Business verification by country
The exact local documents that satisfy each business verification requirement in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom — so you pass on the first submission.
How this maps to the verification checklist
Our general checklist asks for:
- Tax registration — your business's official tax ID document
- Formation / constitutional document — proof the company legally exists and who can act for it
- Source of funds — should demonstrate how the business generates revenue or receives funds.
- Proof of business address for the company and owners
- Owner and control-person identification — government ID for beneficial owners and signatories
The tables below give the local document that satisfies each item.
🇺🇸 United States
| Checklist item | US document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tax registration | EIN letter | If you've lost the document, request a new letter from the IRS. |
| Formation document | Certificate of Incorporation or Certificate/Articles of Formation/Organization | State-stamped version. |
| Ownership document | Shareholder Registry or Operating agreements or Bylaws | Must be the consolidated, registered version showing current partners/shareholders. |
| Source of Funds | Recent bank statements, customer invoices, contracts, sales reports, investment agreements, or other evidence showing how the business generates or receives funds | Documents should demonstrate the origin of funds flowing through the account. We may request additional information if the source of funds is unclear or cannot be independently verified. |
| Proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | PO boxes are generally not accepted as an operating address. |
| Owner / control person ID | Driver's license or passport of beneficial owners and a control person | Ownership structure documents may be requested for holding companies. |
| Owner proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | The document needs to show the owner's address – dated in the last 3 months. |
🇧🇷 Brazil
| Checklist item | Brazilian document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Business registration document | Cartão CNPJ (Comprovante de Inscrição CNPJ) | Download the current version from the Receita Federal website; it must show status ativa. |
| Formation document | Contrato social (or estatuto social for S.A.s), with latest amendments | Must be the consolidated, registered version showing current partners/shareholders. |
| Proof of address | Comprovante de endereço | Utility bill, lease, or bank statement showing the business address – dated in the last 3 months. |
| Source of funds | Extratos bancários, notas fiscais, contratos comerciais, demonstrativos de receita ou outros documentos que evidenciem a origem dos recursos | Documents should demonstrate how the business generates revenue or receives funds. Additional supporting documentation may be requested during the review process. |
| Owner / control person ID | RG or CNH (or passport) of sócios and administrators | Names must match the contrato social. |
| Owner proof of address | Comprovante de endereço | Utility bill, lease, or bank statement showing the owner's address – dated in the last 3 months. |
🇨🇦 Canada
| Checklist item | Canadian document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tax registration | Business Number (BN) confirmation from CRA | Must show the legal business name and active Business Number. |
| Formation document | Certificate of Incorporation or Articles of Incorporation/Organization | Federal or provincial registration documents are accepted. |
| Ownership document | Shareholder Register or Operating agreements or Register of Members | Must identify current beneficial owners and ownership percentages. |
| Proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | PO boxes are generally not accepted as an operating address. |
| Source of Funds | Recent bank statements, customer invoices, contracts, sales reports, investment agreements, or other evidence showing how the business generates or receives funds | Documents should demonstrate the origin of funds flowing through the account. We may request additional information if the source of funds is unclear or cannot be independently verified. |
| Owner / control person ID | Driver's license or passport of beneficial owners and a control person | Ownership structure documents may be requested for holding companies. |
| Owner proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | The document needs to show the owner's address – dated in the last 3 months. |
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
| Checklist item | UK document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tax registration | UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) or VAT registration certificate | Must match the registered company name. |
| Formation document | Certificate of Incorporation issued by Companies House | Companies House filing should show the company as active. |
| Ownership document | Register of Persons with Significant Control (PSC Register) or Share Register or Shareholder Agreement | Must identify current beneficial owners and ownership percentages. |
| Proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | PO boxes are generally not accepted as an operating address. |
| Source of Funds | Recent bank statements, customer invoices, contracts, sales reports, investment agreements, or other evidence showing how the business generates or receives funds | Documents should demonstrate the origin of funds flowing through the account. We may request additional information if the source of funds is unclear or cannot be independently verified. |
| Owner / control person ID | Driver's license or passport of beneficial owners and a control person | Ownership structure documents may be requested for holding companies. |
| Owner proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | The document needs to show the owner's address – dated in the last 3 months. |
🇲🇽 Mexico
| Checklist item | Mexican document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tax registration | Constancia de Situación Fiscal (RFC) | Issued by SAT; submit a recent version. |
| Formation document | Acta constitutiva, with notary registration data | Include any modifications (poderes, changes of administrators) if ownership or signing authority changed. |
| Proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | PO boxes are generally not accepted as an operating address. |
| Source of Funds | Recent bank statements, customer invoices, contracts, sales reports, investment agreements, or other evidence showing how the business generates or receives funds | Documents should demonstrate the origin of funds flowing through the account. We may request additional information if the source of funds is unclear or cannot be independently verified. |
| Owner / control person ID | Driver's license or passport of beneficial owners and a control person | Ownership structure documents may be requested for holding companies. |
| Owner proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | The document needs to show the owner's address – dated in the last 3 months. |
🇨🇴 Colombia
| Checklist item | Colombian document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tax registration | RUT (Registro Único Tributario) | Issued by the DIAN; shows the company's NIT. Submit a recent copy. |
| Formation document | Certificado de existencia y representación legal | Issued by the Cámara de Comercio – dated within the last 30 days, showing current legal representatives. |
| Proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | PO boxes are generally not accepted as an operating address. |
| Source of Funds | Recent bank statements, customer invoices, contracts, sales reports, investment agreements, or other evidence showing how the business generates or receives funds | Documents should demonstrate the origin of funds flowing through the account. We may request additional information if the source of funds is unclear or cannot be independently verified. |
| Owner / control person ID | Cédula de ciudadanía (or cédula de extranjería / passport) of beneficial owners and a control person | Names must match the certificado de existencia. |
| Owner proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | The document needs to show the owner's address – dated in the last 3 months. |
🇦🇷 Argentina
| Checklist item | Argentine document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tax registration | Constancia de inscripción en AFIP (CUIT) | Submit a recent version showing the company's CUIT and active status. |
| Formation document | Estatuto social (or contrato social), with registry inscription | Must show inscription in the IGJ or the relevant provincial Registro Público de Comercio, with latest amendments. |
| Proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | PO boxes are generally not accepted as an operating address. |
| Source of Funds | Recent bank statements, customer invoices, contracts, sales reports, investment agreements, or other evidence showing how the business generates or receives funds | Documents should demonstrate the origin of funds flowing through the account. We may request additional information if the source of funds is unclear or cannot be independently verified. |
| Owner / control person ID | DNI (or passport) of socios and administradores | Names must match the estatuto / contrato social. |
| Owner proof of address | Recent utility bill, lease, or bank statement | The document needs to show the owner's address – dated in the last 3 months. |
Why this happens (and why documents get rejected)
Verification is reviewed by trained agents against regulatory standards. The most common reasons for a resubmission request:
- Name mismatch between the document and the business or person being verified (including missing accents or abbreviations)
- Outdated documents — old certificados, superseded contratos sociais, inactive CNPJ status
- Missing pages — formation documents submitted without amendments or signature pages
- Illegible files — photos with glare, cropped edges, or low resolution. Flat scans or official PDFs work best.
Common questions
My company is owned by another company. What do I submit?
Submit the formation documents for each layer until the individual beneficial owners are visible, plus ID for those individuals. Holding structures take longer to review — submitting the full chain up front is the fastest path.
Can I submit documents in Portuguese or Spanish?
Yes — local-language official documents from your country are expected and accepted.
How long does verification take?
Verifications can take up to 3 business days.
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