How to verify users of different nationalities for global businesses

Each nation has built sophisticated identity systems that their citizens use daily.

• United States relies on SSNs and DLs.
• UAE has Emirates ID.
• Singapore uses SingPass.
• Saudi Arabia has Absher.

Yet here’s the paradox: 

When a UAE resident shows their Emirates ID to a US-based financial platform for KYC process, many systems treat it as unfamiliar – or worse, invalid. Think about it – your driver’s license and SSN work smoothly on every platform here. But for the rest of the world trying to use your service? Their equally official IDs might as well be written in invisible ink.

If global expansion is your goal, your verification system needs to recognize these national IDs as confidently as it handles local documents. 

Wondering where to start from? This guide has everything you need to know – and the steps you can take right away. 

What is International User Verification?

International user verification is about making sure people are who they claim to be, no matter where they’re from. To be more precise, it’s about checking the IDs of your customers or users across borders. However, it is not quite the same as verifying local customers. 

Traditional verification methods work wonderfully for local documents but they also stumble when faced with international IDs. Because they typically focus on familiar, local documents and not on international variations.

For example, when someone from Tokyo or Dubai wants to use your service, they’re not going to present a US driver’s license – and your system designed solely to interpret English and extract specific fields of specific order will give you inaccurate output.

Global Identity Verification Challenges

We know you are here for a solution – so we are keeping this section short just so you understand or realize the gaps you may have and how specific solutions can fill these. 

You are up against three main challenges.

Challenge 1: Language and alphabet barriers

Think about scanning through hundreds of passports and IDs each day. Some in Cyrillic script, others in Mandarin, many in Arabic reading right-to-left. 

When a Russian customer shows their internal passport, can your English-trained system tell the difference between ‘ь‘ and ‘ъ‘? They can change the entire meaning of a name or address. In some markets, even a tiny character misreading could mean verifying the wrong person entirely.

Challenge 2: Document format variations by country. 

“Please submit a valid government ID” is a common ask but this ‘valid’ changes across borders. Your system needs to understand what makes each document ‘valid’ in its home context as well. 

It should understand how names are structured (some cultures place family names first), how addresses are formatted (postal codes can come before or after the city) and how data fields vary by country (some IDs use date of issue, others focus on expiry dates) – at minimum.

Challenge 3: Time zone and response time issues

When your European customer base is fast asleep, your Australian customers are wide awake and ready to trade. Here manual verification queues can mean an 8-hour wait just because someone needs to wake up on the other side of the world. For a customer trying to make a time-sensitive transaction it can be potentially costly.

How to Verify User Identity Across Countries

Creating a system that works across borders isn’t about collecting a library of every ID ever made. You just need smart processes that can adapt and grow.

1. Universal Document Verification Framework

Skip trying to build a program that knows every ID format in existence. Instead, build a framework that learns and adapts.

Start with standardized verification for universally accepted documents like passports, driving licences, and national IDs. Then layer in support for region-specific IDs. You’ll be able to roll out quickly with this approach.

Also, risk should guide your verification depth – not geography. 

• A first-time customer making a small purchase? Basic ID checks might do. 
• A first-time customer making moving large sums internationally? That’s when you dial up the scrutiny. 

Just make sure your framework is able to flex between these extremes smoothly.

2. Multi-Channel Verification Strategy

Sometimes automation is perfect. Other times, you need human expertise. 

The art is in knowing when to use which. 

Set up your system to handle straightforward cases automatically, but don’t force technology where a human touch makes more sense.

For tricky cases – maybe a damaged passport or an unusually large transaction – have clear paths to expert review. 

If you can go one step further – like having your eyes and ears on the ground – you can work with local verification partners who know their markets inside out and can help you with tricky cases. 

3. Localized Verification Processes

Note before we start: This is best but a bit employee-intensive and costly. The higher the volume of your ID verifications, the more employees and funds you’d need. However, an alternative solution is there that just matches the accuracy of this solution – and it doesn’t demand a huge team and massive spending – in the next section.

When a new document type starts showing up, make sure your team understands not just what it looks like but what it means in its home market. Maybe have a checklist that details necessary information regarding documents and create guides that make sense to local users.

Have a customer support team, of course. Make sure it doesn’t operate in New York time if your customers are in Tokyo. Align your availability with your markets. 

4. Unified API Integration System

Here’s where everything comes together – one system that handles any document from anywhere. 

