How to open and verify an OKX account: a step-by-step guide
Opening an OKX account takes four steps: register with your country of residence, an email address and a phone number; complete identity verification; secure the account; and make a first deposit. OKX says it reviews verification applications within 24 hours. Which OKX company you end up with depends on where you live, and that decides the address you log in at, the fees you pay and the products you see. This guide follows OKX's own help pages as they stood on 8 November 2026, with screenshots, and flags the choices that are hard to undo. OKX shows some help pages differently by region; we read the versions served at okx.com/en-us, and the rules shown in your own account after you log in are the ones that apply to you.
Choose your real country of residence on the first screen, because OKX uses it to route you to the right company and checks it against your documents. Enter a referral code on the sign-up form if you have one, because OKX says it cannot be added afterwards. Verify with an original, unexpired ID and a live selfie, then set up a passkey or an authenticator app, an anti-phishing code and the withdrawal allowlist before you deposit.
Before you start: which OKX will serve you?
OKX's Risk and Compliance Disclosure, last updated on 8 July 2026, lists the places it does not serve: Afghanistan, Canada, Cuba, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, North Korea, Syria, Uzbekistan, the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and certain US jurisdictions including all US territories. It restricts some services in other countries: derivatives and some CeFi products in Australia, retail services in the Bahamas, derivatives and P2P in Brazil and South Korea, derivatives, some CeFi products and P2P in the United Kingdom, P2P in Eritrea, and fiat payments in Russia.
Elsewhere, OKX's terms of service, last updated on 29 October 2026, assign you to a company by your country of residence:
- Residents of the European Economic Area contract with OKX Europe, licensed in Malta under MiCA, and log in at my.okx.com.
- Residents of the United States use OKX US, run by OKX Inc., a registered money services business offering spot and OTC trading.
- Residents of Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, El Salvador and Argentina have their own OKX companies.
- Eligible users everywhere else contract with Aux Cayes FinTech, a Seychelles company that runs the global platform.
- Separately, OKX's help centre describes OKX TR, a local platform for residents of Türkiye, which an OKX account can optionally be linked to.
OKX's sign-up guide tells you to choose where you live, not your nationality. If you are not sure whether you may open an account where you live, read our checklist by country first.
Step 1: register
Go to the OKX site by typing the address yourself or through a link you trust, and choose Sign up. The first screen asks only one question: select your location. OKX's help pages say to choose the country where you currently live, not your nationality or a travel destination. Institutions use the separate "Signup as an institution" link.
- Choose your country or region of residence and accept the terms of service, the Risk and Compliance Disclosure and the privacy notice.
- Enter your email address and, if you have one, a referral code.
- Enter the six-digit code sent to your email, then add your phone number with its country code and enter the code sent to it. OKX says each code is valid for 10 minutes.
- Set a login password: OKX's security guide asks for 8 to 32 characters with uppercase and lowercase letters, a number and a symbol.
OKX requires both an email address and a phone number on every account, and each one can register only one OKX account. Some of OKX's regional guides also mention signing up with a Google, Apple or Telegram account; the main registration article describes email and phone only.
The referral code matters more than it looks. OKX's referral FAQ says a code cannot be added afterwards: the referral is recorded through the inviter's link or a valid code used at sign-up. If the field is not shown, sign up through the inviter's link.
This is a referral link. It has no effect on any figure on this page — see Method.
Step 2: complete identity verification
An unverified OKX account cannot buy or sell crypto, deposit, withdraw, borrow or transfer. OKX describes a single advanced identity verification for individuals, after which you can trade, deposit and withdraw.
- On the web, open the profile icon and choose Verification; in the app, open the menu, then Account settings, then Identity verification under Profile.
- Choose Individual account and enter your country of residence, nationality, full name, date of birth, ID type and number, and address.
- Photograph the front and back of your ID. OKX accepts passports, national ID cards, driving licences and residence permits, depending on your country, and says the list shown on your own page is the one that counts.
- Take the selfie: keep your face inside the oval, with no mask, glasses or hat.
- If asked, upload a proof of address issued within the last three months, or six months for residents of the EEA.
OKX's photo guide asks for colour photos of the original document, with all four corners visible and every detail readable. It does not accept screenshots, photocopies or a photo of another photo. Some verification flows also need a phone that supports NFC.
OKX says it reviews applications within 24 hours, and its eligibility page adds that some need additional checks. Verification is repeated from time to time; if you miss the grace period for re-verification, the account is frozen, though you can still withdraw.
If verification fails
OKX publishes the main reasons a verification fails, and sends the specific reason by email:
- The selfie check failed. Centre your face in the frame and follow the on-screen prompts.
