What Is an LEI Code? A Complete Guide for Belgian Companies
If your business has ever tried to buy shares, trade bonds, or report a derivatives contract, you may have met a requirement that halts ever...
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LEI Code Structure Explained: The 20 Characters of ISO 17442
Every LEI looks like a random jumble — take `5493001KJTIIGC8Y1R12`. It isn't random at all. The format is fixed by the international standar...
What Is GLEIF? The Foundation Behind Every LEI
Behind every LEI code stands a single global body: GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation. If the LEI is the identifier, GLEIF...
What Is an LOU (Local Operating Unit)?
When you register an LEI, the organisation that actually issues and maintains it is called an LOU — a Local Operating Unit. LOUs are the wor...
What Is a Registration Agent / LEI Issuer?
If you've looked into getting an LEI, you'll have seen "LEI issuer," "LOU" and "Registration Agent" used almost interchangeably. They aren't...
LEI vs VAT Number: What's the Difference?
Your company already has a VAT number — so why would it also need an LEI? The two look superficially similar but exist for completely differ...
LEI vs DUNS Number: What's the Difference?
Both the LEI and the DUNS number identify a business — but one is an open global standard and the other a private commercial product.
LEI vs BIC/SWIFT: What's the Difference?
Anyone who has made an international bank transfer has used a BIC, often called a SWIFT code. The LEI sometimes gets confused with it, but t...
LEI vs TIN/EIN: What's the Difference?
A TIN or EIN and an LEI are both official numbers attached to an organisation, but they sit at opposite ends of the spectrum: one is a natio...
How to Look Up and Verify an LEI
One of the most useful features of the LEI system is that it's completely open. Anyone can look up any LEI and confirm exactly who an entity...
LEI Reference Data and "Level 2" Parent Relationships
An LEI is only 20 characters, but it's a key that unlocks a structured public record about an entity. That record comes in two layers — "who...
How to Register an LEI
Obtaining an LEI is more straightforward than most businesses expect. The process rests on validating your entity's legal details and publis...
How to Renew an LEI
An LEI is not a one-time registration — it carries an annual obligation. Every year the reference data behind it must be re-confirmed and th...
How to Transfer an LEI
If you want to change the organisation that maintains your LEI, you can transfer it. Importantly, the 20-character code itself does not chan...
How Long Does LEI Registration Take?
One of the most common questions has a simple answer: for most businesses, LEI registration is fast.
Documents Required for LEI Registration
For most businesses, LEI registration needs no complex paperwork — the legal details you already have are usually enough.
What Happens When an LEI Lapses?
An LEI must be renewed every year. If renewal is missed, the LEI status changes from "Issued" to "Lapsed." It's important to understand what...
Multi-Year LEI Registration
An LEI must be renewed every year, but renewal can be arranged for several years in advance. Multi-year registration is about convenience an...
Who Needs an LEI?
The short answer: any legal entity that transacts in the financial markets. The requirement comes from regulation, not choice.
LEI Under MiFID II
MiFID II is the regulation that turned the LEI from a niche requirement into a precondition for market access across the EU, including Belgi...