Binance KYC Verification, Explained: Levels, ID by Country, the Face Check and Proof of Address

A lot of people treat "sign up" and "get verified" as the same thing, then finish signing up, find the account won't do much, and assume they've done something wrong. Signing up to Binance is actually the light part — an email and a password and you're done. What decides whether you can deposit, trade and withdraw normally is the step that comes after: identity verification, or KYC ("Know Your Customer"). This is our cornerstone piece on the topic, and it walks the whole thing from "what is it checking" through to "how do I move up a level", including where each step tends to stick, why, and what to do about it.

We went through the whole flow ourselves, following the official pages step by step, so the calls and cautions below reflect how the Binance verification screens actually look right now. One thing to be blunt about first: Binance changes its interface, the accepted documents, and the limits at each level from time to time, so anything specific — amounts, fees, which documents work — should be taken from whatever Binance shows you at the moment you verify. Don't treat any guide (this one included) as a fixed rulebook. And if you haven't signed up yet, start with our Binance sign-up walkthrough — registration and verification are two halves of the same road.

What KYC actually checks, and why you can't get around it

Let's be plain about this: KYC isn't a hoop Binance invented to slow you down. As a regulated exchange, it has to follow the anti-money-laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer rules where it operates and confirm that the person on the other side of the screen really is you. Boiled down, it's checking three things —

• That you're a real person: it confirms your identity against a valid, government-issued document;
• That the person on the document is the one using the account: a face or liveness check matches the photo on your ID to the live you, so nobody can open an account with someone else's papers;
• (At higher levels) where you live: proof of address confirms your place of residence, which maps to the rules and limits for your region.

Once those three make sense, it's clear why you can't get around verification, and why you shouldn't try. An unverified account has most features locked down, and you generally need to clear the check before you can deposit, trade or withdraw normally. Anything online offering "Binance without verification" or promising to "help you skip KYC" is either baiting you onto a fake site or nudging you to buy someone else's verified account — steer clear of both.

Identity verification follows the official flow shown in your account. An invite code, a promotion, or this site's commercial relationship cannot replace a verification requirement or guarantee an outcome.

Verification levels: what basic, intermediate and advanced ask for and unlock

Binance verification comes in levels — usually something like basic, intermediate and advanced (the names and the number of tiers can differ by region, so go by what your own account shows). The logic is simple: the more you submit and the deeper the checks, the more limits and features the platform is willing to open up. Here's that logic laid out, without pinning down any figures.

Basic verification (the entry level)

This is the first level most people do. It generally asks for a valid, government-issued document (a passport or national ID, say) plus a face or liveness check, and sometimes a few basic personal details. Clear it and you usually unlock most everyday features — day-to-day deposits, spot trading and withdrawals up to a certain limit tend to be covered. For plenty of people, this level is enough for normal use.

Intermediate verification (a step up)

On top of the basics, Binance may ask for more detailed personal information, and in some regions proof of address starts at this level or the next. The limits and available features sit a notch above basic. Whether an "intermediate" tier even exists, and exactly what it asks for, varies quite a bit by region.

Advanced verification (the top level)

This is the level with the fullest set of documents. It typically wants proof of address (a utility bill, bank statement or similar document that shows where you live), and sometimes extra materials. Clear it and you unlock the highest limits and the most complete set of features. If you plan to move larger amounts, or a feature tells you it needs a higher level, this is where you'll end up.

The one-line version of this section: if you're missing a feature or being told you need a higher limit, move up a level; for everyday use, basic is usually where you stop. There's no need to sprint for advanced from the start.

ID by country: choosing between passport, national ID and licence

"Which document should I use" is one of the questions we get most. Here's a rule of thumb worth keeping: in most cases a passport is the safest choice for your main ID. Nothing mysterious about why — the passport format is standard across borders, machine reading and manual review are both well established, and the odds of a cross-region mismatch are lowest. So if you have a passport and you're on the fence, reach for it first.

Here's roughly how the other documents feel in practice (still, go by the official list):

• Passport: usually the safest bet — accepted as the main ID in most countries, with a high read-success rate;
• National ID card: accepted as the main ID in plenty of regions too, though the format varies from country to country, so it can be a touch fussier to read than a passport;
• Driver's licence: often not accepted as the primary document, and more of a supporting one or region-specific option — don't assume it'll work as your main ID.

