What is a valid Utility Bill?

A valid utility bill is an official document that proves your residential address. Typically, authorities accept current electricity or water bills for this purpose. These documents are reliable indicators of residence since they are issued regularly and contain up-to-date address information.

To be considered valid, the utility bill must meet the following criteria:

1. Current Status: The bill must be at most three months old.
2. Matching Details: The name and address on the invoice must match your details and address strictly.
3. Primary Tenant or Subtenant: If you live as a subtenant or in a shared apartment, the utility bill can be in the name of the primary tenant or landlord. In this case, you must also provide your rental agreement. This additional document establishes the connection between you and the address listed on the utility bill.

Submitting Your Utility Bill in our App

When you are ready to submit a current utility bill during our KYC process, please pay attention to our upload requirements:

1. Clear Scans: Ensure that documents are clearly scanned. Blurry or illegible documents can cause delays in the verification process. Black-and-white copies are sufficient.
2. Combine Documents: If you are a subtenant, combine your utility bill and rental agreement into a single PDF file. This can be done quickly using various online tools or during the scanning process.
3. Upload: Keep the size of the uploaded PDF below 8 MB

Cyprus Utility Bills and Banking

One typical requirement for startups in Cyprus is opening a business bank account. Like other authorities, banks require a valid utility bill to verify your residential or company address.

Examples of Valid Utility Bills for Cyprus Companies or Residents of Cyprus

Here are some examples of utility bills that are generally accepted in Cyprus:

1. Electricity Bill: Issued by the Cyprus Electricity Authority (EAC), an electricity bill is one of the most common and accepted forms of proof of address.
2. Water Bill: A water bill is another widely accepted utility document provided by your local municipality or water board.
3. Telecom Bill: Bills from major telecommunication providers like Cyta, MTN, or PrimeTel can also be used, provided they meet the abovementioned criteria.
4. Bank Statement: Some online banks offer fast banking statement generation in PDF format (i.e., subaccounts), which includes the account owner's address. This is a convenient way to quickly generate up-to-date proof of address, which is mostly accepted during KYC processes.

Tip for entrepreneurs in Cyprus: If you wish, your providers will send you all electricity, water and telecommunications bills by email in PDF format. This not only simplifies bill payment, but also proof of residence.