CSV Header
The CSV file must use the following header format:Mandatory Data Input Fields
| Key | Description | Validation | Example | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
customer_id | Client’s unique identifier | Must be unique per customer | 12345 | Yes |
eid_number | Document number (Emirates ID) | String, must match the document | 784******2 | Yes |
onboarding_date | Date when customer was onboarded | DD/MM/YYYY | 01/01/2022 | Yes |
consent_version | Version of legal undertaking by customer | String, follows client’s internal versioning system | Ver_2.1 | Yes |
name_on_eid | Customer’s name as on the EID | String | John Doe | Yes |
eid_issue_date | Issue date of the EID | DD/MM/YYYY | 15/05/2020 | Yes |
eid_expiry_date | Expiry date of the EID | DD/MM/YYYY | 14/05/2030 | Yes |
dob | Date of birth | DD/MM/YYYY | 12/03/1985 | Yes |
Consent Validation
For compliance and audit purposes, at any point in time, UAE KYC may request specific details regarding the original document pertaining to consent version, the mode of consent, and the channel of onboarding. Clients are required to ensure that this information is readily accessible and available when requested.CSV Formatting Rules
- Encoding: Use UTF-8 encoding (without BOM). This ensures Arabic and special characters are handled correctly.
- Delimiter: Use commas (
,) as the field delimiter. Do not use semicolons, tabs, or pipes. - Column headers: Must exactly match the expected schema. No extra spaces, no hidden characters, no quotes around header names.
- Trailing newlines: A single trailing newline at the end of the file is acceptable. Multiple blank rows at the end should be removed.
- No empty rows: Ensure there are no blank rows between data records.
- Quoting: If a field value contains commas, newlines, or double quotes, wrap the field in double quotes. Escape internal double quotes by doubling them (
"").
BOM (Byte Order Mark) Issue
How BOM appears at the byte level:| File | First Bytes (Hex View) |
|---|---|
| With BOM (Bad) | EF BB BF 63 75 73 74 6F 6D 65 72 5F 69 64 — Hidden BOM bytes before “customer_id” |
| Without BOM (Good) | 63 75 73 74 6F 6D 65 72 5F 69 64 — Starts directly with “customer_id” |
Method 1: Save as Plain CSV in Excel (Recommended)
Method 1: Save as Plain CSV in Excel (Recommended)
- Open your spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel.
- Go to File > Save As.
- In the “Save as type” dropdown, select “CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)” — NOT “CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)”.
- Click Save.
Method 2: Remove BOM Using Notepad++
Method 2: Remove BOM Using Notepad++
- Open the CSV file in Notepad++.
- Go to Encoding > Convert to UTF-8 (without BOM).
- Save the file (Ctrl+S).
Method 3: Use VS Code
Method 3: Use VS Code
- Open the CSV file in Visual Studio Code.
- Look at the bottom-right status bar — if it says “UTF-8 with BOM”, click on it.
- Select “Save with Encoding” > choose “UTF-8” (without BOM).
Pre-Upload Checklist
| Verification Item | |
|---|---|
| ☐ | File is saved as .csv (not .xlsx or .xls) |
| ☐ | File does NOT contain a BOM character (saved as plain CSV, not CSV UTF-8 from Excel) |
| ☐ | Column headers exactly match the required schema |
| ☐ | All required fields are populated for each record |
| ☐ | No blank rows between data records |
| ☐ | Comma (,) is used as the delimiter |
| ☐ | File encoding is UTF-8 (without BOM) |
| ☐ | Fields with special characters are properly quoted |