GLEIF LEI Entity Identifier

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

FAQ

Related Regulations

MiFID II Markets Regulation

Corporate Transparency Act BOI Rule

EU AML Regulation AMLR

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