What evidence do I need for source of funds?
The regulations do not prescribe a list; they require the firm to be satisfied. In practice the evidence depends on where the money came from, and the table below is what we ask for in each case. We ask for the shortest period that shows the money accumulating or arriving, not every statement you have ever had.
Physical cash is not accepted. Cryptocurrency can be, but only with the full transaction history and evidence of the money used to buy it, and lenders take their own view, some declining it outright, so the answer comes from your own lender rather than from any published rule.
| Where the money came from | What we ask for | Common problem |
|---|---|---|
| Savings | Statements showing the balance building, usually three to six months | A large unexplained credit part-way through |
| Sale of a property | The completion statement from the conveyancer who acted | Proceeds moved through a second account first |
| Gift from family | Giver's ID, statements showing their funds, signed gift letter | Gift is really a loan, or the giver has not been checked |
| Inheritance | Estate accounts or a letter from the executors' representative, plus the credit on your statement | Money received years ago with nothing to tie it to the estate |
| Company funds or dividends | Accounts, dividend vouchers or a letter from your accountant | Funds paid direct from the company rather than to you first |
| Cryptocurrency | Full exchange history and evidence of the money used to buy it | Lender or firm policy declines it |
Why does HM Land Registry want ID as well?
Identity fraud against property is the risk HM Land Registry guards against, and it requires a conveyancer to confirm the identity of the people it acts for and of any unrepresented party on the other side (Practice Guide 67). Where nobody represents you, HM Land Registry asks for form ID1, or ID2 for a company. A conveyancer can verify you in person, digitally to the standard in Practice Guide 81, or by video call on form ID5; a Chartered Legal Executive or a CLC licensed probate practitioner can do the same; an overseas lawyer or notary can verify a person resident abroad; and form ID3 allows a person in one of the professions Practice Guide 67 lists to do it instead. Some applications need no identity evidence at all, including where the land is worth 6,000 pounds or less. Checked 20 September 2026. Our standalone check produces the verification a conveyancer needs to sign the form.
Separately, HM Land Registry publishes a digital identity standard (Practice Guide 81). A check that meets it reaches what the guide itself calls the Safe Harbour, which is why we tell you whether yours did. Be clear what that covers: it means HM Land Registry will not pursue a recourse claim against the conveyancer, over inadequate identity checks, if a fraudulent transaction is registered. The guide says in terms that it does not deal with identity checks required by law or by a regulator, including under the money laundering legislation, so it is not a general clean bill of health and the checks described further down this page still have to be done. Practice Guide 81, updated 9 June 2025, checked 20 September 2026. If you are also buying or remortgaging with us, the check done at the start covers the registration at the end.