With the increasing incidents of compromise on conventional security systems (password and PIN), there is a high demand for greater security on access to sensitive or personal information in the Banking system.
The BVN gives each Bank customer a unique identity across the Nigerian Banking industry that can be used for easy identification and verification at Point of Banking operations.
Biometrics refers to identification of an individual based on physiological attributes- fingerprint, voice, facial features etc. To address existing challenges with identity management, the Central Bank of Nigeria, in collaboration with all Nigerian banks launched a centralized biometric identification system tagged Bank Verification Number (BVN)
You can now link your Bank Verification Number details from another Nigerian bank to your GTBank account without having to visit any of our GTBank branches.
To link your Bank Verification Number details to your GTBank account, you can do any of the following;
| Location | Address | Enrolment Fee | Telephone Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | London OIS Services, 56-57 Fleet Street, City of London EC4Y 1JU U.K (Opening Hours are Mon, Tue, Thurs and Fri (9am to 4pm then 14.00 - 16.00) Wednesday (9.30 - 12.00 then 14.00 - 16.00) | GBP30 - Card payment only | +44 (0) 20 7832 0001 |
| Leicester OIS Services,ST Georges House, 6 St. Georges Way Leicester LE1 1SH (Opens Only on Fridays by 10am till 4pm) +44 (0) 7495 002 032 | GBP30 - Card payment only | +44 (0) 7495 002 032 | |
| GTBank UK 60-62 Margaret Street ,Fitzrovia, London W1W 8TF Opening Times: Monday to Friday (9am – 5pm) | No Charge for GTBank customers | +44 20 7947 9700 | |
| United States | Washington DC, OIS, Washington DMV, 11900 ParkLawn Drive, Suite 160, Rockville MD, 20852(Opening Hours are 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday) | USD45 - Money order in favour of Online Integrated Solutions Inc | +1 301-231-7000 |
| Atlanta: OIS Services, Suite 204, 918 Holcomb bridge road, Roswell, Atlanta, GA 30076 Opening times: Monday to Friday (9:00am - 4:00pm) | USD45 - Money order in favour of OnlineIntegrated Solutions Inc | +1 678 514 3263 | |
| Houston OIS Services, Suite 745, 9894 Bissonnet Street ,Houston TX 77036 (Opening Hours are 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday) | $45 - Money order in favour of Online Integrated Solutions Inc | +1 713-771-1871 | |
| LOS Angeles OIS Services,Suite 302, 11222 S. La. Cienega Blvd Inglewood, CA. 90304. (Opening Hours 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday) | $45 - Money order in favour of Online Integrated Solutions Inc | +1 213 705 2978 | |
| New York: 370 Lexington Ave, Suite 1505 New York, NY 10017. Opening times: Monday to Friday (9:00am - 4:00pm) | $45 - Money order in favour of Online Integrated Solutions Inc | +1 917 900 1114 | |
| New Jersey: Avante Global Services,70 Washington Road, Princeton Junction, Nj 08550(Opening Hours Are 9am To 4pm, Monday To Friday) | $45 - Money order in favour of Online Integrated Solutions Inc | +1 609 799 8896 | |
| Dallas: AVANTE, ACCONDU CONSULTING. 9450 Skillman Suite #120 Dallas TX 75243. Opening times: Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm, by appointment only | $45 | Tel: +1-214-763-5409 or email: tx@avanteglobalservices.com | |
| South Africa | Johannesburg OIS Services,No 6, Bolton Road, Parkwood Rosebank 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa(Opening Hours Are 9am To 4pm, Monday To Friday) | R615 - Payment method: Debit/Credit Card | +27 112682376; +27 112682470 |
| India | New Delhi OIS Services C/O Central Board Of Irrigation & Powerplot N0.4, Ground Floor, Institutional Area Opp.Sarvodaya School Malcha Marg, Chanakyapuri New Delhi 110021, Delhi, India (Opening Hours Are 10am to 4pm, Monday To Friday) | Rs3420 | +91 8800530119 |
