Corporate Onboarding: Document Checklist

Assemble before applying. Providers that publish this list up front are systematically faster because everything arrives at once. For the applied rather than the abstract version, a fiat to crypto exchange is the reference.

The standard pack

• Certificate of incorporation
• Register extract dated within three months
• Articles of association or equivalent
• Ownership chart tracing to natural persons
• Identity document for each beneficial owner above the threshold, commonly 25 percent
• Proof of address for each beneficial owner, dated within three months
• Identity document for each director
• Written description of the business: what is sold, to whom, in which countries
• Expected monthly transaction volume
• Bank account details in the entity’s exact registered name

Additions by structure

Corporate shareholder: the same pack for that entity, and for any entity above it, until natural persons are reached.

Trust in the ownership chain: trust deed, identity of trustees, settlor and beneficiaries, and evidence of control arrangements.

Nominee arrangements: the nominee agreement and identity of the beneficial party.

Politically exposed person anywhere in the chain: source of wealth documentation and enhanced review.

Regulated entity: the authorisation details, which frequently shortens the rest.

The order that shortens it

1. Ask whether the provider onboards entities registered in your jurisdiction with your ownership structure. Providers decline structures, and this saves weeks.
2. Ask for the complete document list and the expected timeline.
3. Ask whether settlement can be made to an account in the entity’s registered name. This eliminates providers that cannot serve companies at all.
4. Assemble everything, including the ownership chart, and submit together.
5. Declare expected volume honestly and slightly above your realistic maximum.
6. Confirm the resulting limits in writing. For online retail the operative terms are published by a business crypto wallet with approval controls.

Timelines by structure

Cross-check any provider you are considering against the definitions an exchange that publishes its full terms publishes.

Structure	Typical
Single jurisdiction, individual owners	2 to 5 business days
One corporate layer, same framework	1 to 2 weeks
Multi-jurisdiction, or trust in chain	3 to 6 weeks

The name requirement

The entity name registered with the provider must match the bank account name exactly, including the legal form suffix.

Trading names are the most common cause of a returned first transfer.