» What is an LEI? All your questions on the Legal Entity Identifier answered «

After having created a user account (with user name and password) and apply for one or more LEI online. Click on “LEI Application” and fill out the company data (parent, if applicable) and the contact persons. You can also enter several companies or perform a bulk application (see also Can I apply for several LEI at once (bulk application)?).
Note: The fields marked with * are mandatory.

The process is very simple and intuitive. However, downloadable “manuals” are placed at your disposal.

Who can apply for an LEI?

The following condition applies to the applicant:

You are entitled to represent your company or the fund controlled by your company at the time of the application by your function (eg managing director, authorized officer) and thus apply for an LEI.
You were authorized by a person entitled to act as representative (eg managing director, authorized officer) by a power of attorney to apply for an LEI.

What is the need for a power of attorney?

The LEI must be applied for by a person named in the register as entitled to act as a representative (e.g. CEO, managing director, authorized representative). Alternatively, a person authorized to act in the register may authorize the applicant with a power of attorney. This power of attorney is transmitted electronically via PDF. In the event of any inconsistencies, the EQS Group shall request the original certificate of authenticity. The EQS Group may postpone the award of the LEI to the date of receipt of the power of attorney.

What data do I need to apply for one or more LEI?

To apply for one or several LEI, it is necessary to provide us with information on the applicant and the company, as name of the representatives/company, address and if needed a power of attorney. If you want, the EQS LEI team takes over the upload of an extract of from trade register of your company or a similar constituent document (Handling fee € 10,-- / US$ 11).

How long does it take to apply for one or more LEI?

he application for an LEI takes only 5 minutes. After receipt of payment, the EQS Group verifies your data. How long this takes depends on the effort and the current order volume. As a rule, you get your LEI – when ordering several LEI, all your LEI – the day following the application*.
* For an application on a working day before 4pm (CET).

Can I cancel an LEI-application?

Yes, of course. To cancel an application for an LEI or cancel your order, please contact us immediately at lei-manager@eqs.com.

What exactly will be verified during the LEI issuance?

To maintain a high security standard for the worldwide used LEI data, your entries are squared with other public sources. This way, we ensure that only correct information is coded and saved according to a uniform system.

We also check whether an LEI has already been issued under the same name and / or address. If all information is correct and no duplicate is available, an LEI is issued and published by the EQS Group. You will automatically be informed by e-mail about the publication.

My LEI application was rejected. What are the reasons for this?

Before an LEI is issued, the EQS Group checks the correctness of your information. This includes checking whether an LEI has already been issued by another authority. If an LEI has already been issued to an entity or if the verification contains incorrect information, no LEI is published. You will be informed about the reason for the refusal by e-mail.

My LEI is with another issuer and I would like to move it to EQS Group. What do I have to do?

It’s very easy to transfer your LEI to the EQS LEI MANAGER: click here and follow the steps (more information can be found in our user guide).
The transfer without LEI renewal is free of charge.

When does my LEI expire and how can I extend it?

After the first application of the LEI, the term of the contract is 1 year and simply runs out after afterwards. You are in no way bound by contract. To continue to use the LEI for your financial transactions, it is necessary to actively renew it. We timely remind you thereof. About 8 weeks prior to the expiry of the validity period of your LEI, you will receive an email from us. Further reminders will follow.

Can I apply for several LEI at once (bulk application)?

Yes! In order to make the application for several LEI as easy as possible, we offer you a comfortable bulk application procedure from a minimum of 10 LEI. EQS takes care of the administration of your LEI and in addition, you benefit from your special conditions. Click here for the LEI bulk application.
You can use a template to provide the necessary information on your companies or funds. If you have any questions on the application process or the special conditions, do not hesitate to contact us.

How can I apply for LEI for my investment funds?

With the EQS LEI MANAGER, we offer investment funds companies a special service: with our full service package, you can forward the LEI relevant funds to us via email (lei-manager@eqs.com) and we take care of everything else for you. Do not hesitate to contact us per email (lei-manager@eqs.com) or by phone (US / CA: +1 929 593 1110, UK: +44 20 3141 3953) and learn more about our special services and conditions for investment funds companies.

