Certificate of Formation – Document Requirements

A Certificate of Formation (also called an Article of Incorporation) is an official document issued by a government or regulatory body confirming that your business legally exists. It serves as identification for your company and helps us confirm that your business is properly registered.

Depending on your business type and the country where you're registered, this document may go by a different name. See the "Acceptable document types" section below for examples.

We're required to verify that every business we work with is a legitimate, registered entity. Your Certificate of Formation lets us confirm your company's existence, its legal structure, and key registration details.

In most cases, your Certificate of Formation should include at least:

• Name of the entity
• Date of incorporation/formation or filing date (for US entities)
• Registration or company number
• An official stamp (required in some jurisdictions but not all)

The details on this document must match the information on your Kraken account. If there's a discrepancy (other than very minor differences such as "Ltd" vs. "Limited"), we may reach out for clarification. Note that a screenshot of the public registry can't be accepted; we require the complete document.

The table below lists examples of acceptable documents by business structure.

This list is a reference, not an exhaustive rule. If your document isn't listed above but is a valid official registry document, it can generally still be accepted.

• File format: PDF, PNG, JPG, or JPEG
• Image quality: The document must be complete and clear, with no blacked-out or redacted sections
• Legibility: We can't accept documents that are incomplete, illegible, handwritten, or expired
• Source: The document must come from an official, independent source (e.g., a government registry), not a self-prepared document

• If your company has changed its name, a name change certificate cannot be used in place of a Certificate of Formation; we'll still need a copy of the original formation document.
• If your registered address on file differs from the address on your Certificate of Formation, we may need to verify the discrepancy against the official business registry for your jurisdiction.
• The Certificate of Formation is separate from your Share Registry (ownership document) and Organization Chart (ownership structure). Both are covered on their own pages.