Benin

Identity verification (KYC) and AML/CFT in Benin

In Benin, banks apply the common BCEAO framework and report suspicions to the CENTIF-Bénin. Verita reads the Beninese biometric national ID card and passport, compares the customer’s face with the document and screens the name against sanctions and PEP lists.

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Benin at a glance

Central bank: BCEAO (Central Bank of West African States), shared by the eight states
Banking supervisor: WAMU Banking Commission
Financial intelligence unit: CENTIF-Bénin
FATF-style regional body: GIABA
AML/CFT law: Law No. 2024-01 of 20 February 2024
Data protection: Digital Code, Law No. 2017-20, Book V; authority: APDP
National ID document: Biometric chip national ID card, issued by ANIP
Business register: RCCM (OHADA area); APIEx online one-stop shop
Tax identification number: IFU (unique tax identifier)
Currency: CFA franc (XOF)
Official language: French
FATF status (June 2026 plenary): Not under increased monitoring
Insurance: CIMA member

What Verita checks today in Benin

Identity documents: the Beninese biometric national ID card and the passport, with the MRZ read.
Passports from every country, in the ICAO 9303 format.
Face match, liveness and sanctions (UN, OFAC, EU, UK) and PEP screening, as on every file.
Businesses: automatic registry cross-checks are available for Côte d’Ivoire; for Benin, we scope them in a pilot.

The AML/CFT framework in Benin

Benin is part of the WAEMU: the BCEAO and the WAMU Banking Commission supervise banks, and Law No. 2024-01 of 20 February 2024 transposes the AML/CFT/PF uniform law. The biometric ID card, issued by ANIP since 2021, follows ECOWAS standards. The country was not under FATF increased monitoring after the June 2026 plenary.

What is set up in a pilot

Banks in Benin apply the same BCEAO instructions as Ivorian banks: Verita’s checks, visible reasoning and audit trail apply as they are. The national FIU’s own report format is set up in a pilot.

Personal data

The Digital Code (Law No. 2017-20, Book V), supervised by the personal data protection authority (APDP), governs the processing of personal data in Benin; face photos and identity documents are part of it. Verita can be installed on your own servers so that this data stays inside your perimeter, and every access is logged in the audit trail.

Frequently asked questions

Does Verita read the Beninese biometric national ID card?

Yes. The Beninese biometric national ID card and the passport are supported, along with face match and liveness.

Who do banks in Benin report suspicions to?

To the CENTIF-Bénin. Verita prepares the report and has it approved by two people in your institution; your reporting officer sends it.

Is KYB available in Benin?

Automatic business-registry cross-checks are available for Côte d’Ivoire. For this country, we scope them with you in a pilot.

Can Verita be installed on our own servers?

Yes. On-premise installation is possible: documents and personal data never leave your infrastructure.

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