The Core Issue with Using a Chinese ID Card for KYC
Since 2021, Binance has announced its withdrawal from the mainland China market and no longer provides services to mainland Chinese users. This means that at the official policy level, using a mainland Chinese resident ID card (the 18-digit ID number) for KYC verification may be identified by the system as a mainland Chinese user, triggering restrictions.
In practice, the results of submitting KYC with a Chinese ID card are inconsistent across different time periods and accounts. Some people pass without issues, some are rejected, and some pass initially only to have their accounts flagged for additional verification or suspended later. This uncertainty itself is a risk.
Potential Consequences of Using a Chinese ID Card
Scenario 1: Verification rejected. The system identifies the mainland Chinese document during processing and returns a rejection. You'll need to switch to a different document and resubmit.
Scenario 2: Approved but with limited features. The account passes KYC, but certain features (such as fiat trading or certain token pairs) are restricted, significantly reducing the account's practical usability.
Scenario 3: Account reviewed later. KYC passes and the account works normally for a while, but then triggers a compliance review. At that point, Chinese ID documents may lead to the account being suspended and assets frozen. During the freeze, you'll need to go through a lengthy process of negotiating with customer support.
All three scenarios are real possibilities, and which one you encounter largely depends on the platform's compliance policies at the time.
Use a Passport Instead of an ID Card
Chinese citizens can hold both an ID card and a passport. For Binance KYC purposes, a passport is the better choice for these reasons:
Passports are internationally recognized documents: Unlike an ID card, which is strongly associated with mainland China, a passport is an international travel document. It's accepted under most region settings and has a higher verification success rate.
More flexible with region selection: If you selected Hong Kong, Taiwan, or a Southeast Asian country during registration, submitting a passport for KYC provides a better match with your region selection, reducing the chance of rejection.
More stable for long-term use: Accounts that passed KYC with a passport are less likely to be flagged for follow-up reviews, providing a more stable experience.
If you don't have a passport yet, consider applying for one. The application process is straightforward — visit the exit-entry administration bureau at your local public security office. It typically takes 2-4 weeks to receive.
About Proof of Address
If the platform requires advanced KYC, you may need to submit proof of address documents (such as utility bills or bank statements). These can also be challenging for users in mainland China, as Chinese-language domestic address proofs may not be accepted under foreign region settings.
In such cases, some users use online banking statements (English-language statements from international bank accounts) as alternatives. If you have an overseas bank account, you can leverage this.
Practical Summary
If you've already completed KYC with a Chinese ID card and your account is functioning normally, there's no need to proactively make changes — just continue using it as normal. If your account holds significant assets, make sure not to keep everything on the exchange — retain some in a wallet you control.
If you haven't completed KYC yet, use a passport first. Registering through this link and then using a passport for KYC will give you a higher success rate: Register a Binance Account.
Regardless of which document you use, it's not recommended to store large amounts of assets on an exchange long-term — this is the most fundamental risk management principle in the cryptocurrency space.