HTX (formerly Huobi) has three personal KYC levels. Level 1 asks for your nationality, ID number, name and date of birth and unlocks deposits and withdrawals; Level 2 needs a photo of your passport, ID card or driver's licence; Level 3 is face recognition. Review can take as little as 5 minutes and around 6 hours at busy times. Since March 30, 2026, accounts without Level 2 are capped at 5x futures leverage and cannot place futures orders through the API (compiled from the HTX help center and official announcements, checked 2026-10-17).
Based on HTX help center articles on KYC, withdrawals and futures, this guide covers what each level requires, the app steps, common rejection reasons, how many attempts you get per day, how many accounts one identity can verify, which features depend on your KYC level, and how to fix wrong details. KYC decides which features you can use; your rebate depends on the referral code. Sign up with our code FEEOTTER and bind through Fee Otter for a 50% HTX futures rebate (30% automatic exchange rebate + 20% extra rebate), 2.5 times a common 20% code.
Key points
- Level 1 (Basic): details only, no photos; unlocks deposits and withdrawals.
- Level 2 (Primary): ID document photos; required for futures leverage above 5x and for API futures orders.
- Level 3 (Advanced): face recognition, after Levels 1 and 2.
- Review time: as little as 5 minutes, around 6 hours at busy times; contact support if it is still pending after 24 hours.
- One identity, one account: HTX says an identity can verify only one account, and verification cannot be revoked.
HTX's three KYC levels
| Level | What you need | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Basic | Nationality, ID number, last name, first name, date of birth | Deposits and withdrawals |
| Level 2 Primary | Photo of a passport, ID card or driver's licence (front and back for ID cards) | Higher deposit, withdrawal and purchase limits; futures leverage above 5x; API futures orders |
| Level 3 Advanced | Face recognition | Higher deposit, withdrawal and purchase limits again |
Sources: How to Complete KYC Identity Verification and HTX to Adjust Futures Leverage Limits and API Permissions for New Users, checked 2026-10-17. HTX also says higher levels help you match with better advertisers and prices in fiat trading. Another page, How to update KYC information, mentions a Level 4, but HTX does not describe its requirements.
App steps
- Open the HTX app, tap the profile icon at the top left, then tap Unverified, and follow the prompts from Level 1 to Level 3.
- Level 1: enter nationality, ID number, last name, first name and date of birth, then tap Submit. The details must match your ID exactly. If your region is not supported but Dominican citizenship verification is, the app will prompt you to switch.
- Level 2: after Level 1, upload photos of your ID. HTX currently accepts passports, ID cards and driver's licences; supported documents vary by country, so check the submission page. Put the photo page and the back of an ID card in their designated slots, or face recognition may fail.
- Level 3: after Levels 1 and 2, complete face recognition. Use good light and a stable connection, be the only person in frame, stay close to the guide, and remove hats and masks.
Source: How to Complete KYC Identity Verification. That guide does not describe where to start on the website.
How long does review take, and why do applications fail?
Per HTX's identity verification FAQ, review can be done in 5 minutes and may take around 6 hours at busy times (the English page says up to 6 hours, the Chinese page at least 6 hours). If it is still pending after 24 hours, upload logs in the app and then contact support. Each account can attempt verification at most 5 times a day, after which you try again the next day (UTC+8). The rejection reasons HTX lists:
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Document type not supported | Upload a type shown on the submission page |
| Black-and-white image | Use a colour photo of the real document |
| Scan or photocopy | Photograph the original document |
| Blurry photo | Use the rear camera, with flash if needed |
| Face not recognisable | Keep your face inside the frame in good light |
| Driver's licence shows "unsupported type" | Only regular licences are accepted, not learner licences |
How many HTX accounts can one identity verify?
