Get an LEI number here
LEI stands for Legal Entity Identifier. An LEI number, or LEI code, is the equivalent of an international company number.
The LEI is a requirement for many legal entities. It provides transparency in financial transactions across international markets.
LEI Service helps your company get a new LEI number or renew an existing LEI code quickly and easily through the LEI issuer we work with, RapidLEI. Prices from £34 per year (5-year validity) to £49 per year (1-year validity).
Order before 3pm (UK time) and you will receive the new LEI code within 2 hours (in 95% of cases).
Fast and easy process
LEI number application - in 1 minute
LEI British Virgin Islands, Jersey or Guernsey?
If you need a LEI for a British Virgin Island entity, please visit this site.
If you need a LEI for a Jersey entity, please visit: this site.
If you need a LEI for a Guernsey entity, please visit: this site.
We are not able to process any other entities than UK entities on this website.
LEI code prices
Find the solution with the best fit below – all our solutions include free support by phone and unlimited email support.
New LEI number
Apply for a new LEI number here
Renew LEI code
Renew an LEI already registered with RapidLEI
Transfer and renew LEI
Transfer your LEI from another issuer to RapidLEI and renew it
Why choose LEI Service?
- Quick, easy and safe LEI registration
- Affordable LEI number
- More than 28,000 LEIs managed via LEI Service (Nov. 2026)
- Automatic renewal of LEI possible
- Phone and e-mail support
- We always reply within 24 hours – guaranteed!
What is a LEI number / LEI code?
Who needs an LEI number?
- Since 3 January 2018, legal entities – including companies, charities and trusts – have needed an LEI to trade shares, bonds or derivatives through UK and EU investment firms.
- The LEI system is quickly becoming a global standard. Many countries, including the UK and the US (CFTC swap reporting rules), have adopted the LEI system.
- Under UK MiFIR, firms subject to transaction reporting cannot execute a trade on behalf of a client who is eligible for an LEI and does not have one – no LEI, no trade.
LEI number: the basics explained
- Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is comparable to an international company number. It identifies the legal entity on a global scale.
- The Legal Entity Identifier is a 20-character code based on the ISO standard 17442.
- Legal entities that want to trade shares, bonds etc. generally need an LEI.
- An LEI has a registration fee, and the data must be confirmed every year (renewal).
- The LEI helps to prevent financial fraud by allowing all entities to be uniquely identified on a global scale.
- The LEI code contains information about the entity’s ownership structure and answers the questions: ‘Who is who?’ and, ‘Who owns whom?’.
- LEI numbers are issued by LOUs (Local Operating Units). LOUs are accredited by the non-profit organisation GLEIF (Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation). GLEIF is overseen by the ROC (Regulatory Oversight Committee).
Legal Entity Identifier example with the LEI Service LEI: 9845 008599005596A4 56
- Characters 1-4: used to identify the issuing LOU.
- Characters 5-18: unique to the legal entity – characters contain no specific information.
- Characters 19-20: check digits used to validate the code.
Who can issue an LEI number?
- The coordination of LEI number issuance is carried out by GLEIF (Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation). GLEIF is a non-profit organisation responsible for maintaining the integrity of the global LEI system.
- The actual issuance of LEI numbers is done by GLEIF accredited LOUs (Local Operating Units).
- LOUs publish all LEI numbers and reference data to the Global LEI Index. The Global LEI Index is publicly available.
- GLEIF is overseen by the LEI ROC (Regulatory Oversight Committee). The ROC consists of public authorities (regulators and central banks) from around the world.
- GLEIF offers free of charge LEI lookup. The Legal Entity Identifier search will show if the LEI is active and when it expires.
LEI number terms
LEI Service helps you obtain an LEI number. Just enter your company number or name in the field above and confirm your data from Companies House (if listed). Next, fill out your information about the ownership structure of your entity. When this is done, we will take care of the application process for you. If we do not require additional information from you, your new LEI code will usually be issued in 10 minutes to 48 hours.
Your bank or investment platform may only check once a day, or not at all, and may wait until the LEI can be verified in the Global LEI Index – even though the LEI is valid from the moment it is issued.
The LEI data must be renewed annually to keep the information in the Global LEI Index correct and up to date.
At LEI Service, we offer the option of purchasing multi-year renewals. This allows us to submit updates to your LEI based on the information in the official register. The legal entity is obligated to inform us of any changes made to this information so that we can submit the new data to RapidLEI, which publishes it in the Global LEI Index. We do this at no additional cost.
The LEI gets the status ‘lapsed’ in GLEIF’s register, and your entity’s data is no longer kept up to date. Many banks and investment firms do not accept a lapsed LEI, and you risk not being able to carry out securities transactions.
The data of the LEI are referred to as reference data. It is the responsibility of the legal entity behind each LEI to notify the LEI issuing organisation (the LOU) of any updates to the reference data. All users of the LEI data can challenge the data contained in any LEI. Such a challenge triggers a review of the LEI data by the LEI issuing organisation. Verifications of or updates to an LEI are processed at no additional cost. This is done by the managing LEI issuer.
GLEIF is responsible for monitoring the LEI data quality. A data quality management programme ensures high quality of LEI data.
You can read more about data quality management here.
The Global LEI Index is updated several times a day. It may take up to 24 hours before your bank can verify a new LEI registration. Another possible cause is that your LEI has lapsed because it was not renewed – many banks do not accept a lapsed LEI. Let us help you renew it.
Generally no. However, in 2015 the LEI ROC made public a statement containing the conditions under which an individual acting in a business capacity could be eligible to obtain an LEI number. You can read the statement here.
About the LEI system
GLEIF stands for Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation. GLEIF is a non-profit organisation established by the Financial Stability Board in June 2014. GLEIF was founded to support the implementation and use of LEI numbers.
You can find more information about GLEIF here.
In 2011 the G20 (Group of Twenty) asked the Financial Stability Board (FSB) to make recommendations to a global Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) system and oversight of this.
This led to the development of the Global LEI System. The issuance of LEI numbers enables unique identification of legal entities participating in financial transactions. The FSB underlined that a global acceptance of the LEI system will contribute to several financial stability goals. It also provides advantages to the private sector.
More information on the Global LEI System can be found here.
The LEI system is made up by three layers:
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Layer 1: the LEI Regulatory Oversight Committee (ROC). The ROC consists of multiple public authorities from various nations. It was established in 2013 to coordinate and supervise the framework of the Global LEI System.
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Layer 2: the Global LEI Foundation (GLEIF). Established in 2014 by the Financial Stability Board, GLEIF is a non-profit organisation meant to help with the use and implementation of LEIs. The purpose of GLEIF is to ensure that the Global LEI System has operational integrity.
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Layer 3: LEI issuing organisations. The issuers of LEIs are also called Local Operating Units (LOUs). LOUs are responsible for LEI registration, LEI renewal, and complementary services.
You can find more information here.
The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is connected to key data which enable unique identification of legal entities participating in financial transactions across the globe. The LEI data are made publicly available to create and improve transparency on the global markets.
The free information connected to the LEI provides standardised information on legal entities on a global scale. The data incorporated in each LEI are verified through procedures and protocols set by the LEI Regulatory Oversight Committee. The purpose of the Global LEI System is essentially to answer questions on two levels of data:
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Level 1: who is who?
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Level 2: who owns whom? And who owns what?
The LEI number is a 20-character alphanumeric code that businesses, funds and charities who want to either buy or sell financial instruments may have to obtain in order to comply with MiFID II regulation or other local financial regulations (e.g. UK MiFIR).