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August 24, 2026
What Documents Can Be Used as Proof of Address for KYC?
When a UK limited company completes KYC (Know Your Customer) verification, a bank, payment provider or other regulated business may ask directors, shareholders, beneficial owners or authorised individuals to provide proof of residential address.
The exact documents accepted vary between providers, but common examples include bank statements, utility bills, council tax documents and official government correspondence.
Proof of address is a document used to help verify where an individual lives or, in some cases, where a company operates.
For UK company KYC, a provider may need to verify the address of:
Proof of address is normally separate from proof of identity.
Depending on the provider, acceptable documents may include:
Each bank or financial provider sets its own list of acceptable documents, so always check its requirements before submitting anything.
Yes, bank statements are commonly used as proof of address.
The statement will usually need to clearly show:
Providers may also specify how recently the statement must have been issued.
Utility bills are another commonly accepted form of proof of address.
Depending on the provider, this might include bills for:
Not every type of bill is accepted by every provider.
The bill should normally clearly show the individual's name, residential address, provider and issue date.
A council tax bill can often be used as proof of a UK residential address.
It normally provides useful verification because it contains the individual's name, property address and details of the relevant local authority.
Providers may have specific rules concerning the period or tax year covered by the document.
Potentially, yes.
Some providers accept credit card statements in the same way as bank statements.
The statement should generally display:
Check whether your particular provider accepts credit card statements before submitting one.
Certain official government correspondence may be accepted.
Depending on the provider, this could include correspondence from organisations or authorities such as:
The document normally needs to clearly identify both the person and their address.
This depends on the provider.
A driving licence may contain a residential address, but some KYC processes do not allow the same document to be used for both proof of identity and proof of address.
For example, if your driving licence has already been used as your identity document, you may be asked to provide a separate bank statement or utility bill for address verification.
Always follow the provider's specific document rules.
There is no single age requirement that applies to every KYC provider.
Many financial institutions require proof-of-address documents to have been issued relatively recently, while certain documents such as council tax bills may be treated differently.
Always check the provider's stated date requirement before uploading your document.
Submitting an outdated document is a common reason for KYC delays.
Often, yes.
Many KYC processes accept original electronic statements downloaded from online banking.
The document should normally clearly show:
Downloading the original PDF statement is generally preferable to submitting a screenshot when the provider requests an official statement.
A screenshot may not be accepted.
Even when the information is visible, the provider may require an original PDF, photograph or scan of the complete document.
Avoid cropping out important information such as:
Follow the upload instructions provided during the KYC process.
You should not manually edit or alter a proof-of-address document.
Changing an address, name, date, transaction or other information can cause the document to be rejected and may raise verification concerns.
If information on the document is incorrect, obtain a new or corrected document from the issuer.
A UK limited company can have directors living overseas.
An overseas director may be able to provide documents from their country of residence, such as:
The provider may impose additional requirements, such as requiring a translation where the document is not in an accepted language.
Some financial providers also have their own country eligibility restrictions.
The requirements vary between providers.
Some may accept documents in certain foreign languages, while others may request a translation.
Where a translation is required, the provider may specify who can produce or certify it.
Check these requirements before arranging a translation.
A provider may separately ask for evidence showing where the company trades or operates.
Potential evidence could include:
This is different from proving a director's residential address.
A company's registered office, trading address and director's residential address can all be different.
A virtual office may be used as a company's registered office where the applicable Companies House requirements are satisfied.
However, that does not necessarily mean a bank or payment provider will accept it as evidence of the company's actual trading location.
The provider may ask where the company is genuinely managed or operated and request additional evidence.
Common reasons can include:
If a document is rejected, check the provider's requirements carefully before submitting another one.
Before uploading a document, check that:
Taking a few minutes to check these points can prevent unnecessary verification delays.
A recent bank statement or utility bill is commonly accepted, but the best document is one specifically listed as acceptable by your financial provider.
Yes. Bank statements are commonly accepted if they clearly show the required name, address, issuer and date.
Usually, although the types of utility bills accepted vary between providers.
Many providers accept original electronic statements, but you should check their specific requirements.
Potentially, yes. UK companies can have overseas directors and beneficial owners, although individual providers have their own country and document requirements.
A director's residential address does not have to be the same as the company's registered office. However, the address submitted for the individual should accurately reflect their current residential address.
Common documents that may be used as proof of address for UK company KYC include bank statements, utility bills, council tax bills, credit card statements and certain government or tax documents.
The document will normally need to show the individual's full name, current residential address, issue date and identifiable issuer.
Requirements differ between banks and payment providers, so check the provider's accepted-document list before submitting your KYC application. Using a current, complete and unedited document can help avoid unnecessary verification delays.
