LEGAL ENTITY IDENTIFIER (LEI) IN INDIA
LEI certificate: what it is and how to download one
An LEI certificate is a document that confirms your Legal Entity Identifier and the registration details behind it: your legal name, your 20-character LEI code, the registration and renewal dates, and the current status. You can download it as a PDF. The PDF captures the LEI full form meaning and data related to the legal entity in question.
That’s the short version. If you’re looking for the certificate for an LEI you already hold, skip to how to download it. If you’re wondering what the certificate actually is and whether you need one, start here.
LEI certificate meaning
The certificate itself is not the LEI. The LEI is the 20-character code, and it lives on a public register called the Global LEI Index, maintained by GLEIF. Anyone can look up an LEI and see its data for free.
So what is the certificate for? It’s a clean, formatted record of that registration in one document. Instead of sending someone a link to a database entry, you send a certificate that states your entity’s name, its LEI, and the dates the registration is valid. It’s proof, on paper or PDF, that the LEI was registered and is active.
One point worth being clear about, because there’s confusion around it. GLEIF does not issue LEI certificates. The certificate comes from the Registration Agent or issuing organisation that registered the LEI. It confirms a registration that exists on the public register. It’s a convenience document, not a separate official licence.
What an LEI certificate contains
A standard LEI certificate shows the legal name of the entity, the 20-character LEI code, the registration date, the next renewal date, the registration status, and the organisation that issued or manages the LEI. Some certificates also show the entity’s registered address and the relevant company registration number.
All of this data matches what appears on the Global LEI Index. The certificate is a presentation of the public record, formatted for your files.
When you need an LEI certificate
Most of the time you don’t strictly need one. The LEI itself, the code on the public register, is what banks and regulators check for example the RBI LEI guidlines describe what is needed. But a certificate is useful in a few situations.
You want a record for your own compliance files or audit trail. A bank, auditor or counterparty asks for confirmation of your LEI on paper rather than a database link. Your onboarding pack for a new account needs supporting documents. Your finance or legal team keeps physical records of registrations.
In those cases a PDF certificate is quicker to hand over than explaining where to look on a public register.
How to download your LEI certificate as a PDF
If LEI Worldwide registers or manages your LEI, you can download your LEI certificate as a PDF from your account. The certificate is generated from your current registration data, so it reflects your live status and renewal date.
If your LEI is registered elsewhere and you want a certificate from us, you can transfer your LEI to LEI Worldwide first. The transfer is free, the code stays the same, and once it’s with us you can download the certificate and manage renewals in one place.
Does an LEI certificate expire?
The certificate reflects your LEI’s status at the time you download it. Because an LEI has to be renewed every year, a certificate downloaded today shows your current renewal date, and a lapsed LEI will show as lapsed. Keep the LEI active through annual renewal and the certificate stays valid. Let it lapse and the certificate reflects that, because it’s drawn from the live register.
What an LEI record contains
The code points to a public record on the Global LEI Index. That record holds your entity’s official name, registered address, country, company registration number where applicable, and the entity’s status and renewal date. Anyone can look it up for free. That public transparency is the whole point of the LEI.
What you need to apply for an LEI
Applying is straightforward. For most companies you need the legal name exactly as registered, the registered address, the company registration number from the relevant registry, and confirmation of who is authorised to request the LEI. For funds and trusts there are a few extra details about the structure.
With LEI Worldwide, your entity is verified against the official company registry by API, so most LEIs are issued instantly. You don’t fill in a long form by hand. We pull and confirm the registry data for you.
How long an LEI lasts
An LEI is valid for one year and then needs renewing to stay active. You can register for up to five years at once, which lowers the yearly cost and means you don’t renew every year.
Now you know what LEI stands for and what the code is made of. If you need one, we’re a GLEIF-accredited Registration Agent, registering LEIs since 2017.
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What an LEI certificate contains
A standard LEI certificate shows the legal name of the entity, the 20-character LEI code, the registration date, the next renewal date, the registration status, and the organisation that issued or manages the LEI. Some certificates also show the entity’s registered address and the relevant company registration number.
All of this data matches what appears on the Global LEI Index. The certificate is a presentation of the public record, formatted for your files.
When you need an LEI certificate
Most of the time you don’t strictly need one. The LEI itself, the code on the public register, is what banks and regulators check for example the RBI LEI guidlines describe what is needed. But a certificate is useful in a few situations.
You want a record for your own compliance files or audit trail. A bank, auditor or counterparty asks for confirmation of your LEI on paper rather than a database link. Your onboarding pack for a new account needs supporting documents. Your finance or legal team keeps physical records of registrations.
In those cases a PDF certificate is quicker to hand over than explaining where to look on a public register.
How to download your LEI certificate as a PDF
If LEI Worldwide registers or manages your LEI, you can download your LEI certificate as a PDF from your account. The certificate is generated from your current registration data, so it reflects your live status and renewal date.
If your LEI is registered elsewhere and you want a certificate from us, you can transfer your LEI to LEI Worldwide first. The transfer is free, the code stays the same, and once it’s with us you can download the certificate and manage renewals in one place.
Does an LEI certificate expire?
The certificate reflects your LEI’s status at the time you download it. Because an LEI has to be renewed every year, a certificate downloaded today shows your current renewal date, and a lapsed LEI will show as lapsed. Keep the LEI active through annual renewal and the certificate stays valid. Let it lapse and the certificate reflects that, because it’s drawn from the live register.
What an LEI record contains
The code points to a public record on the Global LEI Index. That record holds your entity’s official name, registered address, country, company registration number where applicable, and the entity’s status and renewal date. Anyone can look it up for free. That public transparency is the whole point of the LEI.
What you need to apply for an LEI
Applying is straightforward. For most companies you need the legal name exactly as registered, the registered address, the company registration number from the relevant registry, and confirmation of who is authorised to request the LEI. For funds and trusts there are a few extra details about the structure.
With LEI Worldwide, your entity is verified against the official company registry by API, so most LEIs are issued instantly. You don’t fill in a long form by hand. We pull and confirm the registry data for you.
How long an LEI lasts
An LEI is valid for one year and then needs renewing to stay active. You can register for up to five years at once, which lowers the yearly cost and means you don’t renew every year.
Now you know what LEI stands for and what the code is made of. If you need one, we’re a GLEIF-accredited Registration Agent, registering LEIs since 2017.