- The ID is invalid: an unsupported document type, or one that has expired.
- An account with the same identity already exists. OKX allows each customer only one account.
- The ID could not be read: the photo is overexposed, has reflections, or does not show the whole document.
After fixing the cause, resubmit through the link in OKX's email. OKX allows each customer only one account, so do not try to verify a second account with the same identity.
Step 3: secure the account before you deposit
OKX's account security guide lists the protections it offers. These four are worth setting up before any money goes in:
- A passkey or an authenticator app. OKX treats a passkey as a two-factor method that also allows login without a password, and allows up to ten per account. An authenticator app is added under Profile, Security, Authentication methods. Changing it later disables withdrawals and P2P trading for 24 hours.
- An anti-phishing code. Set it under Security, Anti-phishing code. OKX says an email without your code is forged, and that genuine emails come from [email protected] or [email protected].
- The withdrawal allowlist. Turn it on under Assets, Withdraw, Address book. With it on, you can only withdraw to saved addresses. An optional lock blocks new addresses for 24 hours, and turning the allowlist off needs two-factor confirmation.
- Channel verification. OKX's channel verification page checks whether a website, email suffix, phone number or group link really belongs to OKX. OKX says it will never ask for your SMS, email or authenticator codes.
The Linked Devices page shows every device signed in to your account and lets you remove the ones you do not recognise. If you think the account is compromised, OKX's security guide shows how to freeze it from the account settings.
Step 4: make a first deposit
To deposit crypto, open Assets, choose Deposit, pick the coin and the network, choose whether it lands in your funding or trading account, and copy the address or QR code. Verification must be complete first. The network must match the one the sending wallet uses, and coins that need a memo or tag, XRP among them, must include it; OKX warns that otherwise you will lose the assets. The minimum deposit is shown on the deposit page. Send a small amount first.
P2P trading needs completed verification and a bank card in your own verified name, and works only in your registered region's currency. OKX holds the seller's crypto while you pay. After a P2P purchase OKX may place a hold on selling and withdrawing, of 3, 7 or 15 days on the global platform and shorter in some regions, which is worth knowing before you plan your first trade.
OKX also lists third-party payment providers for card and bank purchases, such as Simplex, Banxa, MoonPay and Mercuryo. Availability, fees and limits depend on your country and are set by the provider.
OKX trading fees for a new account
Under OKX's global fee framework, in force since 25 November 2025, a regular user pays 0.080% as maker and 0.100% as taker on spot trades in all three pair groups. Some stablecoin pairs, such as USDC-USDT, trade at zero fees. Your tier is set by your assets or your 30-day trading volume, whichever qualifies you for more: VIP 1 starts at $100,000 in assets or $1,000,000 in volume. OKX's fee FAQ says it does not currently let you offset fees by holding OKB. Residents of the EEA and Singapore have separate fee schedules. Our maker and taker fee guide explains which rate you pay on a given order.
Common questions about opening an OKX account
How long does OKX verification take?
OKX says it reviews applications within 24 hours, and that some need additional checks. The specific reason for a rejection is sent by email.
Can I add a referral code after signing up?
No. OKX's referral FAQ says a referral code cannot be added afterwards. Enter it on the sign-up form or sign up through the referral link.
What happens if I move to another country?
Change your country of residence in the account settings. If the new country is served by a different OKX company, OKX moves the account: it cancels open orders, and the login address and API domains change, for example to my.okx.com for the EEA.
Checklist
- Check OKX's restricted locations and which OKX company serves your country.
- Register through an address you typed or a link you trust.
- Choose your real country of residence and enter a referral code on the form if you have one.
- Verify with an original, unexpired ID and a live selfie.
- Set up a passkey or an authenticator app, an anti-phishing code and the withdrawal allowlist.
- Send a small test deposit on the right network first.
Related reading: Before you open a crypto exchange account · How to open and verify a Binance account · OKX API status and uptime
Sources
OKX · How to register · OKX · Referral FAQ · OKX · Verify an individual account · OKX · ID and selfie photos · OKX · Why verification failed · OKX · Risk and Compliance Disclosure · OKX · Terms of Service · OKX · Account security guide · OKX · Passkeys · OKX · Authenticator app · OKX · Protecting yourself from phishing · OKX · Withdrawal allowlist · OKX · Channel verification · OKX · Global fee framework · OKX · Trading fee FAQ · OKX · EEA fees · OKX · P2P trading · OKX · Third-party payment channels · OKX · US disclosures · OKX · Verification eligibility · OKX · Changing country of residence · How we measure
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