Required Documents

Learn which documents are required to onboard businesses and individuals registered in the United States.

Corporate customers

The following documents are required for both manual KYB and electronic KYB (eKYB), based on the business entity type.

Business Type	Document Type (Manual KYB)	Document Type (eKYB)
Corporation / Limited liability company (LLC) / Limited liability partnership / Sole trader / Unincorporated association	BUSINESS_REGISTRATION_DOC	N/A
Estate	LOA	N/A
General partnership	PARTNERSHIP_DEED	N/A
Limited partnership	BUSINESS_REGISTRATION_DOCUMENT, PARTNERSHIP_DEED	N/A
Public company	PROOF_OF_EXISTENCE	N/A
Trust	TRUST_DEED	N/A

note

Submit notarized business registration documents whenever possible. Non-notarized documents may delay approval as Nium verifies them from the source.

Additional business documents

Submit the following documents when applicable:

CERTIFICATE_OF_GOOD_STANDING

Required when the registered address state is DE or NJ.

REGISTER_OF_DIRECTORS and REGISTER_OF_SHAREHOLDERS

Provide these documents if the business registration document does not include a list of directors or shareholders.

For faster approval, submit notarized copies. If omitted, Nium may raise an RFI.

BUSINESS_REGISTRATION_DOCUMENT

Acceptable examples include:

• Articles of Incorporation
• Certificate of Formation
• Company bylaws
• Board resolutions
• Operating agreement

For details, see Verifying Your Business in the US.

PROOF_OF_BUSINESS

Submit this document if no website is provided. It helps Nium verify the customer’s business activity. Accepted documents include:

• Product catalog, brochure, marketing material, or business plan (preferred).
• Contract, business agreement, or vendor agreement.
• Photo of a physical store.
• Invoice describing business operations, issued within the last year (not preferred).

CORPORATE_STRUCTURE (Ownership Chart)

Submit this document if the company has multiple ownership layers. It should include the names and share percentages of all shareholders to help identify the ultimate beneficial owner (UBO).

For guidance on multi-layer ownership, see Verifying Your Business in the US.

For a complete list of accepted document types, see Corporate Constants.

Stakeholder verification documents

Stakeholders (individual customers, applicants, and individual stakeholders) can verify their identity through electronic KYC (eKYC) or manual KYC using the hosted form.

Electronic KYC

• US residents: Verification may use a national ID and, where applicable, SSN details (for example, the last 4 digits).
• Non-US residents: Verification typically requires a live selfie with a valid passport, national ID, or driver’s license.

Manual KYC

• Submit a color copy of a valid passport, national ID, or driver’s license (black-and-white copies are not accepted).
• If the proof-of-identity document does not contain an address, also provide a separate PROOF_OF_ADDRESS document.
  • Proof of address must be issued within the last 60 days.

All manual KYC documents undergo fraud checks. If Nium cannot verify authenticity, an RFI may be raised.

Tips to reduce RFIs and speed up approval

• Use an applicant who is an officer registered with the Secretary of State (or submit an LOA where required).
• Include at least one CONTROL_PRONG and one UBO where applicable.
• Ensure the business has an active Secretary of State filing.
• Match the registered address to the Secretary of State record (or include supporting proof where mismatched).
• Verify the EIN up front where possible. If you can’t verify it, include supporting tax documentation (for example, an IRS document).

Individual customers

Individual applicants complete identity verification in the hosted form. Document requirements vary based on residency and verification method.

For details, see:

• Hosted KYC Form
• US Onboarding