Overview

Amazon has refreshed the Know Your Customer (KYC) verification guidelines for sellers operating in the European Union and United Kingdom marketplaces. The new help pages list document requirements by country, outline separate workflows for different business structures, and spell out exact acceptance standards. Sellers aiming to launch or maintain a presence in Europe should review the changes to avoid unnecessary rejections and selling interruptions.

Key Points

• Country‑by‑country checklists — A German‑based seller now sees that a Handelsregister extract is required, while a French seller must upload a K‑bis certificate, removing guesswork across borders.
• Entity‑type pathways — Sole proprietors receive a list of personal ID and tax‑registration documents, whereas limited companies are guided to provide articles of association and shareholder registers.
• Exact file rules — Amazon specifies JPEG or PDF, a minimum of 300 dpi resolution, and a maximum file size of 5 MB, so a blurry passport scan will be rejected outright.
• Expanded FAQ — The new FAQ clarifies who qualifies as a beneficial owner under the EU’s Fifth Anti‑Money‑Laundering Directive, helping non‑profit groups avoid misclassification.

What's Changing

1. Country‑specific document lists — When a seller selects “Germany” in the verification portal, the system displays a checklist that includes a Gewerbeanmeldung and a recent utility bill; a seller from Spain sees a requirement for a Registro Mercantil extract and a Spanish NIE.
2. Entity‑type workflows — The platform now routes a partnership to a step that asks for a partnership agreement and identification for each partner, while a limited liability company is prompted to upload its certificate of incorporation and a list of directors.
3. Published acceptance criteria — Before submission, sellers can view a table that states “PDF, 300 dpi, ≤5 MB; translations required for any document not in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish.” A seller uploading a low‑resolution PNG of a tax certificate will receive an immediate format error instead of a vague rejection.