Amira van Weegen
Responsable marketing
May 15, 2026
GwG Compliance Check for Virtual Mailboxes: How Providers Can Make Their Mailbox Rental Services Legally Compliant and Scalable
6 min.
What virtual mailbox providers need to know at a glance
A company signs up online, books a virtual business address, and is ready to go within minutes. For providers, that sounds like the perfect customer experience. But behind this seamless process lies a legal obligation that many underestimate: Anyone in Germany who rents out virtual mailboxes or business addresses must verify their customers’ identities before the contract is signed, in line with the GWG. The German Money Laundering Act makes no exceptions here, neither for small providers nor for large platforms.
The key points this article covers:
Under the German Money Laundering Act (GWG), providers of virtual mailboxes are required to verify their customers’ identities before the contract is signed.
Identity verification includes ID checks as well as PEP screening, sanctions list screening, and risk assessment.
anny offers a flexible booking platform for virtual mailboxes; automated GWG-compliant checks are handled via the separate, paid Regpit platform.
Regpit supports modern identification methods such as video identification and the online ID function (eID) of the German ID card.
An automated integration of anny and Regpit enables scalable, audit-proof, and legally compliant verification processes without manual intermediate steps.
What is a virtual mailbox and why is the GWG relevant here?
A virtual mailbox is a rented mailing address where companies or self-employed professionals can receive, digitize, and manage their mail — without having to be physically on site. Typical customers include startups, remote companies, foreign businesses with a presence in Germany, as well as sole proprietors who do not want to use a private address in their legal notice. The Anti-Money Laundering Act (GWG) applies here because such addresses can be misused for money laundering or illegal activities. We explain what obligations providers have and how they can efficiently implement GWG checks for virtual mailboxes with anny and the Regpit integration.
Legal framework: When are providers of virtual business addresses subject to AML obligations?
The GWG requires providers of virtual mailboxes to verify the identity of their customers, as mailbox rental carries an elevated risk of misuse. This obligation applies regardless of company size and applies in particular to the rental of serviceable business addresses that are used in the legal notice or intended for official service. Anyone who does not take KYC mailbox rental seriously risks severe consequences.
Note: This article does not replace legal advice. Providers should seek legal counsel if in doubt. anny and Regpit support the practical implementation of the legal requirements.
Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
Identification | Verification of the identity of natural persons before contract conclusion |
Beneficial Owners | Identification of natural persons holding more than 25% of shares |
PEP Screening | Screening for politically exposed persons |
Sanctions List Screening | Matching against EU, UN, and international sanctions lists |
Risk Assessment | Assessment of the individual risk of the business relationship |
Ongoing Monitoring | Monitoring for suspicious patterns during the business relationship |
Documentation | Audit-proof retention of all review documents |
Violations can lead to substantial fines and regulatory action. That is why automated, documented screening is essential.
anny or anny + Regpit: Which solution is right for my business?
Anyone who rents out virtual mailboxes needs two things: a platform where customers can book and manage subscriptions and, depending on the business model, AML-compliant identity verification. anny handles booking and subscription management. Regpit is a separate, paid compliance platform that can be natively integrated into anny and automates the complete AML check. How the two systems work together is explained in the next sections – first and foremost, the key point is: Not every provider necessarily needs both tools.
Situation / Need | Recommended solution |
|---|---|
Only basic identity verification (e.g. no AML requirement, no business address) | anny alone (ID upload, basic check) |
Full AML-compliant verification (virtual business address, legal notice usage, company registration) | anny + Regpit |
Regpit is not included in the anny subscription and must be licensed separately.
What providers need to check: step-by-step virtual mailbox identity verification
The AML check is not a one-time ID verification; it includes several successive steps that together provide a complete picture of the customer and their risk profile. For virtual mailbox providers, this means:
Identification of natural persons: Collection of valid ID data with holographic security features. Regpit supports modern methods such as video identification and the online ID function (eID) of the German identity card as secure alternatives.
Business verification (KYB): Review of the commercial register extract, shareholder list, and articles of association to verify company data.
Identification of beneficial owners: Identification of all natural persons with more than 25% ownership or voting rights.
PEP screening: Detection of politically exposed persons who are subject to enhanced due diligence requirements.
Sanctions list screening: Comparison against current EU, UN, and international sanctions lists.
Risk assessment: Classification of the business relationship into risk levels (e.g., Low, Medium, High Risk).
Documentation and archiving: Audit-proof storage of all verification documents for at least five years after the end of the contract.
Manual low-value asset review and its limitations
Many providers of virtual mailboxes still carry out the AML check manually: customer data and copies of ID documents are requested by email, recorded in Excel lists, and sanctions lists are sporadically matched manually. Documentation ends up in folders or local files – often without clear structure or access control.
