Verified Identity Number?

Only certain documents will have your VIN as a requirement that you have to include with them to prove your identity.

These documents are:

Form A1 – Incorporation Application for Ireland
Form B1 – File the Annual Return to the CRO
Form B10 – Change of company officers, such as directors or secretaries
Form B69 – Notice of cessation of a company officer if the company did not initially file a notice

These forms can all be found on CRO’s website.

What do I need to include on the VIF?

All of the sections on the VIF are a requirement for you to complete. These include your personal details.

The details you need to include on the form are:

First name
Last name
Nationality
Date of birth
Residential address

Then, you will need to fill out a declaration that must be signed by a Notary Public. This is a service that we can help you with.

What will happen if I do not have a VIF?

If you are the director or beneficial owner of a company and do not have a VIF, then you will be classed as committing a category four offence, and you will face a fine of €5,000.

You should aim to remain compliant with Ireland’s rules and complete a Verification of Identity Form to receive your VIN, so you do not get punished.

VIF versus the BEN2 form

When you look into the VIF form, you may come across something known as a BEN2 form. This is an old form that beneficial owners were required to submit to the Central Register of Beneficial Ownership of Companies and Industrial and Provident Societies (RBO) to prove their identity.

The VIF form was introduced to replace the BEN2 form as a better way for beneficial owners to prove their identity.

How we can help

Anyone from the UK who plans on completing and submitting a Verification of Identity Form will need to get it notarised and signed by a notary. This is required as a notary’s seal and signature confirms that your document is real and that you are who you say you are.

Our expert Notary Public, Nathan Woodcock, has years of experience and can help you by notarising your VIF for use in Ireland.

Your notary appointment can be arranged to be at one of our offices in London, Manchester, or Sheffield. Alternatively, you can use our mobile notary service to arrange an appointment at a suitable time and place, such as your home or office.

Get in touch with us today to discuss your needs and see how we can help you.