What is proof of address?

A document showing where you live, such as a utility bill or a bank statement, that exchanges request to confirm your jurisdiction.

The name and address must match your account, and most exchanges require the document to be recent. Your registered address decides which assets and products you can access.

It is usually the second stage of onboarding, after identity, and the one that stalls most often. People assume any document with their address on it will do, then have three submissions rejected for reasons the rejection message did not explain: a screenshot instead of a full document, a joint bill in a partner's name, or a statement dated four months ago.

How it works

Address verification exists because obligations attach to where a customer is, not to who they are. Sanctions screening, tax reporting, product restrictions, and licensing all key off jurisdiction, and international standards expect firms to identify and verify the customer on reliable, independent documents. See kyc and fatf.

Exchanges typically accept a narrow list:

1. A utility bill for a fixed service such as electricity, water, or landline internet. Mobile phone bills are often excluded because the address is unverified by the provider.
2. A bank or credit card statement showing the institution's name, your name, and your address.
3. A government letter such as a tax notice, voter registration, or residence permit.
4. A tenancy agreement or a council or municipal tax bill, in some jurisdictions.

Common requirements are that the document is recent, typically within three months, shows your full name exactly as registered, shows the full address rather than a partial one, and is submitted as a complete document with all four corners visible rather than a cropped screenshot. Requirements vary by exchange, so check the venue's own help center before uploading.

Example

An illustrative rejection sequence. You upload a mobile phone bill, which is refused because the carrier never verified the address. You upload a screenshot of your online banking dashboard, which is refused because it is not a statement document. You then download the official PDF statement for last month, showing your registered name and full address, and it clears in a few hours.

The pattern is consistent: a full document, issued by an institution, recent, in your name, showing the address you gave the exchange. Where your registered account name is a shortened form of your legal name, fix the account first rather than hoping the reviewer will accept the mismatch.

Why it matters when you buy

The address on file, not your passport's country, determines which coins and products you can access and which rules apply to your account. That is the difference between an exchange listing an asset and it being available to you. What is KYC covers the process, the jurisdiction pages show what each place permits, and verification tiers and limits explains what each stage unlocks.

Related terms

kyc — the wider identity process; verification tier — what each level unlocks; geoblocking — access decided by location; aml — the obligation behind it; fatf — the standards-setting body; vasp — the regulated firm doing the checking.

Questions

Why was my mobile phone bill rejected?

Many exchanges exclude mobile bills because carriers do not verify the address a customer supplies. Fixed-line utilities, bank statements, and government correspondence carry more weight for the same reason.

How recent does the document have to be?

Three months is the common requirement, though it varies by exchange and by jurisdiction. Check the venue's help center rather than assuming, because a document one week outside the window is refused without appeal.

I moved. Do I have to tell the exchange?

Yes. The registered address drives which products you may use and which reporting applies, and continuing to trade on a stale address can breach the terms you agreed to.