API Marketplace

Solutions

Resources

Our Company

Book a Demo

← Back to Glossary

GLEIF LEI Entity Identifier

Q: Which industries need LEIs most?

Banking, securities trading, asset management, and regulatory authorities rely on LEIs for entity verification.

Global

2014

Tax & Reporting

Overview

The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is a 20-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies legal entities involved in financial transactions. It is defined by ISO 17442 and administered by the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF), which was established in 2014 under the direction of the Financial Stability Board (FSB).

LEIs promote global financial transparency and risk management by providing standardized reference data for each registered entity.

LEIs are mandatory under several international regulations, including MiFID II (EU), Dodd-Frank (US), and similar frameworks in the APAC, MENA , and Americas regions. They are critical for banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, clearinghouses, and regulators to verify counterparties in cross-border transactions and reporting. LEIs must be obtained from accredited Local Operating Units (LOUs) and are subject to annual renewal.

Key Obligations

Obtain an LEI before entering into reportable financial transactions
Renew the LEI annually to maintain active status
Ensure the accuracy of legal entity reference data provided

Use the LEI in regulatory reporting frameworks such as MiFID II, EMIR, and Dodd-Frank
Verify counterparties' LEIs when conducting due diligence or reporting

Stay ahead of risk with Signzy

Explore tools that help you onboard, monitor, and verify with confidence

One Touch KYC

Launch global KYC flows with built-in document OCR, liveness checks, deepfake detection, and AML, all through a single, customizable dashboard.

AML Screening

Screen users against Politically Exposed Persons (PEP), watchlists, sanctions lists, adverse media, and more through one-time screening and advanced monitoring.

Transaction Monitoring

Monitor transactions in real-time and analyse past behaviour to identify suspicious activities and ensure regulatory compliance across the user journey.

Related Regulations

MiFID II Markets Regulation

Corporate Transparency Act BOI Rule

EU AML Regulation AMLR

FAQ

What is an LEI used for?

An LEI is used to identify legal entities in financial transactions and regulatory reports, improving transparency and risk tracking.

Is it mandatory to have an LEI?

Yes. Many financial regulations across jurisdictions mandate the use of LEIs for specific reporting or trading activities.

Who issues LEIs?

LEIs are issued by GLEIF-accredited Local Operating Units (LOUs) around the world.

Which industries need LEIs most?

Banking, securities trading, asset management, and regulatory authorities rely on LEIs for entity verification.