Proof of address might sound somewhat familiar already, especially in association with financial institutions such as banks, when opening a new market.

The proof of address is a requisite part of the KYC (Know your customer) process. KYC is a regulatory requirement that financial institutions and other businesses must comply with to prevent money laundering, fraud, and other illicit activities. 
 

What is Proof Of Address?

The term “proof of address” is somewhat explanatory. It is evident that the stated address of an individual is real. It verifies the address of an individual. Proof of address documents are usually required in KYC processes. These include utility bills, bank statements, government-issued documents, and letters from recognized entities.
 

Proof of address is a document or set of documents that demonstrates an individual's current residential address. It is used to confirm the individual's identity and verify that they live at their provided address. It is important to know that the documents must be recent and have a current address on them.

Some businesses may require specific types of proof of address documents, depending on their internal policies and regulatory requirements. For example, a bank may require a recent utility bill or bank statement as proof of address when opening a new account.
 

Proof of residency is used in conjunction with other forms of identification that connote the KYC process, like a passport or a driver's license. The documents, together, confirm the identity of their customers and comply with regulatory requirements. 

Why A Proof Of Address Is Necessary For Businesses?

Proof of address or proof of residency is an important component of KYC, just like every other component. KYC, of course, refers to knowing your customer, which is a verification process required of banks and other regulated entities. The proof of address documents is used to verify the identity and addresses of customers and assess the potential risks associated with them. This is done as a precaution for illicit activities like money laundering. 

Financial institutions and other regulated entities are required to perform ongoing monitoring of their customers to ensure that they remain in compliance with laws and regulations.

KYC involves collecting and verifying personal information about a customer, such as their name, address, date of birth, and identification documents like passport or driver's license. However, there are automated ways to do that now. 
 

In South America, KYC regulations and practices can vary from country to country. However, many countries in the region have implemented similar KYC standards to those in the USA, particularly in the banking and financial sectors. For example, in Brazil, financial institutions are required to verify the identity of their customers through a variety of methods, such as electronic verification, physical documents, or in-person interviews. 
 

Similarly, in Argentina, financial institutions are required to verify the identity of their customers using a variety of methods, such as electronic verification, physical documents, or in-person interviews.
 

Proof of address is required by businesses to verify the identity and address of their customers, clients, or suppliers. This is an important security measure that helps prevent fraud and ensures that the business is dealing with legitimate individuals or entities.
 

This is one of the reasons why proof of residency will always be necessary for businesses. Let's explore a number of reasons why proof of address is necessary for a business :

a. Compliance with regulations: 

Many businesses are required by law to verify the identity and address of their customers or clients to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) regulations.

b. Prevention of fraud: 

Requiring a proof of address helps prevent fraud by ensuring that the business is dealing with a real person or entity and not a fictitious one.

c. Contact information: 

Businesses need to have accurate contact information for their customers, clients, or suppliers to ensure that they can communicate with them when necessary.

d. Credit checks: 

Some businesses may need to perform credit checks or other background checks on their customers, clients, or suppliers to assess their financial risk. ProofProof of address can help confirm their identity and assess their creditworthiness.

e. Delivery and shipment: 

Some businesses may require proof of address to ensure that their products or services are delivered to the correct address. This is especially important for online businesses that ship products to customers.

f. Tax purposes: 

For businesses that deal with vendors or clients overseas, proof of address may be necessary for tax purposes. This helps the business to ensure that they are complying with international tax laws and regulations.

g. Insurance requirements: 

Some insurance policies may require proof of address to determine coverage eligibility or to process claims. This is particularly true for home insurance policies, where the address of the insured property is a crucial piece of information.

h. Rental agreements: 

Landlords and leases may require proof of address from prospective tenants to verify their identity and assess their ability to pay rent. This helps to protect the landlord from potential rental scams or non-payment of rent.

How To Get A Proof of Address 

Many individuals wonder how to get proof of address or how to get proof of residency when preparing for compliance processes. There are several alternatives that businesses can use to obtain proof of address documents from customers for KYC purposes. Here is what counts as proof of residency to meet regulatory obligations.

1. Utility Bills 

A common option when asked how to get proof of address, as it directly shows residency. Request the customer to provide a recent utility bill in their name, such as a water, electricity, or gas bill. This should have the customer's name and address mentioned on it.

2. Bank Statements 

Widely accepted; many ask, “is a bank statement proof of address?” Yes, it often is, provided it is recent. Request the customer to provide a recent bank statement that shows their current address. The statement should not be more than three months old.

3. A Government-Issued ID 

Some IDs also double as proof of residency when they contain the holder’s address. Government-issued IDs like passports, driving licenses, etc., also contain the address of the holder.

4. Rental Agreement 

Request the customer to provide a copy of their rental agreement or lease. This should have the customer's name and address mentioned on it.

5. Postal Mail 

Request the customer to provide a recent letter or package they received at their address.

6. Digital Verification 

With the advent of technology, digital verification services are also available in the market, which helps to validate the customers' addresses by cross-verifying their provided data with their digital footprint.

7. Credit Report

If the customer has a good credit history, they may have a credit report that includes their current address.

8. Tax Documents

Request the customer to provide a recent tax document, such as a tax return or assessment notice. This should have the customer's name and address mentioned on it.

9. Employer Verification

If the customer is employed, their employer may be able to provide a letter verifying their address.

10. Online Verification 

Some companies may use online address verification services that check the customer's address against a database of addresses or use geolocation to verify their location.

11. Face-to-Face Verification

Businesses may also choose to verify the customer's address in person by conducting a face-to-face meeting or inspection.

Each of these provides businesses with options on how to get proof of address securely while ensuring compliance.
 

Achieving Know Your Customer (KYC) Address Verification with Youverify  

Youverify has a range of software services that provide identity verification services, including address verification. The flagship product of Youverify, YV OS, is made to assist companies that handle sensitive data or must adhere to rules. Included in them are KYC and AML, two crucial compliances that could result in severe penalties from regulatory authorities. 
 

The YV OS, most notably, reduces the time and labour costs associated with performing physical identification verification yourself, saving your firm money. Accuracy is also guaranteed due to our elaborate agent network that manually verifies the provided address. 

See how 100+ leading companies use Youverify for KYC and AML screening of customers for compliance and real-time risk detection. book a demo today.