LEI Code Definition and Purpose
Understanding the LEI code definition is essential for identifying legal entities in global finance. An LEI ensures transparency, trust, and accura...
Most LEIs issued within 2 hours, sometimes minutes.
We source our data from Companies House.
Digital LEI certificate included at no extra cost.
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The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is the trusted way UK regulators, banks, and market infrastructures recognise who is behind each transaction.
Summary is illustrative; refer to FCA, Bank of England, UK EMIR, and UK SFTR guidance for full details.
Four quick steps from application to an active Legal Entity Identifier.
Enter legal entity details, address, identifiers, and contact information.
Pick a 1, 3, or 5 year plan, then pay securely via Stripe using cards, bank, or digital wallets.
Provide digital authorisation for us to issue the LEI on your behalf through our LOU.
We validate the data, register your entity with GLEIF, and deliver the LEI and certificate.
Includes GLEIF fee. LEI services are VAT-exempt in the UK.
EMIR trade reporting goes live
UK counterparties clearing or reporting over-the-counter derivatives under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) must obtain an LEI so trades can be matched at repositories like UnaVista and DTCC.
Bank of England money market data
The Bank of England’s Sterling Money Market Daily (SMMD) collection and the Wholesale Money Market reforms adopt LEIs to identify deposit takers, dealers, and non-bank counterparties in statistical reporting.
FCA MiFID II reminder
The Financial Conduct Authority writes to firms warning that clients without an active LEI will be unable to trade on UK or EU venues once MiFID II and MiFIR reporting begins in January 2018.
MiFID II / MiFIR enforcement
From 3 January 2018, investment firms, trading venues, and systematic internalisers must quote LEIs for issuers and clients in transaction reports, order records, and reference data submitted to the FCA.
CHAPS & RTGS roadmap
The Bank of England signals that CHAPS direct participants and their corporate customers should adopt LEIs ahead of RTGS Renewal so high-value payments and sanctions screening can be matched consistently.
UK SFTR reporting
The UK Securities Financing Transactions Regulation (SFTR) rollout requires LEIs for all parties to repo, stock lending, and collateral reuse transactions reported to trade repositories after the Brexit transition.
UK EMIR retained
Post-Brexit, the UK version of EMIR keeps the obligation for financial and non-financial counterparties above clearing thresholds to maintain LEIs for trade reporting and clearing access.
Data collection transformation
The Bank of England and FCA’s Transforming Data Collection programme reaffirms LEIs as the core identifier for future regulatory returns, including BoE statistics, PRA prudential data, and payment messaging.
Payments and supply-chain finance
UK corporates increasingly use LEIs across supplier financing, cross-border treasury, and open banking APIs, aligning with GLEIF initiatives and HM Treasury support for faster onboarding.
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A Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is a unique 20-character alphanumeric code used to identify legal entities in financial transactions worldwide. It acts as a global reference ID for your organization, created to improve transparency and risk management in the financial system.
Each LEI is associated with reference data about the entity – such as its official name, registered address, and ownership structure – essentially answering the questions of "who is who" and "who owns whom". In other words, an LEI makes it easy for regulators and counterparties to uniquely recognize a company or organization across the globe.