> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.smartcomply.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Bank Verification Number (BVN)

> Verify a customer's identity using their 11-digit Bank Verification Number.

The BVN endpoint verifies a customer's Bank Verification Number and returns their registered personal details from the Central Bank of Nigeria's database. Use this for KYC onboarding, identity confirmation, and fraud prevention.

## Endpoint

```
POST /api/onboarding/nigeria_kyc/bvn/
```

## Request

### Headers

| Header           | Value               | Required |
| ---------------- | ------------------- | -------- |
| `x-access-token` | Your API secret key | Yes      |
| `Content-Type`   | `application/json`  | Yes      |

### Body Parameters

| Parameter | Type   | Required | Description                                      |
| --------- | ------ | -------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `bvn`     | string | Yes      | The customer's 11-digit Bank Verification Number |

### Example

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -X POST "https://adhere-api.smartcomply.com/api/onboarding/nigeria_kyc/bvn/" \
    -H "x-access-token: YOUR_SECRET_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"bvn": "22000000001"}'
  ```

  ```javascript Node.js theme={null}
  const response = await fetch(
    "https://adhere-api.smartcomply.com/api/onboarding/nigeria_kyc/bvn/",
    {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "x-access-token": "YOUR_SECRET_KEY",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({ bvn: "22000000001" }),
    }
  );
  const data = await response.json();
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  response = requests.post(
      "https://adhere-api.smartcomply.com/api/onboarding/nigeria_kyc/bvn/",
      headers={
          "x-access-token": "YOUR_SECRET_KEY",
          "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      json={"bvn": "22000000001"},
  )
  data = response.json()
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Response

### 200 OK

| Field               | Type   | Description                              |
| ------------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------- |
| `status`            | string | `"success"` on a successful verification |
| `data.lastName`     | string | Customer's last name as registered       |
| `data.firstName`    | string | Customer's first name as registered      |
| `data.middleName`   | string | Customer's middle name                   |
| `data.dateOfBirth`  | string | Date of birth in `YYYY-MM-DD` format     |
| `data.phoneNumber1` | string | Primary registered phone number          |
| `message`           | string | Human-readable result summary            |

```json theme={null}
{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "lastName": "OMOLE",
    "firstName": "ABRAHAM",
    "middleName": "ISAAC",
    "dateOfBirth": "1909-09-19",
    "phoneNumber1": "09011001100"
  },
  "message": "Bank Verification Number details retrieved successfully"
}
```

### 400 Bad Request

Returned when the BVN is missing, malformed, or not found in the database.

```json theme={null}
{
  "status": "failed",
  "data": [],
  "message": "Sorry, your check cannot be processed at the moment. Please try again in a few minutes"
}
```

### 401 Unauthorized

Returned when the `x-access-token` header is missing or invalid.

```json theme={null}
{
  "status": "failed",
  "message": "Authentication credentials were not provided."
}
```

<Note>
  For a full list of error codes, see the [Error Codes](/error_codes) reference.
</Note>


## OpenAPI

````yaml POST /api/onboarding/nigeria_kyc/bvn/
openapi: 3.0.3
info:
  title: Adhere API
  description: >-
    Identity verification, credit checks, transaction monitoring, and loan fraud
    detection across Africa.
  version: 3.0.0
servers:
  - url: https://adhere-api.smartcomply.com
    description: Production
security:
  - ApiKeyAuth: []
tags:
  - name: Nigeria KYC
  - name: Kenya KYC
  - name: Ghana KYC
  - name: Rwanda KYC
  - name: Uganda KYC
  - name: Biometrics
  - name: Individual Credit
  - name: Business Credit
  - name: Transaction Monitoring
  - name: Transaction Screening
  - name: Transaction KYC
  - name: Loan Fraud
  - name: User Journey
paths:
  /api/onboarding/nigeria_kyc/bvn/:
    post:
      tags:
        - Nigeria KYC
      summary: BVN Verification
      operationId: bvn
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              type: object
              required:
                - bvn
              properties:
                bvn:
                  type: string
                  minLength: 11
                  maxLength: 11
                  description: 11-digit Bank Verification Number
                  example: '22244545518'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: BVN verified successfully
        '400':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/BadRequest'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
components:
  responses:
    BadRequest:
      description: Bad Request
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            type: object
            properties:
              status:
                type: string
                example: failed
              data:
                type: array
                items: {}
              message:
                type: string
    Unauthorized:
      description: Unauthorized
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            type: object
            properties:
              status:
                type: string
                example: failed
              message:
                type: string
                example: Authentication credentials were not provided.
  securitySchemes:
    ApiKeyAuth:
      type: apiKey
      in: header
      name: x-access-token
      description: Your Adhere API secret key

````