Address Verification¶
Definition¶
Address verification confirms a customer's residential address using supporting documents — utility bills, bank statements, or government correspondence. It is a required component of CDD in most jurisdictions.
Accepted Address Proof Documents¶
| Document | Recency Requirement | Common Jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Utility bill (electricity, gas, water) | < 2-3 months | Global |
| Bank/credit card statement | < 2-3 months | Global |
| Tax assessment | Current year | India, UK |
| Government correspondence | < 6 months | Various |
| Rental agreement | Current, registered | India |
| Aadhaar (with address) | Current | India |
Verification Approaches¶
| Approach | Method |
|---|---|
| OCR extraction | Extract name + address from utility bill, match against declared address |
| Database verification | Check address against credit bureau, postal, or government records |
| Geo-verification | GPS location during eKYC compared with declared address |
| Digital document pull | DigiLocker, Open Banking — pull address proof digitally |
Key Takeaways¶
Summary
- Address verification is required for CDD compliance in most jurisdictions
- OCR on utility bills is the most common approach — extract and match address
- Digital verification (DigiLocker, Open Banking) is replacing paper documents
- Recency matters — documents must be within 2-3 months