Having proof of address is very important because sometimes, you have to prove where you live. It can either be required by a bank, by the authorities and so on. You never know when something like this is required, so it makes a lot of sense to try and address the situation the best way that you can. And it’s a very good idea to try and solve the problem as quickly as possible.
What can be seen as proof of address?
The proof of address can be shown in a variety of ways. That’s why it can be difficult to narrow down a single thing that could be seen as proof of address. And generally, it entails things like utility bills, tax bills, government correspondence, lease agreements, bank statements or even the driver’s license. Every organization will have specific requirements, but generally, these are the documents they request if they want to know your address.
When do you need proof of address?
It will depend on the situation at hand, but these days, whenever you need to perform any major transactions, a proof of address is mandatory. Plus, there are specific situations when you will have to showcase your address, and here are the most important ones:
- A very commonly encountered situation when you need to prove you have a certain address is when you use financial services. Whether you want to apply for a credit card, open a savings account or access loans, those companies will request a proof of address.
- The same thing is valid when you apply for a credit or a loan. The lenders need to assess the risk, while also making sure they have an address of correspondence as well.
- You can also say the same thing for buying or renting a property. If you buy, they will ask for an employment letter or a bank statement. As a landlord, you do expect the tenants to provide an employment letter and documents from the previous lease.
- Employers might request a proof of address for background checks or tax documentation.
- Similarly, you might need to prove your address when you enroll in certain universities or schools.
- You will also need a proof of address for things like accessing healthcare and insurance.
- Accessing government services and benefits will also request you to show where you reside right now, too.
How recent does the proof of address need to be?
In general, it’s expected to share a document that’s recent. Ideally, it should be from sometime within the past 2-3 months. Older documents aren’t taken into account, because you might have moved since then. But a document from 1-3 months ago, that one is valid and it certainly is a lot more meaningful to the situation at hand.
Can you provide digital proof?
Of course, there are different options to take into consideration here. You have online banking platforms that allow you to offer a scanned copy or a PDF file showing the proof of where you live. And then we also have digital identity services that help verify your identity and address via documents that you upload.
On top of that, you can also access centralized digital verification services made by the government, which is something to take into account. Blockchain verification is also an option, and it’s certainly going to help make the process better and much easier.
How much does it cost to prove your address?
A great, effective and inexpensive idea is to use a utility bill creator to help create a copy of your utility bill, and use that as proof for your current address. Banks can also provide you with a bank statement, even though such a thing will come with a fee. The same thing is valid when it comes to the lease agreement you have right now.
Once we get past those methods, we have paid solutions like notarized proof, government ID or digital verification. Generally, you won’t pay more than $50 to get a proof of address. But it does depend on where you need that proof, what platforms are accepted and other things related to that. Overall, if you prove your address, it will become much easier to access those services, and it leads to consistent results in the end.
Mistakes you want to avoid
The problem with getting documents that prove your current address is that it can be very easy to deal with all kinds of mistakes. And a lot of the time, these mistakes are very simple, like the ones that you can see below:
- Submitting expired documents that are older than 3 months is an issue, and it will set you back quite a bit.
- Then, you might submit documents without your name, which makes them invalid for this use case.
- You don’t want to offer a PO Box instead of the physical address. Naturally, that PO Box address is not valid for this situation.
- A lot of the time, if you are required to provide documents to prove your address, usually you are also requested in a specific format. Disregarding that means you have to send things again.
- Not updating the address after moving is a problem, and you want to avoid that the best way that you can.
Why do you need to prove your address?
Generally, companies will request your address and prove to back it up because they want to avoid fraud. By confirming your identity, they avoid impersonation, which has become very problematic these days.
Then, there’s legal compliance, and also the fact that companies want to be 100% sure that they are dealing with the person they think they have in front of them. A lot of services are locked behind the identity wall because they are meant to safeguard the identity of users. Plus, if anything happens, the person can be held accountable, as there’s a traceable link.
Are there downsides to this? Sure, like inconvenience and certain privacy concerns. And then, we have outdated systems, limited access, increased costs and potential delays. But in the end, having a way to prove your address is great, and it can help immensely.
You can prove your address by updating your government ID, by getting a more recent utility bill, downloading the bank statement, or even asking your employer for an official letter that features your address. It’s even possible to use a mortgage statement or a lease to verify your home. Even visiting the post office to verify your home’s location can be a very good idea as well.
Conclusion
Having an adequate proof of address is crucial if you want to access banking services, but also a variety of other solutions. You get to identify your identity and address, while also not having to worry about your location, nor will you deal with any problems. That being said, you always want to make sure that your address is always up to date, and you provide recent documents. In doing so, you can avoid problems, and it will make things much easier to handle. Ensure that you have access to documents that can prove your address, as that will be necessary at times, and you want to streamline the process the best way you can!