| Mumbai: VFS Global (BVN enrollment Centre) Urmi AxisBuilding, Third Floor, Behind Famous Studio,Opp. E Moses Road | Rs 3420 | ||
| People's Republic of China | Beijing, China OIS Services,Unit 1 Suite 1801, Kun Sha Building,16 Xin Yuan Li Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, Prc(Opening Hours Are 9am To 4pm, Monday To Friday) | RMB 300 | +86-1084004549 |
| Shanghai, China OIS Services, Room 2025, 22/F, Catic Building, 212 Jiangning Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai, Prc (Opening Hours are 9am To 4pm, Monday To Friday) | RMB 300 | +86-2122306696 | |
| Guangzhou, China OIS Services,Unit 27/28, 41st Floor, R&F To-Win Building,30 Huaxia Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Prc(Opening Hours Are 9am To 4pm, Monday To Friday) | RMB 300 | +862089196634 | |
| Shenzhen: AVANTE, Avante Electronic Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. 3/F, Building 7, Industrial Zone. Citang Village, Shang Mei Lin, Shenzhen, ChinaOpening times: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm) | RMB 300 | 0755-83763739 or email: sz@avanteglobalservices.com | |
| Italy | Rome Online Intergated Solutions SRL, Via Antonia Salandra, 18 Rome, 00187, Italy(Opening Hours Are 10am To 4pm, Monday To Friday) | 40 euro – Payment method: Credit or Debit card only | +39 (0) 642 27 2135 or email: infoparis@oisservices.com |
| Australia | Melbourne Vfs Global,Suite 4 Level Swanston Street Melbourne Victoria – 3000 (Opening Hours Are 9am To 3pm, Monday To Friday) | AU$68 | +612 9252 1152 |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur, OIS Services,85, Jalaan Ampang Hilir,Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Opening Hours – 09:00am To 16:00pm (Mon To Fri) | RM200 | Tel: +60321697000, +60321697003. |
| Lebanon | BEIRUT, OIS Services,Beirut, Lebanon Jnah-Beirut Opposite Rafik Hariri University Hospital Mais 6 Building- 3rd Floor P.O.Box 9 UNESCO Opening Hours – 09:00am to 17:00pm (Mon to Fri) | $45 or 68000 Lebanese Pound | 009611845138 or email: infobeirut@oisservices.com |
| Kenya | NAIROBI VFS Global (BVN Enrollment Centre)- 5th Floor, Parkfield Building, Muthangari Drive,Off Waiyaki Way, Westlands,Nairobi. Opening Hours are 8am – 3pm Monday to Friday | KES 3650.Mode of Payment is M-PESA (mobile wallet) | +254 788 437606 Or Email: bvninfokenya@vfshelpline.com |
| Ghana | GTBank Ghana No. 495, Block 7 Section 107,Nungua-Accra On The Spintex Rd. Adjacent KFC, Comm. 18 Junction Opening Times: Monday to Friday (9am – 5pm) | No Charge for GTBank customers | (233-28) 967 7579 |
| Netherlands | The Hague: OIS Services, First Floor Koningin Juliana Plein10, 2595 AA Den Haag, Den Haag Central Station,The NetherlandsOpening times: Monday to Friday (9am - 4pm) | £40 | 0031708915324 or email: infothehague@oisservices |
| Philippines | Manila, Makati City Avante International Technology unit 305-B Zeta Ii Building, Salcedo Street,Legaspi Village, Makati City Philippines 1229 (Opening Hours Are 9am – 5pm Monday To Friday) | USD45 | +632 759 5437 Email: ph@avanteglobalservices.com |
| Tanzania | Dar Es Salaam Avante Technologies, Alwahda Housesuite B106, 1st Floor, Bibi Titi Mohamed Roadmnazi Mmoja Area, Dar Es Salaamtanzania (Opening Hours Are 9am To 5pm, Monday To Friday) | 45USD or Equivalent in local currency | Email: tz@avanteglobalservices.com or Phone: +255766583871. |
| Turkey | Ankara OIS Services, Danismanlik Ltd, Sri Kazim Ozalomh, Koza SK No: 35/3 Cankaya/Ankara (Opening Hours Are 9.30am – 1pm and 2pm - 4pm Monday to Friday) | 130 Turkish Lira - Payment method: Cash or Card | +903124382175 or +903124382176 |
| Canada | Vancouver: VFS Global (BVN Enrolment Centre) 580 Hornby Street – Unit 440 Vancouver, BC, V6C 3B6 Canada. | $50 CAD | Tel:+16043154248 or email: bvnfeedbackcan@vfsglobal.com. |