APIs can work as a universal translator to identify documents. Feed it any ID, and it should understand what it’s looking at, check it appropriately, and give you a clear answer. Add real-time monitoring and fraud detection, and you’ve got something that actually makes global verification simpler, not more complex.

While you can build one, having a third party solution provider which has already proven track record, has gone through endless iterations, dealing with people with similar problems as you – can be your best bet. The line explains the “why” itself. 

You’ll save time and energy – and even be sure that the solution is built by someone who knows compliance better (only if you go with someone with a proven track record).

Local ID Verification Requirements by Country

Documentation	United States	Canada	Europe	Middle East & Africa
Individual ID	Government ID (Passport/Driver’s License), SSN/ITIN, Birth Certificate, Military ID	SIN, Provincial ID, Passport, Citizenship Card, Birth Certificate	National ID, eID (Electronic Identification), Passport, Residence Permit, Birth Certificate	National ID, Passport, Residence Visa, Labor Card, Family Book
Address Proof	Utility Bills (<90 days), Bank Statements, Lease, Tax Assessments, Insurance Documents	Utility Bills (<180 days), Bank Statements, CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) Documents, Insurance, Property Tax	Utility Bills (<90 days), Bank Statements, Registration Docs, Digital Verification	Utility Bills (<60 days), Tenancy Contract, Sponsor Letter, DEWA Bills (Dubai)
Business Docs	EIN, Formation Docs, Operating Agreement, Business License, Tax Returns, Board Resolutions	Business Number, Articles of Incorporation, Partnership Deed, Business License, Tax Returns, Resolutions	Registry Extract, VAT Registration, UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Ownership) Data, Business License, Resolutions, Tax Returns	Trade License, Chamber of Commerce Certificate, Manager Visa, Partner Docs, Memorandum of Association (MOA)
Risk Cases	Source of Funds (SOF)/Source of Wealth (SOW) Proof, References, Audited Financials, Site Visit Reports, UBO Verification	SOF/SOW Proof, Audited Financials, Director Profiles, Site Visits, References	Enhanced UBO Data, Financial Statements, Cross-border Proof, Site Visits, References	Corporate Documents, Ministry Approvals, Enhanced Due Diligence, References

 

KYC Compliance Requirements for Global Business

“We’re compliant!”

Famous last words before discovering that what works for US regulations might not cut it in Europe. Global compliance is certainly more than a checkbox – pieces keep changing shape. But there are some rules that need your attention before anything. 

1. AML/KYC Requirements

Different regions, different rules – but they all share one goal: stopping financial crime. The trick is understanding how verification requirements shift across borders. US regulations might demand one set of checks, while Singapore expects something completely different.

What works is building a flexible verification system that can dial security up or down based on both local requirements and risk levels. 

High-risk transactions might need enhanced due diligence regardless of location. Low-risk ones could follow simpler paths – as long as they meet local minimums. As we stated earlier, risk should guide your verification depth – not geography.

2. Customer Due Diligence (CDD)

Some markets require knowing your customer’s source of funds. Others want to understand their business relationships. In short – all just require you to gather enough information to spot suspicious patterns without creating unnecessary friction.

You can design your onboarding process accordingly to gather required information naturally through the customer journey rather than dumping a massive form on users all at once.

3. GDPR

Working with European customers? Their data rights follow them everywhere. That means being crystal clear about how you’ll use their information, getting explicit consent, and yes, being ready to delete everything if they ask.

GDPR affects you even if you’re not based in Europe. If you’re verifying the identities of EU residents, you need to play by their rules. That includes having legitimate reasons for each piece of data you collect and ensuring it’s all properly protected.

4. Cross-Border Data Transfer Regulations

Each region has its own rules about how identity information can move across borders. Break these rules, and you could face serious penalties.

The solution? Map out your data flows carefully. Know where each piece of identity information is collected, where it’s stored, and how it moves between systems. Then build safeguards to ensure you’re following each region’s requirements.

KYC Suite for Global Verification

Building in-house verification for each country sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? Especially when regulations keep shifting, document formats keep updating, and user expectations keep rising.

What if you could plug into a system that already understands global identities? That’s where modern verification APIs come in. They handle the heavy lifting – from document format updates to compliance changes – while you focus on growing your business. 

Signzy’s suite makes this possible with three key solutions. 

• The KYC API handles identity verification across borders.
• The Identity Verification Suite adds extra security through biometrics and liveness checks. 
• For corporate clients, the UBO helps you meet regulatory requirements while keeping risk in check. 

Each piece works independently or together, adapting as your business grows into new markets. Check Signzy Today.