What Documents Do I Need for Facebook Business Verification?

Quick Answer

For Facebook Business Verification you need: 1) a certificate of incorporation or business registration document, 2) a recent utility bill (within 90 days) in your business name showing your business address, 3) a tax registration document (VAT certificate or equivalent), and 4) a government-issued ID for the person submitting. All documents must show your exact business legal name and match the information in your Business Manager.

Required Documents at a Glance

Document	Purpose	Required?
Certificate of incorporation	Proves the legal entity	Yes (for companies)
Business license	Proves operation in your jurisdiction	Sometimes
Recent utility bill (within 90 days)	Confirms business address	Yes
Tax registration (VAT cert, EIN, etc.)	Confirms tax registration	Yes
Bank statement	Proves active operations	Sometimes
Government-issued ID	Confirms representative	Yes
Business phone records	Confirms phone number	Sometimes

The exact list depends on your country and business type.

Document 1: Certificate of Incorporation

This is the most important document for limited companies and corporations. It is the official document issued by your government when you registered the business.

UK: Certificate of Incorporation from Companies House
US: Articles of Incorporation from Secretary of State
Canada: Certificate of Incorporation from Corporations Canada
Australia: Certificate of Registration from ASIC
Germany: Handelsregisterauszug

The document must show:

The exact legal name of the business (must match Business Manager)

The registration number

The date of incorporation

The country of incorporation

Sole traders do not have this and will use different proof.

Document 2: Utility Bill (Recent)

The utility bill is used to confirm your business address. It must be:

Issued within the last 90 days
In the legal business name (not personal name)
Showing the same address as Business Manager
From a recognised utility provider (electricity, gas, water, internet, phone)

Acceptable: Electricity bill, gas bill, water bill, internet bill, business phone bill, council tax bill (UK), property tax bill
Not acceptable: Personal utility bill in someone's name, expired bills, edited bills

Document 3: Tax Registration

You need proof that your business is registered for tax. The exact document depends on your country.

Country	Document
UK	VAT Registration Certificate, HMRC PAYE letter
US	EIN confirmation letter, IRS letter
Canada	GST/HST Registration
Australia	ABN registration
Germany	Steuernummer letter
France	SIRET/SIREN
Spain	NIF/CIF

If your business is too small to be VAT registered, contact Meta support for alternative documents.

Document 4: Government-Issued ID

The person submitting the verification must provide a government-issued photo ID. This proves you are authorised to act on behalf of the business.

Acceptable: Passport, driver's license, national ID card
Not acceptable: Library card, student ID, employee ID, bank card

The ID must be:

Current (not expired)

Showing a clear photo

Showing your full name

Document 5: Business License (When Required)

Some industries require a specific business license. For example:

Financial services
Healthcare
Legal services
Construction
Childcare
Food and beverage

If your industry requires a license, upload it alongside the other documents.

Document 6: Bank Statement (Sometimes)

Meta may request a recent bank statement to prove your business is actively operating. The statement must:

Be from the last 90 days
Be in the legal business name
Show recent transactions
Be from a recognised bank

You can redact transaction details if you wish, but the name, account, and date must be visible.

Documents for Sole Traders

If you operate as a sole trader without incorporation, you need different documents:

Document	Notes
Self-assessment registration	UK HMRC document
Sole proprietor tax filing	US Schedule C
Trade name registration	DBA filing
Personal utility bill	At the business address
Personal photo ID	Matching sole trader name

Sole trader verification is more difficult than corporate verification because the proof of legitimate business is weaker.

Template: Document Preparation Checklist

Before you start, gather:

[ ] Certificate of incorporation (PDF or high-res scan)
[ ] Business license, if your industry requires one
[ ] Recent utility bill (within 90 days) in business name
[ ] Tax registration document
[ ] Government-issued photo ID
[ ] Bank statement (have one ready in case asked)
[ ] Confirm business name matches all documents
[ ] Confirm business address matches all documents
[ ] Confirm files are PDF or image format
[ ] Confirm files are under 8 MB each
[ ] Use a business email (e.g., name@yourbusiness.com)

Common Document Mistakes

Mistake 1: Name mismatch
The most common rejection reason. Your incorporation document, utility bill, and Business Manager all need the same legal name.

Mistake 2: Personal utility bill
The bill must be in the business name, not your personal name.

Mistake 3: Expired documents
Utility bills must be within 90 days. Older bills are rejected.

Mistake 4: Editing documents
Any sign of editing or alteration triggers rejection.

Mistake 5: Low-quality scans
If the reviewer cannot read it, they will reject it.

Mistake 6: Wrong document type
Submitting a personal ID when a business document is needed.

Mistake 7: Missing pages
A multi-page document must include every page.

What If You Are Missing a Document

If you do not have one of the required documents:

No incorporation document: You may be a sole trader, use sole trader documents instead
No business utility bill: Get a business phone or internet contract; bills count
No tax registration: If genuinely below the threshold, contact Meta with proof
No business bank account: Consider opening one before verifying
No matching ID: Use the most current government ID and explain in support

What Happens If You Submit Wrong Documents

If you submit documents that do not meet the requirements, Meta will reject the verification and ask for new documents. There is no penalty for this. You can resubmit as many times as needed.

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