What Documents Do You Need for Binance KYC Verification

What Is KYC and Why Is It Required

KYC stands for Know Your Customer. It's a standard identity verification process used by financial institutions and trading platforms worldwide to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illegal activities. On Binance, completing KYC verification is a prerequisite for using most features.

Without KYC, your account will be severely restricted — you won't be able to use fiat trading (buying crypto with traditional currency), withdrawal limits will be extremely low, and some trading features will be unavailable. In short, a Binance account without KYC can basically only view market data and can't perform any meaningful operations.

Binance's KYC verification has two tiers: Basic Verification (Verified) and Advanced Verification (Verified Plus). After completing basic verification, you'll have access to most features, including C2C trading, spot trading, and futures trading. Advanced verification primarily increases fiat deposit and withdrawal limits.

Documents Required for Basic Verification

Basic verification (Verified) requires very simple documentation, mainly the following:

Identity document: You'll need a valid government-issued ID. Any of the following will work:

• National ID card (the most common choice for mainland China users)
• Passport
• Driver's license

For mainland China users, using a second-generation national ID card is the most convenient option. Note that the document must be within its validity period — expired documents will not pass verification.

Facial photo: During verification, you'll need to complete facial recognition. The system will use your camera (phone front camera or computer webcam) to capture your face and compare it with the photo on your ID document. Ensure adequate lighting and no obstructions on your face. Remove hats, sunglasses, and masks.

Personal basic information: You'll need to fill in your name (must match your ID), date of birth, residential address, and other basic details. Enter this information truthfully, as the system will cross-reference it with your uploaded ID information.

Verification Process and Common Issues

The specific verification steps are as follows:

After logging into your Binance account, click the user icon in the upper right corner and go to the "Identity Verification" page. Select your nationality, then click "Start Verification." Follow the prompts to choose your document type, then photograph or upload your ID. National ID cards require both front and back photos; passports only need the information page.

After uploading your documents, the system will ask you to complete facial recognition. If you're on a computer, you may need to scan a QR code on screen with your phone to complete the facial recognition step. On the mobile app, you can proceed directly.

Verification review typically takes from a few minutes to 24 hours. In most cases, if your photos are clear and your information is accurate, you'll receive approval within minutes. During peak periods, wait times may be longer.

Here are some common verification failure reasons and their solutions:

Blurry photos. This is the most common reason for failure. When photographing your ID, ensure good lighting and avoid reflections and shadows. All four corners of the document should be fully visible, and text and photos should be clearly legible.

Information mismatch. The name, date of birth, and other information you enter must exactly match what's on your document. Double-check for typos and spelling order.

Facial recognition failure. Ensure even, adequate lighting with your face directly facing the camera and no obstructions. If multiple attempts fail, try a location with better lighting or a different device.

Unsupported document type. Different countries and regions support different document types. If one type isn't accepted, try another.

If you can't pass automatic verification after repeated attempts, submit a support ticket to Binance customer service and request manual review. Manual review may require additional supporting materials such as bank statements, utility bills, or other proof-of-address documents, but basic verification rarely requires going this far.

After completing basic verification, if you need higher trading limits, you can proceed with advanced verification. This mainly adds an address proof requirement — you'll need to provide a utility bill, bank statement, or government-issued address proof document from within the last three months. However, for most regular users, the basic verification limits are more than sufficient for everyday use.