Polymarket has two products with different rules. The international app at polymarket.com lets you sign up with an email or a crypto wallet and does not ask for an ID at the start. The US app is a CFTC-regulated exchange and verifies every user the way a US broker does. Which rules apply to you depends on where you live, and since 2025 that list of places has grown a lot.
Not financial advice. Prediction markets are treated as derivatives in some countries, as gambling in others, and are restricted in many. Check what is legal where you live before you deposit, and read our risk disclaimer.
The short answer
On the US app, verification is mandatory before you trade. On the international app, signup takes an email or a wallet, but the platform still checks your location, screens wallets against sanctions lists and can ask for documents later. Neither product is available everywhere: Polymarket blocks some regions completely and puts many more in close-only mode.
How signup works on polymarket.com
The international app is built on Polygon and settles trades in USDC. Signup takes a few minutes:
- Sign in with an email or social login, which creates a wallet for you, or connect an existing wallet such as MetaMask.
- Polymarket checks where you are connecting from. In a restricted region you cannot open new positions.
- Wallet addresses are screened against sanctions lists. Addresses linked to sanctioned entities or protocols can be blocked.
- You deposit USDC and can trade.
No document upload at signup does not mean anonymity. Polymarket sees your email, IP address and device, and every deposit and withdrawal is recorded on a public blockchain. It also does not mean verification never happens, as the section on extra checks explains.
Where Polymarket is blocked or close-only
Polymarket’s documentation splits restrictions into three levels. This is the list as of October 2026; it changes as regulators act, so check the official geoblocking page before you deposit.
Fully blocked, with no new orders and no closing of positions: Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.
Close-only on both the website and the API, which means you can close existing positions but not open new ones: Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Burundi, Canada (British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta and Quebec), Central African Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Myanmar, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States and its Minor Outlying Islands, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
Close-only on the website but not on the API: Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Malta for sports markets only.
If your country is on one of these lists, using a VPN to get around it breaks Polymarket’s terms of service. Accounts that do it risk restrictions with funds stuck inside, and you would have little ground to argue with support. Do not do it.
The US app: full KYC
Polymarket left the US market in 2022 after a settlement with the CFTC, which fined it $1.4 million for offering unregistered event contracts. In July 2025 it bought QCEX, a CFTC-registered exchange and clearinghouse, for $112 million, and in December 2025 it launched a US app with the regulator’s approval. Access opened gradually from a waitlist.
The US app verifies every account before trading. Expect to provide:
- your full legal name and date of birth (18 or older; some states set 21)
- a US residential address (PO boxes are not accepted)
- your Social Security number, which is used for tax reporting
State rules are still moving. Several states have challenged sports event contracts, and Connecticut sent cease-and-desist letters to Polymarket and other prediction markets in December 2025. Check the app’s current terms for your state.
When extra checks happen
Like any financial platform, Polymarket runs anti-money-laundering and sanctions checks. On the international app that can mean a request to verify your identity or explain where funds came from, for example after a sanctions match, an unusual deposit pattern or a large account. The exact triggers are not published.
If you get such a request, answer it through the official website and send only what is asked. An account under review can be limited until the check is complete. Phishing emails that copy these requests are common, so do not upload documents through a link in an email or a direct message; open polymarket.com yourself.
Risks that verification does not cover
Verification rules decide who can trade, not how safe the trading is. Polymarket keeps funds in smart contracts on Polygon, so a contract bug is a risk. Markets are resolved by the UMA oracle, and an ambiguous event can resolve differently from what you expected; our explainer on how the UMA oracle works covers disputes. Smaller markets have thin liquidity, so a large order can move the price against you. And regulation can change quickly: several countries moved to close-only in 2025 and 2026.
Read next
- Polymarket review: features, fees and our score
- How to sign up on Polymarket: step-by-step onboarding
- How to deposit USDC on Polymarket: funding on Polygon
- How to withdraw from Polymarket: getting money out
- Polymarket fees explained
If Polymarket is available where you live, you can sign up at polymarket.com. See our affiliate disclosure for details. This content is for information only and is not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does Polymarket require KYC?
It depends on which product you use. The US app, regulated by the CFTC, requires full identity verification: legal name, date of birth, US address and Social Security number. The international app at polymarket.com does not ask for documents at signup, but it checks your location and screens wallets against sanctions lists, and the platform can request verification during compliance reviews.
Can people in the US use Polymarket?
Yes, through the Polymarket US app, which launched in December 2025 after CFTC approval and requires full KYC. The international app at polymarket.com lists the United States as close-only. Some states have challenged sports event contracts, so check the app's current terms for your state.
Which countries are restricted on Polymarket?
Polymarket's documentation lists a few fully blocked regions (Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea and the occupied Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine) and a longer close-only list that includes the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and several Canadian provinces. The list changes, so check the official geoblocking page before you deposit.
What does close-only mean on Polymarket?
In a close-only region you can close positions you already hold but cannot open new ones. Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and Malta (sports only) are close-only on the website but not on the API, according to Polymarket's documentation.
Can I use a VPN to access Polymarket?
No. Accessing Polymarket from a restricted region breaks its terms of service, and accounts that do it risk being restricted with funds stuck. If your country is restricted, the honest answer is not to use the platform there.
What happens if Polymarket asks me to verify my identity?
Provide the documents it asks for through the official site. Platforms run anti-money-laundering and sanctions checks by law, and an account under review may be limited until the check is done. Never send documents through links from emails or direct messages; go to polymarket.com yourself.
#Polymarket#KYC#prediction markets#compliance#regulation#guide
Discussion
Loading comments…