How do I register?

To register, please click on "Register", enter your address e-mail and choose a password. You will then recieve an e-mail and you can log into the EQS LEI MANAGER.
If you have any questions, please contact our Helpdesk at +1 929 593 1110 (US & CA) or +44 20 3141 3953 (UK).

How can I fix errors in my LEI data?

In the detailed view of each LEI data set, you will find the button "Duplicates or data errors". This will take you to a contact form where you can describe and report errors to the EQS Group.

You can change your own records in the EQS LEI MANAGER in your user account. Or you can contact lei-manager@eqs.com by e-mail.

My company's head office moves abroad. Do I now have to apply for a new LEI?

No. Once an LEI has been issued, it also retains its validity when the legal seat changes. The prerequisite is that this is still the same legal entity. It is only necessary to update the company data. You can do this in the EQS LEI MANAGER or you can contact lei-manager@eqs.com by e-mail.

My company based in UK/USA is also active abroad. Do I need another LEI from the responsible authority there?

No. Each legal unit is given a unique LEI, which is used worldwide.

You only need further LEI in this case if a legally independent subsidiary that is established abroad, eg in the context of financial market transactions and reporting, needs an LEI.

What does the LEI status means?

Issued:	EQS Group has verified all data and issued an LEI. The status “published” confirms to you that the data entered has been examined during last year.
Merged:	The LEI does not any longer exist. It has been merged or taken over.
Retired:	The legal entity for which this LEI has been issued is no longer active. Date and reason (e.g. insolvency, funds dissolution) will be displayed on other fields.
Lapsed:	The LEI data are not actual anymore. The last verification took place over a year ago; the data have not been updated.

Payment methods

You can perform the payment through invoice or credit cards.

For the transfer, please use this bank account:

Account owner:	EQS Group GmbH
Money Institution:	Commerzbank AG München
IBAN:	DE05700400410221871700
BIC (SWIFT-Code):	COBADEFF700

Once your payment has been received by the EQS Group, you will be informed by e-mail and your order will be released for review.
Regardless of which payment method you choose, your order will be processed immediately. If you paid on invoice, it will be sent to you within the next few days. If you pay by credit card, the bill will be settled immediately and the receipt will also be sent within the next few days.

Do license fees apply for the use of LEI?

No. Everyone has a free access to an LEI and use of an LEI is also free of charge. No additional costs are incurred for the use, distribution and storage of the LEI. You will find more information regarding our prices here.

What is an LEI and how is it built?

The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is a globally standardized and unique identifier for financial market participants. It applies worldwide and ensures more transparence on the capital market. The financial crisis showed how difficult it was for banks and regulators to quickly and unequivocally clarify complex company networks as well as relations from emissions to issuers. The global LEI system counteract this: an LEI enables to clearly identify each contract partner and contributes moreover to the satisfaction of mandatory disclosure to supervisory authorities.

The LEI code is a 20-digit alphanumeric combination (in accordance to ISO-Standard 17442).

Code:		XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXX		4-digit prefix for the LOU. EQS Group GmbH has the '8945'
XXXXXXXXXXXX		14-digit identification of the legal entity
XX		2-digit checksum, which is formed according to ISO 7064 (modulo 97-10)

What information about the company is stored together with the LEI?

Each LEI includes data on the company or fund:

Official name of the legal entity / fund manager
Legal form
register number + name of the register
Legal address of the head office / fund manager
ISO country code (eg DE)
Date of the first LEI issuance
Date of last update of the stored information
Date and reason when the LEI expires

What company information will be published?

Data on the LEI
Company data
Jurisdiction
Headquarters

Who needs an LEI?

All companies currently need an LEI,

to participate in derivatives trading,
to register financial derivatives to a transactions register - which according to Article 9 EMIR (European Market Infrastructure Regulation), is mandatory since the 12 February 2014,
for direct reporting by national register (e.g. voting rights declarations)
for mandatory disclosure according to Article 26 European financial market regulation (MiFIR, MiFID II).

