WhatsApp Business API requirements
The WhatsApp Business Platform, often called the WhatsApp Business API, is one of the Meta products that require business verification. Before you apply, make sure the basics are in place, because a missing item usually stalls onboarding rather than failing it outright.
Meta also asks that you collect opt-in before you message anyone and that you start conversations only with approved message templates. Replies to customers who write to you first don't need a template while the 24-hour customer service window is open.
- A business portfolio in Meta Business Suite, with someone who has full control of it
- Business verification in Security Center, with the legal name, address, phone and website exactly as registered
- A website that loads over HTTPS and shows your legal business name
- A phone number you own, with a country and area code, that can receive SMS or calls and isn't on WhatsApp
- A display name with a clear link to your legal name or brand
- Opt-in that names your business, and templates for each use case
Which documents Meta accepts for business verification
Meta's Business Help Center lists five primary document types: a certificate or articles of incorporation, a business registration or licence document, a government-issued business tax document such as a tax certificate, a business bank statement, and a utility bill. Your documents should confirm your legal business name and either your official mailing address or your phone number.
A utility bill is accepted only for the address and phone number, never for the legal name, and it must still show the legal name. Self-filed tax documents aren't accepted. Documents must be current, issued by the relevant authority and written in a supported language such as Arabic, English, French, German, Portuguese or Spanish. If yours aren't, add an English translation stamped by a translation agency. Cover personal ID numbers that Meta doesn't need before you upload.
Documents by country in the GCC
Meta doesn't publish a list for each country, so the checklist maps local documents onto Meta's accepted types. In the United Arab Emirates that usually means the trade licence from the emirate's economic department or your free-zone authority, the Memorandum of Association, and the VAT registration certificate from the Federal Tax Authority. In Saudi Arabia it is the Commercial Registration certificate, the Articles of Association and the ZATCA VAT registration certificate.
Qatar businesses typically use the Commercial Registration, commercial licence and tax card. In Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman the Commercial Registration certificate is the core document, with the VAT certificate where VAT applies. Every country can add a business bank statement, and a utility bill such as a DEWA, Kahramaa or EWA bill for the address.
Phone number and display name rules
Meta says an eligible number must be owned by you, have a country and area code, and be able to receive voice calls or SMS. Short codes aren't supported, and Meta recommends mobile numbers. A number that's already on WhatsApp can't be registered until that account is deleted (back up your chats first), unless it's a WhatsApp Business app number connected with coexistence through Embedded Signup, which Meta allows subject to its requirements.
Your display name must follow Meta's guidelines. It needs a clear link to your legal name or external branding. It can't be a generic word or a place name. Words such as Official or Verified aren't allowed, and nor are references to WhatsApp, Meta, Facebook or Instagram, promotional wording, or a website or email format. If your brand differs from the company name, “Brand by Company” makes the link clear.
Why verification gets rejected, and how to fix it
Meta lists these reasons for rejection: false or misleading information, claiming a business you aren't authorised to represent, trying to get around the review, and a website that fails to load, isn't HTTPS or links to an error page. In practice most problems we see come from a legal name that doesn't match the documents, or from documents that are cropped, expired or not of an accepted type.
- Copy the legal name from your registration certificate, including the suffix, into the portfolio and the website footer
- Upload full-page colour scans of current documents, not photos of screens or self-made forms
- Pair a utility bill with a registration or tax document, since a bill alone can't prove the legal name
- Don't edit your business details during review, because any edit means you have to verify again
- If you're rejected, read the reason in Security Center and fix the cause before you appeal or resubmit
How long it takes
According to Meta, a decision on business verification may take up to 14 business days, and you're notified when the review is complete. Gathering documents and fixing the website usually takes a few days on your side. Number registration is often done the same day once you're verified, and Meta reviews the display name when your number reaches a higher messaging limit. Timing varies, and Meta makes every decision. No provider can guarantee approval.