Transfer an LEI in the UK: How to Switch Provider

To transfer an LEI to another provider, ask the new provider to arrange the move: the LEI code stays the same, and the old issuer should not charge a transfer fee. The GLEIF service-level targets give the sending issuer 4 LOU business days and the receiving issuer 3 LOU business days; they are not a guaranteed total transfer time.

What this means in the United Kingdom

A UK company can check its existing LEI before deciding whether to transfer or renew it. For a limited company in Manchester whose renewal is due, a provider change means moving management of its existing record, not obtaining another identifier. A group with several UK subsidiaries may also choose to consolidate management of their LEIs with one provider. Each entity keeps its own existing LEI.

The new issuer re-validates UK company reference data against Companies House. The GLEIF – Registration Authorities List identifies Companies House registration authority codes RA000585 for England and Wales, RA000586 for Northern Ireland and RA000587 for Scotland. You can search for a company by name or number using the Companies House register. Someone authorised to act for the company must sign the transfer request.

On the LEIFast – Transfer an LEI page, a transfer moves management of an existing LEI to LEIFast’s partner issuer, WM Datenservice. LEIFast handles requests as a Registration Agent rather than issuing LEIs; after the transfer, WM Datenservice is the managing issuer. LEIFast lists no separate transfer fee: the customer pays for the chosen renewal term. If the entity has no LEI, it needs an application instead. If LEIFast already manages its LEI, it needs a renewal rather than a transfer.

Key points about LEI portability

• An entity that already has an LEI should not request another one. Portability moves maintenance of the existing identifier to a different issuer.
• The code and its original issuer prefix stay unchanged. That prefix does not indicate a country.
• One authorised request to the new issuer starts the transfer. The old issuer should not charge a porting fee.
• Check the record and its managing issuer in the public GLEIF search before making a request.

These principles are set out in LEI ROC – Additional Guidance on Portability (2014). The LEI ROC’s Progress report: The Global LEI System and regulatory uses of the LEI (2018) also states that an entity cannot obtain a second LEI and that its identifier remains unchanged when maintenance moves between operators.

Why transfer an LEI?

A company may want a different renewal price or service arrangement. A group may want its subsidiaries’ LEIs managed through one provider. In either case, transferring avoids treating a provider change as a new LEI application.

Transfer and renewal are related but distinct services. The GLEIF – Registration Agents Governance Framework v1.1 (2025) requires Registration Agents to distinguish issuance, renewal and transfer, and to explain up front when renewal first requires a move to another issuer. For background on maintaining an identifier, see the UK LEI renewal guide.

What stays the same, and what changes?

Record element	After a transfer
LEI code	Unchanged. The entity does not receive a new LEI.
Original issuer prefix	Unchanged, even when another issuer manages the record; it has no national meaning.
Managing issuer	Changes to the issuer responsible for maintaining the record.
Reference data	The receiving issuer validates it as part of the transfer.

The managing issuer is identified as ManagingLOU in GLEIF – Level 1 data: LEI-CDF 3.1 format. A provider change does not give the entity a choice of holding both its old LEI and a new one.

How to transfer an LEI to another provider

1. Find the existing record. Use GLEIF LEI Search to check the registration status, next renewal date and current managing issuer.
2. Choose the receiving provider. If you are moving through a Registration Agent, confirm which partner LEI issuer will maintain the record. Check whether renewal is part of the service you are requesting.
3. Submit an authorised request. Ask the new issuer or its Registration Agent to start the transfer. The Registration Agent process uses a Transfer Request Form signed by the entity’s authorised signatories.
4. Allow the issuers to validate and move the record. The receiving issuer checks that the person requesting the move is empowered to act for the entity and validates its reference data. The sending issuer then processes the transfer.
5. Check the result. Confirm in GLEIF LEI Search that the record shows the intended managing issuer. If the entity decides to cancel while the transfer is being handled, the Registration Agent framework provides for a signed Transfer Objection Form from the sending issuer and a refund under the agent’s terms.

The one-request approach comes from the LEI ROC portability guidance. The GLEIF – Master Agreement Appendix 05: LOU Contract Requirements also requires issuer contracts to allow an entity to request transfer to its designated issuer, or to authorise that issuer to request it on the entity’s behalf.

Timing and statuses in GLEIF LEI Search

Under section 3.4 of the GLEIF – Service Level Agreement, Appendix 06 v2.4 (2026), the sending issuer must perform its part within 4 LOU business days and the receiving issuer within 3 LOU business days. These are separate service-level targets, not a promised completion date. Once the LEI appears as ISSUED under the new issuer in GLEIF search, the old issuer must unpublish its copy within 1 LOU business day.

GLEIF’s data format defines PENDING_TRANSFER as a requested transfer being processed at the sending issuer. PENDING_ARCHIVAL indicates a record about to be transferred before it returns to a non-pending status. TRANSFERRED indicates a transfer to a different managing issuer. Read the status alongside the managing issuer shown on the record rather than assuming a pending status means the move is complete.

Transfer, renewal or a new LEI?

Use a transfer to change the issuer maintaining an existing LEI. Use renewal when the current provider already manages the LEI and the entity wants to continue with that arrangement. An entity without an LEI needs to apply for one; an entity with an LEI should not apply for a second.

If renewal is approaching, establish which issuer currently manages the record before placing an order. That check helps distinguish an ordinary renewal from a renewal that first needs a transfer. The LEIFast UK blog contains further articles on LEI administration, but the record in GLEIF search is the place to check the current managing issuer.

What does an LEI transfer cost?

The originating issuer should not charge a porting fee, according to LEI ROC – Endorsement Note 1 (2013). GLEIF’s issuer contract requirements state that no fees are assessed for the transfer request. A renewal term purchased from the new provider is a separate cost.

For the United Kingdom, LEIFast lists £45 for 1 year, £117 for 3 years and £165 for 5 years, with no separate transfer fee. Its listed prices include the GLEIF fee; tax is added where required. Check the chosen term on the LEIFast pricing page before proceeding. If your existing LEI is managed elsewhere, confirm its record in GLEIF search, then use the LEIFast transfer page to request the move.