Kraken Verification Not Working? Why It's Pending or Failed and How to Fix It

Kraken says most verifications finish within minutes, but applications that need a manual review can take a few days, and Kraken is currently showing a notice that it’s “facing delays in processing new accounts.” If yours is stuck or rejected, the cause is usually one of four things: a document photo that’s blurry, cropped, black-and-white, or full of glare; details that don’t exactly match your ID or proof of address; a face photo that failed the automatic check; or living somewhere Kraken doesn’t serve, such as New York or Maine. Whatever the cause, don’t resubmit while you wait: Kraken says uploading again won’t speed things up.

This guide covers how long Kraken verification takes, exactly what US users must submit, why verifications fail, and how to fix each problem. It’s based on Kraken’s own support documentation, checked on October 2, 2026.

How long Kraken verification takes

Kraken’s processing-time page gives these estimates:

Other Kraken pages give different numbers: “typically, verifications take less than 30 minutes,” face photos sent for manual review “may take 24 hours,” and one support form says standard verification “can take up to 5 business days.” Kraken also notes that processing slows down considerably during busy periods, and that a delay “doesn’t necessarily mean there is something wrong with your application.”

When to contact support: Kraken says that if there’s been no status update for more than 5 business days, contact Kraken Support, and don’t resubmit documents unless it asks you to.

What US users need to verify

To open and verify a Kraken account, you must be 18 or older and live somewhere Kraken serves. In the US, that’s every state except New York and Maine.

Accepted proof of address includes bank or credit card statements, utility bills, payroll documents, insurance or tax documents, government agency letters, mortgage statements, leases signed by you and your landlord, property tax bills, voter registration letters, and court documents such as a jury summons. Kraken doesn’t accept mobile phone bills (only landline or telecom package bills), USPS change-of-address letters, or anything showing a PO box.

For USD bank deposits, Kraken asks for more: a US passport or driver’s license only, a US proof of address, a face photo, a US-issued SSN, a US bank account, and a US phone number. Its funding provider may also ask for a new ID or your Social Security card.

Why Kraken verification fails or gets stuck

Your ID photo breaks Kraken’s image rules

Kraken rejects ID images that are:

• black and white or grayscale, instead of full color
• blurry, or have a watermark
• hard to read because of glare or reflections (be careful with flash)
• of an ID that’s torn, badly damaged, or has holes
• rotated sideways or upside down
• cropped at any edge, “even if just a little bit”
• taken from too far away, so the ID doesn’t fill most of the image

The fix is to retake the photo in color, in good light, with the whole ID upright and a small border (about 1 to 2 cm) visible all around it. Kraken prefers photos over scans.

The file won’t upload (“Invalid Parameters”)

Kraken’s upload rules: .jpeg, .jpg, .png, or .pdf, between 5 KB and 16 MB, and between 350 × 350 and 6144 × 6144 pixels. It doesn’t accept .heic (the iPhone default), .docx, .csv, or .xls files, or password-protected documents. One Kraken page says files must be under 5 MB, so if a large file fails, shrink it below that. If it still won’t upload, contact support and mention “Invalid Parameters.”

Your details don’t exactly match your documents

Kraken says “mismatched or incomplete information” is a top reason for rejection. The name you entered must match your ID, and the address must match your proof of address exactly, including spelling and format. Once you’ve submitted your details, you can’t edit them yourself; Kraken handles name changes through a support form with a valid ID.

Your proof of address is too old or the wrong type

It must be dated within three months of when you submit it and show the same name and address as your Kraken profile.

Your face photo failed the automatic check

Kraken’s face photo is taken live through your device’s camera and checked by its verification partner, Persona. You get a limited number of automatic attempts; after that, Kraken reviews your submission by hand, which may take 24 hours. To pass:

• use bright, even light without backlighting or harsh shadows
• remove hats, sunglasses, and anything covering your face
• clean your camera lens, or try a newer phone
• update the Kraken app to the latest version

Your Global Settings Lock is on

If you turned on Kraken’s Global Settings Lock (GSL), it blocks raising your verification level and can stop you from editing your address or uploading documents. Turn it off and try again.

The form won’t accept your ZIP code

Kraken suggests typing your state in manually instead of choosing it from the drop-down menu.

Your application was declined

If Kraken emails you that the decision on your application is final, it was made after an internal review and “cannot be challenged.” Kraken says creating another account won’t be possible.

How to fix a stuck or rejected Kraken verification

Kraken verification levels

Kraken now has two personal levels, plus Business:

Kraken’s limits page separately says standard verified individual accounts can deposit or withdraw up to $100,000 a day and $500,000 a month in cash, and that crypto deposits are unlimited, so check the Limits tab in your account for your actual numbers. Older Kraken pages still use the retired names Starter, Express, Intermediate, and Pro. Kraken says applications for higher limits usually get a response within 0 to 2 business days.

What you can’t do before you’re verified

Verification is what unlocks deposits and trading. Kraken says it hasn’t accepted deposits from unverified accounts since March 2019. You can pause the ID step and come back to it later, but a new sign-up that isn’t activated within two hours of creation is canceled.

Asked for a liveness check after you’re verified?

That’s not re-verification. Kraken says a liveness check is a security step that can happen when an already-verified user attempts a sensitive action, to confirm it’s really you, and that it “does not mean there is a problem with your account or your verification status.” You’ll need a camera.

How to contact Kraken Support about verification

Open any article in Kraken’s Support Center (opens in a new tab) and choose Chat with us to reach a specialist, or use the Verify Your Account form (opens in a new tab).

If you’ve been targeted by a scam, see where to report a scam.

Related Kraken problems

• Your account was restricted after verification: Kraken account restricted
• Your first deposit hasn’t shown up: Kraken deposit pending or not showing
• You can’t withdraw yet: Kraken withdrawal on hold