Joint account opening with full KYC for every holder, and the mandate settled up front.
On a joint account, every holder is a customer in their own right, and the mandate decides who can move the money. BAOS captures each holder as a complete personal record, makes the operating mandate and a survivorship instruction part of the application, and collects documents for each holder before staff review it.
- 2–4holders per application, each a full personal record
- 8operating mandates, including either or survivor
- 5relationships between holders, from spouses to business partners
- 4document slots: three for each holder, one for the application
What BAOS records for a joint account.
The joint form is one of BAOS's four applicant kinds. It ships as a draft your team reviews and publishes, and works in any country.
Every holder in full
Title, names, date of birth, gender, nationality, identification type and number, tax PIN, email and mobile for each holder, and their relationship to the first holder: spouse, parent and child, siblings, business partners or other.
At least two holders, enforced
The holders section takes two to four people, and the form cannot be published with a minimum below two.
The operating mandate
Chosen from eight: singly, either or survivor, all to sign, any one, two, three or four to sign, or a special mandate written out in full.
The survivorship instruction
A required instruction on what should happen to the balance if a holder dies, stored with the mandate, for example that it passes to the surviving holders.
Documents for each holder
An ID or passport and a photograph for every holder, a tax PIN certificate where they have one, and proof of address for the first holder. Staff verify documents one at a time or all at once.
Every holder listed for screening
BAOS lists the primary holder and every joint holder for screening, each person once. The screening runs in your screening tool.
The joint starter form, step by step.
The joint template runs in six steps.
- 1Account holders
Two to four people, each with full identification.
- 2Account selection
Product, currency and branch.
- 3How the account works
The operating mandate and the survivorship instruction.
- 4Income
Source of funds and wealth.
- 5Declarations
Politically exposed persons and FATCA.
- 6Confirm and submit
Declarations, documents and a final review.
Its document pack
| Document | For | Required / Optional |
|---|---|---|
| National ID or passport | Each holder | Required |
| Passport-size photograph | Each holder | Required |
| Tax PIN certificate | Each holder | Optional |
| Proof of address for the first holder | Application | Required |
Kenya's rules for joint accounts, and where they land.
Kenyan law treats each holder as a customer, and has only one rule written for accounts with more than one party.
| The rule | Recorded in BAOS | Outside BAOS |
|---|---|---|
| Each holder needs an official record: any one of a birth certificate, national ID card, passport or driver's licence, or another prescribed means of identification.POCAMLA s.45(1A)(a) | Each holder's ID type and number, with Kenyan ID types, and an ID document slot for each holder. | An IPRS check of the ID number, serial number and name, which CBK gives as an example. |
| Where one party has identified the others, a bank may take written confirmation that the first party has known them personally for at least twelve months. This is an optional measure.POCAML Regulations 2023, reg 15(2)(j) | Each holder's relationship to the first holder; a declaration field can be added if your policy uses the confirmation. | Nothing else: no other joint-account rule was found in the Act or the Regulations. |
| Opening an account with a financial institution is a transaction that needs a KRA PIN. Non-residents have been exempt since 2026.Tax Procedures Act, First Schedule item 11; s.12(5B) | A tax PIN field and a PIN certificate slot for each holder. | A name-on-PIN check against KRA records, which CBK gives as an example. |
| Understand the purpose of the account and the customer's financial status: the reason for the account, expected transactions and the source of funds.Reg 14; CBK CDD guidance 3.5 | A source of funds and wealth step, and any questions your team adds. | Supporting documents your policy asks for. |
Summaries of Creodata's Kenya fact sheet, checked against primary sources on 8 October 2026. Not legal advice.
- It does not verify holders' IDs against IPRS or check PINs at KRA.
- One person enters every holder: the other holders cannot complete their own parts.
- It lists every holder for screening, but the screening runs in your screening tool.
- There is no e-signature: specimen signatures are uploaded.
Frequently asked questions.
What do banks need to open a joint account?
An official record and the usual personal KYC for every holder, the operating mandate, and often a survivorship instruction and proof of address. In Kenya, the only rule written for joint accounts is an optional written confirmation that the parties have known each other for twelve months (reg 15(2)(j)).
What is a joint account mandate?
The instruction that says who may operate the account: either holder alone, all of them together, or a set number of them. BAOS offers eight mandates, including either or survivor and a special mandate written out in full.
What happens to a joint account when a holder dies?
That depends on the account terms and the survivorship instruction the holders gave. BAOS makes the instruction a required part of the application, so it is on the record from the start; it does not decide the legal outcome.
Can a joint account have more than two holders?
Yes. The starter form takes two to four holders, each captured in full, and your team can raise the maximum in the form builder.
Is the joint form only for Kenya?
No. The joint template works in any country. It uses Kenyan ID types by default, and your team edits the list of ID types for other markets.
See it with your own forms.
Bring your account types and your document checklists to a live demo, and see an application go from the applicant to your reviewers.