The UID register, maintained by the Swiss FSO, assigns a unique business identification number to every active Swiss company. With this integration, LEI records now contain embedded links to the corresponding UID registry entries. For global users, this removes the need to manually locate, translate, and verify business registration data across jurisdictions.
GLEIF CEO Alexandre Kech highlighted the broader significance: “By linking LEI records with authoritative registries, GLEIF is building a globally interoperable digital identity infrastructure that promotes financial integrity, regulatory efficiency, and economic opportunity."
Streamlining KYC, AML, and Supply Chain Due Diligence
The UID-LEI link streamlines critical compliance processes like Know Your Customer (KYC), Know Your Supplier (KYS), and anti-money laundering (AML). Verifiable access to source data reduces operational friction and accelerates onboarding for banks, trade financiers, and regulators. This is especially vital in the context of heightened sanctions regimes and ESG compliance requirements, where entity-level due diligence must be fast, accurate, and globalScaling-the-use-of-digi….
SMEs Gain Global Discoverability
SMEs—which make up more than 99% of Swiss businesses—stand to benefit significantly. As noted in GLEIF’s release, easier access to verified data enhances their international visibility, boosts credibility with foreign counterparties, and opens doors to cross-border finance and partnerships. This addresses a long-standing challenge: smaller firms often struggle with the cost and complexity of proving identity and trustworthiness in global markets.
A Blueprint for Global Interoperability
The Swiss initiative follows similar GLEIF collaborations with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) and the UK’s Companies House. These integrations reflect broader trends toward digital trade ecosystems built on portable trust and interoperable data standards. As ICC DSI outlined in its 2025 roadmap, shared semantics and verifiable identifiers like LEIs are foundational to scalable, inclusive digital trade2025 ICC DSI Digitalisi….
GLEIF is actively encouraging other national business registries to adopt similar linkages, further positioning the LEI as a global "connector" across regulatory, financial, and trade domains.
Key Takeaways for Market Participants
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For Regulators: Direct access to trusted source data supports more efficient AML/KYC enforcement.
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For Financial Institutions: Onboarding, payments, and sanctions screening can be streamlined using identity-based, rather than name-based, systems.
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For Swiss SMEs: Enhanced global discoverability improves access to finance and trade.
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For Global Trade Stakeholders: This move aligns with broader calls for entity-level transparency to power ESG, sanctions, and traceability initiatives.
As legal, financial, and technological systems move toward full digital interoperability, Switzerland’s UID-LEI linkage offers a practical model for embedding verifiable identity into the heart of global commerce.
For more on LEI integrations, vLEI advancements, and global interoperability updates, visit the LEI Worldwide Blog Posts below.