HTX: one identity can only verify one account. If you have registered and verified before, log in with that account; if you decide to delete the old account, submit a request through HTX's link. Under normal circumstances, your identity cannot be unbound once verification is approved. (HTX identity verification FAQ)
HTX also says that if you never registered but your ID number shows as already verified, ID numbers from different countries may overlap, and it suggests resubmitting with another valid supported document. If you want a new account to earn a rebate, read the HTX rebind guide first; KYC transfer rules across exchanges are in KYC identity transfer and rebates.
Which features depend on your KYC level?
- Deposits and withdrawals: unlocked at Level 1; Levels 2 and 3 raise limits. We did not find a current table of limits in the help center. A 2022 FAQ says verified users can withdraw up to 100 BTC a day in the app, and a 2021 announcement set the BTC daily withdrawal limit for unverified accounts at 0.06 BTC. Both are old; your withdrawal page shows what applies.
- Futures: activating derivatives requires ID verification, and without Level 2, futures leverage is capped at 5x. In copy trading, if the lead trader goes above 5x, your copy uses your maximum of 5x.
- API: with no KYC or only Level 1, you cannot place futures orders through the API; Level 2 or above is required. Sub-accounts inherit the main account's level, and trading bots are not affected.
- P2P: you need KYC and a payment method first.
- Promotions: for example, from June 29 to July 13, 2026, users in selected regions who completed Level 3 received a 7-day Prime 5 trial card (official announcement). That event has ended.
If withdrawals are restricted, HTX only recognises the Support → User Self Service → Withdrawal Limit ticket and the htxsupport@htx-inc.com mailbox. Support may ask for a video KYC or proof of funds, and the service is free (official guidelines).
How to fix wrong details
From How to update KYC information:
- Not yet verified: change your nationality yourself through HTX's link.
- Level 1 only: contact support to change nationality or name.
- Level 2 or above: submit a request through HTX's link to change nationality or name or update your details.
- Completed ID verification cannot be revoked.
Worked example: what KYC level does to a futures position
Say you have 1,000 USDT of margin in your futures account and want to open BTC-USDT perpetuals:
| KYC status | Max leverage | Max position value | At 80,000 USDT, about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unverified or Level 1 | 5x | 5,000 USDT | 62 contracts (0.062 BTC) |
| Level 2 or above | 200x (tier 1) | 200,000 USDT | 2,500 contracts (2.5 BTC) |
(0.001 BTC per contract, rounded down, before fees.) The cap is a risk control, not a recommendation: an isolated 5x long is liquidated after a drop of about 19.8%, and higher leverage gets liquidated sooner. Fees do not depend on KYC: 200,000 USDT of futures a month, all taker, costs 120 USDT at the Prime 0 taker rate of 0.06%. Binding through Fee Otter returns 50%, or 60 USDT, whatever your KYC level.
Where HTX operates: if your KYC country is excluded, you cannot use it
Under clause 1.2 of the HTX Platform User Agreement (updated September 2026, checked 2026-10-17), HTX provides no services in mainland China, the United States, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Myanmar, occupied Ukrainian regions including Crimea, Russia and all EU member states. Israel, Iraq, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan and New Zealand cannot trade derivatives. The agreement says the list may change without notice. For licensing by country, see exchange licenses by country.
Risks
KYC means handing over ID and face data, so only submit it in the official HTX app or website. HTX says its support staff never contact users first and never ask for passwords or verification codes (account security guide). In May 2026 the UK government added Huobi Global S.A., which operates HTX, to its Russia sanctions list (UK government notice); UK residents should not use it. Keep only the funds you are trading on the exchange.
Does KYC affect your rebate?
Your rebate rate depends on the referral code you used at sign-up, not on your KYC level, and binding only needs your UID, never an API key. The rebate covers trading fees only. HTX referral codes cannot be changed once bound. If you have not signed up yet, use the code FEEOTTER (steps in how to register on HTX), then submit your UID on the Fee Otter rebate platform. KYC requirements across exchanges are compared in exchange KYC compared, and HTX rebate math is in the HTX fee rebate guide.
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