Which Documents Onramps Ask For, and Why Each One

Verification requests look arbitrary until the purpose of each document is clear. Four cover nearly all of them.

Photo identity

A passport or national identity card, occasionally a driving licence. This proves the person exists and matches the name on the account.

Passports pass most often because the machine-readable zone gives the automated check something unambiguous to read. Driving licences vary by country and fail more frequently for reasons that have nothing to do with the applicant.

Proof of address

A utility bill, bank statement or government letter, usually dated within the last three months. This proves where the person lives, which determines which rules apply to them.

Mobile phone bills are refused more often than people expect, because in many countries they can be issued without an address check. A bank statement is the safest choice.

The selfie or liveness check

A photograph or short video taken in the moment. This connects the document to the person holding it.

It fails on lighting more than on anything else. A plain background and even light resolve most rejections.

Source of funds

Requested above a threshold rather than from everyone: a payslip, a contract, a tax return or a statement showing the money arriving. This proves the money came from somewhere lawful.

It is the request that worries people most and it is the most routine of the four. A regulated venue for the first purchase is obliged to ask, and a venue that never asks is not being generous.

Why the list grows with the amount

Obligations are tiered by risk, and amount is the crudest available proxy for risk. A hundred dollar purchase and a hundred thousand dollar purchase are not treated alike anywhere that is licensed.

Exchanges that publish their deposit limits usually publish the document requirement at each tier beside them, which turns the process into something that can be prepared for.

What to have ready before starting

Passport photographed flat, a recent bank statement as a PDF rather than a screenshot, and if a large first purchase is planned, whatever shows where the money came from.

Thirty minutes of preparation removes most of the delay. Onramps that finish verification in one sitting assume the applicant has these to hand, which is the only reason one sitting is possible.