| France | 7 Rue Daru 75008 Paris, France (1st Floor) Opening times: Monday to Friday (9:00am – 12:30pm and 1:30pm – 4:00pm) | 40 euro - method: Cash | +33758077611 or email: infoparis@oisservices.com |
| New Zealand | Auckland: VFS Global (BVN enrollment Centre) 87-89 Albert Street, Ground Level, Suite 2, Auckland 1010, New Zealand | NZD 54.00 Payment will be charged on Eftpos Only | +6493695669 |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh: VFS Global, Dove Plaza (Hyper Panda), Umm Al Hamam Street, Riyadh. | SAR 180 payable by cash at the enrolment Center | +966 920011494 |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | Dubai: OIS Services, 2907 Platinum Tower, Cluster I, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai.Opening times: Sunday to Thursday(9:00am - 4:00pm) | 180 AED | +971 4 276 5448 |
BVN means Bank Verification Number
The goal of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) is to uniquely verify the identity of each Bank’s customer for ‘know your customer’(KYC) purposes.
Enrolment is the process of capturing a customer’s details which includes fingerprint and facial image after which a BVN is generated.
A customer enrols at any branch of a bank where he/she has an account or intends to open an account.
It takes up to 24hrs after Enrolment to get a BVN.
The BVN helps to reduce fraud, increase the efficiency of banking operations and also enable customer access to future credit facilities.
Once the BVN is generated, the bank would inform you of your BVN. All customers would receive SMS alerts.
The customer should contact his/her bank where the enrolment was carried out, to retrieve the number.
The customer goes to his/her bank and follows the bank’s processes for updating customer information. A customer can update his/her information only at the bank where he/she has an account.
No, the BVN doesn’t change.
No. The customer can only pick up his/her BVN at any branch of the same Bank he/she enrolled.
The person’s live fingerprint will not match what is stored on the customer’s record.
A customer’s identity can now be verified against their BVN.
Yes, because the customer’s physical features e.g. fingerprints have to be captured.
Individuals who are signatories to corporate accounts will enrol and their BVNs would be linked to the corporate account by the Banks.
A: No, only bank-‐able adults can be enrolled.
A: Verification refers to the process of confirming a customer’s identity.
Offline verification will authenticate the customer by comparing the fingerprint or the facial image with the data stored on the BVN card.
The facial features of the customer will be captured as fingerprints will not be required for Amputees.
It will be implemented at a later stage. More details to come.
Customers living abroad can enrol in designated centers as stated above.
The customer should contact his/her bank.
No, once a customer is enrolled at one bank and a BVN is generated, the customer only has to take the BVN to other banks to link such accounts.
Yes they are, the details are encrypted and stored in a secure database.
No, because the enrolment is done real time, it is necessary that it is completed in one session.
Customers with injuries or bandaged fingers are advised to return for enrolment once fingers are healed. However if you require special exemption please contact your Bank.
No, a customer cannot, all accounts would be linked.
No a customer cannot leave his/her glasses on during facial capture.
It depends on the level of account the customer wants to open. Please contact your bank.
All signatories of the accounts shall be linked.
Yes, please refer to question 33
No. A formal identification is not needed because verification is done at the point of transaction.
Yes, everybody fills a form irrespective of an existing account holder.