Register a UK LEI Number in minutes, not days

An LEI, or Legal Entity Identifier, is a uniquely assigned 20-character alphanumeric number that identifies companies, organisations, funds and trusts. The LEI number is the global standard for uniquely identifying legal entities, providing transparency, and supporting regulatory compliance. The LEI code is used to access verified data about the entity, such as its legal name and address, and information on its ownership structure.

LEIs can only be issued by approved LEI Issuers. These LEI Issuer organisations are accredited by the Global LEI Foundation (GLEIF), the regulatory body overseeing the Global Legal Entity Identifier System.

Understanding the basics of Legal Entity Identifiers: What is an LEI Number

Any legal entity that trades financial instruments, reports derivatives under UK EMIR, is a fund or AIF, or makes certain CHAPS payments needs an active LEI. Sole traders and individuals acting in a personal capacity do not, as LEIs are for legal entities only. LEI Numbers are also used in KYC/KYB workflows, cross border trading and payment processing.

RapidLEI pricing is all-inclusive and covers the GLEIF fee, document and entity verification and publication, with no hidden fees. Multi-year plans lower the annual cost, so a 5-year plan costs less per year than a 1-year plan and removes renewal risk. See pricing above.

Most RapidLEI LEI Numbers are issued in minutes. If your entity data needs extra checks, such as parent or fund relationships, it can take a little longer, but we still typically issue on the same day.

For most companies no documents are needed, because we retrieve verified data from the business registry. For some entities, such as trusts or funds, supporting documents may be requested to confirm the legal name, address and authorised representatives, for example a trust deed or HMRC documentation.

RapidLEI is accredited by the GLEIF to issue Legal Entity Identifiers to registered companies and subsidiaries, non-profit organisations, sole proprietors, international branch offices, as well as funds and trusts. 

Next steps: Register an LEI for a Fund

Knowledge Base: Understanding LEI for funds and trusts

An LEI is valid for one year and must be renewed to stay active. A lapsed LEI is publicly visible in the Global LEI Index and can cause transactions and reports to be rejected. RapidLEI multi-year auto-renewal prevents lapses, and a lapsed LEI can be reactivated at any time to restore its active status.

After an LEI is issued, it remains valid for one year and must be renewed annually to retain its Active status in the Global LEI System. To make this easier for customers, we offer multiyear options that keep the LEI active for up to five years without requiring yearly renewals.

If an LEI is not renewed, it becomes lapsed. Lapsed LEIs may cause problems in financial transactions and regulatory reporting, including the risk of transactions being rejected or penalties for non-compliance.

RapidLEI recommends choosing multiyear to avoid the risk of lapsed LEIs. But should an LEI fall into lapse state, it can be renewed at any time to restore its active status.

Only the accredited issuer that manages an LEI can renew it. If your LEI is with another issuer, transfer it to RapidLEI first. Transfer is free, keeps the same LEI number and runs within GLEIF rules with no gap in coverage. You can renew up to 60 days before expiry from your RapidLEI account.

Use the free LEI Search tool to find out the current status. It connects to the Global LEI Index and, depending on the result, points you to register a new LEI, renew, reactivate a lapsed one, or transfer an LEI held with another issuer.

We create you a secure LEI account so that only you can manage, renew or transfer your LEI once it is issued. After you enter your details we send a one-time link to confirm your email address, an industry best step for a financial services product that protects your record.

Yes. RapidLEI has been a GLEIF-accredited LEI Issuer since June 2018 and sits alongside issuers such as Bloomberg, the London Stock Exchange Group and Euronext. RapidLEI is accredited to issue in over 150 jurisdictions and manages LEIs for 450,000+ legal entities, the largest LEI Issuer globally. The company is headquartered in the UK and has satellite offices in the Nordics.

The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) was established in 2014 by the Financial Stability Board and the G20 and is overseen by the Regulatory Oversight Committee (ROC). The GLEIF is responsible for maintaining the operational integrity of the Global LEI System and works with accredited LEI Issuers to ensure that the LEI remains a public good accessible to all stakeholders.

The GLEIF also supports the broader adoption of the LEI number across the global economy. Its work includes overseeing data quality, setting issuance standards, and promoting use cases such as cross-border trade and payee identification. This helps keep the LEI as the world’s most trusted and accessible way to identify organisations.

Learn more: What is the GLEIF?