This guide explains how Legl supports the onboarding of international clients by helping firms identify overseas entities, screen associated individuals, and collect required information efficiently. It is designed for compliance, onboarding, and operations teams managing complex or opaque international client structures.
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What this guide covers
This article focuses on how to optimise workflows when onboarding international clients, including:
Identifying and searching international business entities
Screening international businesses and associated individuals
Identifying shareholders and persons of significant control (PSCs)
Collecting missing or opaque data directly from clients
Verifying international clients using proof of address and supporting evidence
This guide does not cover firm-specific policy decisions or jurisdictional compliance requirements.
How international onboarding workflows work at a high level
When onboarding an international client, Legl enables firms to move through a structured workflow that combines automated checks with client-driven data collection.
At a high level, the process typically involves:
Searching for and identifying an international business entity
Reviewing available data to understand ownership and control
Screening the business and related individuals where data is available
Collecting missing or unclear information directly from the client when required
Verifying international individuals using proof of address and supporting documentation
This approach allows firms to adapt their workflow depending on how complete or opaque the available data is.
Identifying and screening international business entities
Legl allows firms to search for and assess international business entities as part of the onboarding process.
You can use this functionality to:
Identify overseas companies during onboarding
Review available entity data
Screen international businesses where supported
If an entity appears opaque or incomplete from a data perspective, additional information can be requested from the client to support due diligence.
Identifying associated individuals
Once an international business entity has been identified, Legl helps you understand who is associated with that entity from an individual perspective.
This includes identifying:
Shareholders
Persons of significant control (PSCs)
Other relevant associated individuals
These individuals can then be reviewed and screened as part of your compliance workflow.
Collecting missing or opaque information from clients
Where international entity data is limited or unclear, Legl enables firms to collect information directly from clients.
This allows you to:
Request clarification or missing ownership information
Gather required details to support AML and compliance checks
Reduce back-and-forth by centralising requests within the onboarding workflow
This step is particularly useful when dealing with complex international structures.
Verifying international clients using proof of address
Legl supports the verification of international individuals through proof of address functionality.
You can use this to:
Request proof of address from international clients
Verify individuals outside the UK
Collect and retain supporting evidence as part of the onboarding record
This helps firms meet verification requirements while maintaining a consistent onboarding experience for international clients.
When you would use this workflow
You would typically use these onboarding workflows:
When onboarding international business clients
When dealing with overseas ownership or control structures
When entity data is incomplete or unavailable through standard sources
When additional verification evidence is required for international individuals
Key things to be aware of
Important:
International data availability may vary by jurisdiction.
Some entities or individuals may require manual data collection from the client.
Screening and verification outcomes depend on the information provided and reviewed by your firm.
Legl supports the process but does not replace firm-level compliance decision-making.
Where to find this in Legl
These workflows are accessed through your existing onboarding and compliance workflows in Legl, including:
Business search and onboarding workflows
Individual screening and verification steps
Client data collection and evidence requests