The key reminder: which documents you can use, and which can serve as your main ID, depends on your country, and Binance lists the options for your region on the verification page — go by that list rather than copying what worked in someone else's country. If you want a rough idea of what your country allows before you start, run it through our document finder by region, then confirm on the official page. One thing worth checking before any of this: whether Binance is actually permitted where you live. In some places it isn't — we've written up the current picture for Malaysia and for Taiwan and Hong Kong, where the regulators' positions are worth reading before you go any further.

Whichever document you use, the photo requirements are the same: in date, all four corners in frame, no glare, no blur, and every detail clearly readable. Miss any of those and even the best document gets bounced. For the finer document requirements, see the KYC document checklist, or use our checklist generator to list out exactly what your level needs in one go.

The face check and proof of address: the two steps that trip people up

Uploading the ID is usually the smoothest part. The steps that have people retrying are the face check and, when you move up to advanced, proof of address. We've a dedicated piece on each, but here's the overview so you know what they're testing.

Face / liveness check

This step matches "the person on the document" to "the person in front of the screen". You'll usually be asked to face the camera straight on and blink or turn your head on cue for the liveness detection. When it sticks, it's rarely an account problem — nine times out of ten it's the surroundings: backlighting, a room that's too dark or too bright, glasses or a mask or hat still on, your face too close to or too far from the lens, or a shaky connection dropping halfway through. Even out the light, sit against a plain wall, take off anything covering your face, and it often passes first try. If it just won't go, don't keep hammering the same setup — change the spot, the device or the network and try again. For the step-by-step troubleshooting, see the face check keeps failing — every cause and how to fix each one, or start with our face-check self-diagnosis tool to pin down which kind of problem you're hitting.

Proof of address

When you reach a level that wants proof of address, you submit a document that shows where you live — commonly a recent utility bill (electricity, gas, water) or a bank statement. The usual reasons it gets bounced are: the document is too old (typically it has to be from the last few months), the name and address on it don't match what you entered, it's been cropped or has parts covered, or it isn't an accepted document type. Before you submit, check the name and address match, word for word. For the details of this step — which documents count, and what to do if you're rejected — see proof of address: what to enter, which documents count, and what to do if you're rejected.

Why checks get rejected — a run-through of the usual causes

If you get bounced, don't panic and definitely don't assume your account's been banned. Here are the most common causes; there's a good chance you'll recognise yours among them — and nearly all of them are small details rather than anything serious:

• ID photo with glare, blur or a missing corner: retake it in even light, with all four corners in frame and the text sharp;
• Expired or nearly-expired document: it has to be in date, and one that's close to expiry can get flagged too;
• Poor conditions for the face check: backlighting, too dark or too bright, something covering your face, too close to the lens — see the section above and fix the surroundings before retrying;
• Details that don't match the document: the name spelling, date of birth and document number have to match exactly — a single letter off can get it rejected;
• Proof of address that doesn't qualify: too old, name or address not matching, or a type that isn't accepted;
• Submitting the same thing over and over: hammering retries right after several failures can trip the risk controls — pause, fix the actual problem, then resubmit.

Work through these one by one, fix each, and your odds go up noticeably. To be clear, though: no method can "guarantee a pass" or make it "100% certain" — don't trust anyone who claims they can guarantee it or offers to verify for you. Verification is the platform's own check; what you can do is get your side of the details right. If you're not sure where you're stuck, use the checklist generator to work backwards and see whether you've missed something, then retry with that in hand.

Moving up to advanced verification, in the right order

Moving from a lower level to a higher one really just comes down to submitting the piece you're missing, in the way the platform asks for it. There's no shortcut, but getting the order right makes it a lot smoother:

1. Check which level you're on now: your account's verification / identity page shows your current level and what the next one needs;
2. See exactly what the upgrade is missing: whether it's more personal details or proof of address, the page spells it out — don't guess, prepare what it lists;
3. Get proof of address ready (if it's needed): use a recent document whose name and address match what you entered and whose type is accepted, following the proof-of-address piece;
4. Line everything up before you submit: check each item is consistent with the information already on file, to cut down on back-and-forth rejections;
5. Wait it out once you've submitted: an upgrade review can take a bit longer than basic verification, and longer still if it goes to a manual review — that's normal.

A practical mindset: there's no need to charge blindly for the top level. Work out what you actually want to do first — for everyday buying and selling, basic is usually enough. Only move up when a specific feature or limit clearly tells you it needs a higher level. That saves you effort and a pile of avoidable document problems. For how long reviews take and how to check progress, see how long verification takes and how to check progress; if you're unsure how to enter your residence or country of registration, see choosing your country of registration and residence.

A few questions we get asked