> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.uphold.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Individual user onboarding overview (KYC verification)

> Verify retail user identity and unlock capabilities through Uphold's individual KYC processes, with Uphold-verified or partner-verified models.

Individual onboarding verifies user identity and ensures compliance readiness for regulated financial services. It involves creating a user account and completing the KYC processes required for the user's country of residency.

## Verification responsibility

Each KYC process can be verified by Uphold or by your organization (the partner). The table below shows which verification model each process supports.

| Process                                  | Uphold-verified                                                | Partner-verified                                               |
| ---------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Email                                    | <Icon icon="xmark" size={12} color="#ef4444" />  Not supported | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      |
| Phone                                    | <Icon icon="xmark" size={12} color="#ef4444" />  Not supported | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      |
| Profile                                  | —                                                              | —                                                              |
| Identity                                 | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      |
| Proof of address                         | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      |
| Customer due diligence                   | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      |
| Enhanced due diligence                   | <Icon icon="xmark" size={12} color="#ef4444" /> Not supported  | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      |
| Crypto risk assessment (UK users)        | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      |
| Self-categorization statement (UK users) | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      |
| Tax Details                              | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Supported      | <Icon icon="xmark" size={12} color="#ef4444" />  Not supported |

## Regional requirements

KYC requirements vary from region to region, and from partner to partner based on their risk appetite and regulatory interpretation.  Below is a high-level overview of Uphold requirements. Refer to your Account Manager for specific requirements applicable to your integration.

| Process / Region           | <Tooltip tip="United Kingdom">UK</Tooltip>               | <Tooltip tip="United States of America">US</Tooltip>     | Notes                                                          |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Email, Phone, Profile**  | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required |                                                                |
| **Identity**               | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required |                                                                |
| **Proof of address**       | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required | <Icon icon="scale-balanced" size={14} /> Conditional¹    | ¹Only required when identity document does not have an address |
| **Customer due diligence** | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required | <Icon icon="scale-balanced" size={14} /> Conditional¹    | ¹Only required when doing crypto deposits or withdrawals       |
| **Enhanced due diligence** | <Icon icon="scale-balanced" size={14} /> Conditional     | <Icon icon="scale-balanced" size={14} /> Conditional     | Only required for high-risk users                              |
| **Crypto risk assessment** | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required | <Icon icon="xmark" size={12} color="#ef4444" />  Exempt  | UK only - FCA requirement                                      |
| **Self-Categorization**    | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required | <Icon icon="xmark" size={12} color="#ef4444" />  Exempt  | UK only - FCA requirement                                      |
| **Tax Details**            | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required | <Icon icon="check" size={12} color="#10b981" /> Required |                                                                |

## High-level onboarding flow

### 1. Create the user

Fetch the applicable Terms of Service for the user's country of residency, present them for acceptance, and create the user.

<Tip>To expedite onboarding, collect the user's email, phone, and profile information (name, date of birth, citizenship, and address) and pass them directly in the [Create user](/rest-apis/core-api/users/create-user) endpoint, rather than submitting them afterward through separate KYC calls.</Tip>

### 2. Complete KYC processes

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Core information collection" icon="address-card" iconType="duotone">
    Establish the user's basic identity and contact information for regulatory compliance.

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Email" icon="envelope" color="#3b82f6">
        User provides their email and proves ownership, usually via a confirmation link sent to their email.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Phone" icon="phone" color="#10b981">
        User provides their phone number and proves ownership, usually via an SMS OTP.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Profile" icon="user" color="#8b5cf6">
        User provides personal information, such as name, date of birth, citizenship, and residential address.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Identity verification" icon="shield-check" iconType="duotone">
    Confirm the user is who they claim to be through government-issued identification or electronic verification (e-IDV).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Address verification" icon="map-location-dot" iconType="duotone">
    Confirm the user resides where they claim to through document verification or electronic verification.

    In certain regions (e.g., US), this verification will be automatically attempted if the provided document for Identity Verification contains address data (e.g. driver's license).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Due diligence assessment" icon="clipboard-list" iconType="duotone">
    Assess user risk profile and understand intended use.

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Customer due diligence" icon="clipboard-check" color="#10b981">
        Risk assessment questionnaire to evaluate customer profile and intended use. Determines if Enhanced due diligence is needed.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Enhanced due diligence" icon="magnifying-glass-chart" color="#f59e0b">
        Additional documentation on source of funds and wealth. Only triggered if Customer due diligence indicates a high-risk profile.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Financial promotions (UK only)" icon="landmark" iconType="duotone">
    <Note>
      **UK users only** - Financial Conduct Authority regulatory requirements
    </Note>

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Crypto risk assessment" icon="bitcoin" color="#f7931a">
        Knowledge assessment to evaluate user's understanding of cryptocurrency risks before trading.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Self-categorization statement" icon="user-tag" color="#8b5cf6">
        User self-identifies their investor experience level to determine appropriate protections.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Tax information" icon="file-invoice-dollar" iconType="duotone">
    Comply with tax reporting obligations.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### 3. Monitor status & verify capabilities

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Check KYC status" icon="list-check" color="#10b981">
    View completion status of all required processes and identify any remaining blockers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Verify user capabilities" icon="key" color="#3b82f6">
    See what actions the user can perform: deposits, trades, withdrawals, and transaction limits.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Monitor with webhooks" icon="bell" color="#f59e0b">
    Subscribe to KYC webhooks for real-time status updates.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Best practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Progressive onboarding" icon="stairs">
    Don't request all information upfront. Start with basic processes (email, phone, profile) and collect sensitive documents only when needed for specific capabilities.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Clear document guidelines" icon="image">
    Provide clear requirements for document quality, accepted types, and file formats. Reduces verification failures significantly.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Periodic review

Some processes require periodic review, in which their status may change to `pending`, signaling that the user must provide updated information.

* `profile`: The user must confirm their profile information, including their residential address, is still accurate.
* `identity`: The user must provide up-to-date identity when their underlying document is about to expire.
* `customerDueDiligence`: The user must redo the form after a certain period of time.
* `selfCategorizationStatement`: The user must redo the form after a certain period of time.

**When:**

The periodic review might be triggered at any time, but usually it happens between 1-3 years after the last submission or when important documents are about to expire, such as the identity document (typically 30-90 days before the document's expiration date).

**How to handle:**

1. Monitor KYC webhooks to catch `core.kyc.*.status-changed` events in real time.
2. Collect and submit updated information.