First addressees are therefore the financial counterparties:

Banks / Credit Institutions
Insurance companies
Securities service companies
Investment funds / KVG (capital management companies)

The following are also affected, for example:

Corporations, associations, cooperatives, foundations, corporations in formation
Commercial companies / partnerships
Joint Ventures
GbR
Registered merchant
Corporations (territorial, personnel and association bodies, universities)

In view of the regulation of the financial markets, it is to be expected that the use of the LEI is assumed by many authorities and institutions worldwide. Thus also for the non-financial counterparties (ie all other companies of the real economy), that conclude derivative contracts. Individuals and legally dependent companies do not need an LEI.
Here you can find a current overview of the ongoing and planned activities of supervisory authorities, including the LEI use.

Who issues an LEI?

Following a federal principle, the LEI is issued by local institutions (LOU). Since 26.09.2017, EQS Group GmbH has assumed the LEI issuance. On 26.09.2017, the LEI ROC granted the EQS Group an official "endorsement". This means that the LEI issued by the EQS Group are bindingly recognized by all members of the LEI ROC and can be used globally for supervisory purposes (in particular for reporting according to EMIR and Dodd-Frank Act). As a "sponsoring authority", BaFin verifies compliance with the standards set by the FSB or LEI ROC.

My company's head office moves abroad. Do I now have to apply for a new LEI?

My company based in UK/USA is also active abroad. Do I need another LEI from the responsible authority there?

Why can I not find my LEI on the EQS LEI or company search?

Following your LEI application, your data record is accessible via the search portal (LEI and company search) - however, even without an LEI, you should be able to find your company. The EQS Group then checks your information before the LEI is issued and published. This examination begins after payment of the fee. Their duration varies according to effort and current order volume. After completion, you will receive an e-mail confirmation and the LEI will be published in the EQS LEI MANAGER.

How can I find the LEI data of my business partners and other market participants?

For this, you can use our EQS LEI and company search.

I noticed some errors within the LEI data - what can I do?

You can change your own data in the EQS LEI MANAGER via 'Manage LEI'. If you want to deactivate your LEI due to an incorrect assignment, please contact lei-manager@eqs.com.
You can report errors in foreign records using the global LEI search of the GLEIF. To do this, enter the affected company or the corresponding LEI in the input field and go to the detail view. With the button 'Prompt this entry', you can report any errors to the GLEIF via a contact form. You will then receive a summary and confirmation of your error message by e-mail.

What does it cost to get LEI information?

The retrieval of information on the EQS LEI and company search is free of charge.

Massenbeantragung

» Frequently asked questions «

What is an LEI?

The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is a globally standardized and unique identifier for financial market participants. It applies worldwide and ensures more transparence on the capital market. The financial crisis showed how difficult it was for banks and regulators to quickly and unequivocally clarify complex company networks as well as relations from emissions to issuers. The global LEI system counteract this: an LEI enables to clearly identify each contract partner and contributes moreover to the satisfaction of mandatory disclosure to supervisory authorities. The LEI code is a 20-digit alphanumeric combination (in accordance to ISO-Standard 17442).

Who needs an LEI?

All companies currently need an LEI to fulfil the obligations under EMIR (European Market Infrastructure Regulation), and the European financial market regulation (MiFIR, MiFID II). First addressees are therefore the financial counterparties: banks and credit Institutions, insurance companies, securities service companies, investment funds and capital management companies. In view of the regulation of the financial markets, it is to be expected that the use of the LEI is assumed by many authorities and institutions worldwide. Thus also for the non-financial counterparties (ie all other companies of the real economy), that conclude derivative contracts. Individuals and legally dependent companies do not need an LEI.

How to obtain an LEI?

To apply for an LEI, it is necessary for the company/institution to be registered into an official register and to be clearly authenticate.

How long does it takes to apply for one or more LEI?

The application for an LEI takes only 5 minutes. After receipt of payment, the EQS Group verifies your data. How long this takes depends on the effort and the current order volume. As a rule, you get your LEI – when ordering several LEI, all your LEI – on the same day as the application*. (*For an application on a working day before 4pm.)

Can I apply for several LEI at once?