Which Countries Need Advertiser Verification on Meta?

The Meta pages checked for this entry give no single list of countries that need advertiser verification. They say the requirement can depend on your ad category, your location or targeting, the age of your ad account and the features you use. What Meta does name are specific places for specific cases, set out below. This entry is as checked on 2 Oct 2026. It is not legal advice: check the linked pages and a qualified adviser.

Is there one list of countries?

Not on the Meta pages checked for this entry. Meta says that to support the safety of its platform and to comply with regulatory requirements, advertisers may be required to complete verification steps to publish ads. Factors it names:

• The age of your ad account, since newly created accounts may need to verify a phone number.
• Your ad category, location or targeting parameters.
• Whether you have two-factor authentication on.
• The type of advertising features you use.

It also says select markets may require an advertiser and payer verification process or a phone check before you publish. Read your own prompts in Ads Manager: Meta says that if you are required to verify, you are prompted during ad set creation.

Which places does Meta name for financial services ads?

Meta says advertisers promoting financial products and services to audiences in these regions require verification: Australia, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. It adds that requirements for each region may differ significantly.

Meta says brand ads for banks and insurance companies, news articles and financial education can generally run without verification if the ad does not focus on an in-scope product or service. Before you promote a loan, an insurance product or an investment product to one of these places, open Meta’s page for that region.

Where does Meta ask for a licence number?

Meta says that in select countries you may be asked for a licence or authorization number, and you can skip the step if neither the advertiser nor the payer needs a licence. It lists three:

• Australia: eligible financial services ads need Australia financial services licence information, unless exempt.
• India: securities and investment ads need SEBI registration information, unless exempt.
• Taiwan: under Taiwan law, ads for certain products or services need permissions or licences from Taiwan authorities.

Meta recommends you consult legal counsel to decide whether a licence applies to your ads.

What applies to ads that target the EU?

Meta says that since 5 June 2023, advertiser and payer information is required for all new or edited ads targeting the EU or its associated territories, and also when you select worldwide as the location. Without it the ad cannot be published. The page links this to the EU Digital Services Act.

The page describes this as information you enter and does not mention an identity check. Meta says it appears in the Meta Ad Library, not on the ad itself, and does not affect delivery, cost, bidding, feature access or ad review. You can set a default advertiser and payer in advertising settings, which needs full control of the ad account, so new ad sets inherit it.

What happens if you do not verify in time?

Meta describes four states: no deadline, an upcoming deadline, ads paused and account restricted. If you miss a deadline, existing ads may be paused and you may be unable to publish new ads globally or in select countries. Meta says it shares a verification status within two business days after you submit.

Meta also says political, electoral and social issue advertising requires every advertiser to complete an authorization process that includes identity verification. The political ad authorization entry covers that.

FAQ

Do I need to verify to run ads in my own country?

Not necessarily. Meta lists factors that can decide whether you must verify, such as your ad category, location, targeting and account age. Run your normal setup and see whether Ads Manager prompts you. If it does, finish it before any deadline Meta gives.

Who counts as the advertiser and the payer?

Meta defines the advertiser as the person or organization that designs, produces and publishes ads to promote goods or services, and the payer as the one responsible for payment. For agencies, Meta says both are the client whose ads you publish. In a reseller case the payer is the reseller that owns the business portfolio.

Is advertiser verification the same as business verification?

Meta’s pages describe them as separate things. Meta says business verification is required to access certain products, and describes advertiser verification as confirming the advertiser and payer of your ads. Meta adds that a completed business portfolio verification may let ad accounts use those details as advertiser and payer.