The problem: This process is error-prone, carries significant data protection risks due to insecure transmission channels, and rarely provides the audit-proof evidence required during a regulatory review. Media breaks between systems lead to delays that discourage customers. And without automation, the entire model quickly hits its limits as customer numbers grow.
The direct comparison shows exactly where manual processes fail in practice and what an automated solution with anny and Regpit delivers instead:
Aspect | Manual process | anny + Regpit |
|---|---|---|
Consistency | Inconsistent data maintenance and checks | Standardized, automated workflows |
Time required | Hours to days per customer | Minutes per customer through automation |
Error rate | High due to manual entries | Very low through digital validation |
Audit documentation | Patchy, often incomplete | Complete, archived in an audit-proof way |
Scalability | Limited, quickly overloaded as growth increases | High, automated processes without additional effort |
Automated AML Compliance for Mailbox Subscriptions: How anny and Regpit Work Together
The native integration of anny and Regpit turns a multi-step, manual review process into a fully automated workflow — from booking to subscription approval, with not a single manual handoff in between.
Here’s how the automated AML screening works step by step:
Booking via anny: The customer books a subscription for a virtual mailbox directly through anny.
Automatic case creation: anny immediately creates a review case in Regpit and transfers all relevant customer data.
Self-declaration and identification: The customer receives an automatic request to verify their identity — via video identification or the online ID function (eID).
Automated compliance screening: Regpit performs PEP checks, sanctions list screening, and risk assessment.
Automatic approval or rejection: If the review is successful, anny activates the subscription automatically — if the risk is too high, the request is declined without any manual intervention.
How to set up the Regpit integration in anny
The technical connection between both systems is done in just a few steps:
Request a Tenant ID from Regpit Support and purchase a license.
Store the Tenant ID, email, and password in anny.
Configure the integration rules in anny — for example, which products should trigger the AML screening.
Run test bookings to validate the process before going live.
You can find more information about the setup on the anny x Regpit integration page.
Practical example (fictional): CityMail Office Berlin
Imagine this: A provider like CityMail Office Berlin manages around 500 virtual business addresses with manual processes: ID copies by email, Excel lists, occasional sanctions list screening. Documentation is incomplete, and onboarding new customers takes several days.
After switching to anny and Regpit, the entire process would run fully automatically: booking, case creation, video identification, risk assessment, and subscription approval — all without manual intervention. Onboarding would take just a few minutes, the checks would be documented in an audit-proof way, and the team could fully focus on customer service.
Data Protection and IT Security: What Obliged Parties Under the German Money Laundering Act Must Also Consider
AML compliance and data protection go hand in hand — because identity verification involves particularly sensitive personal data that must be processed and protected in GDPR-compliant ways. anny is fully ISO 27001 certified and hosts all data in Germany. Regpit documents all verification processes in an audit-proof manner and thus supports providers in meeting regulatory documentation requirements.
Anyone who wants to be on the safe side as an AML-obliged entity should also keep the following measures in mind:
Secure access with two-factor authentication (2FA)
Role-based access rights for team members
Encryption for data in transit and at rest
Logging all access to sensitive data
Clear deletion and retention periods in accordance with the AML Act (5 years after contract end)
Conclusion & Get Started with GWG-Compliant Resource Booking Now
If you rent out virtual mailboxes, you need a GwG-compliant identity verification. With anny and the Regpit integration, this process can be fully automated – scalable, audit-proof, and with no manual effort.
See for yourself: Try anny for free, book a demo, or learn more directly about the Regpit integration.
Frequently Asked Questions About GwG Compliance Checks for Virtual Mailboxes (FAQ)
Does the AML Act also apply to small providers with only a few virtual mailboxes?
Yes — the AML obligation depends on the type of service provided, not on company size or revenue. Anyone who rents out serviceable business addresses may be considered an obligated entity — regardless of whether they operate five or five hundred mailboxes. When in doubt, legal advice is recommended.
Do I have to re-identify every existing customer afterwards?
The AML Act provides for event-based, risk-based verification. Re-identification is especially useful if ownership structures have changed, a customer's risk rating needs to be adjusted, or legal requirements have changed significantly since the contract was signed.
Can I also carry out identity verification for virtual mailboxes via the online ID function? Yes. Regpit supports eID — the online ID function of the German identity card — as a modern and secure alternative to video identification. Customers can identify themselves fully digitally, without physical contact or a visit to a post office.
Can I accept ID copies by email if I then store them locally?
This is problematic from a data protection perspective: unencrypted emails are not a secure transmission channel for sensitive identity data, and local folders offer little access control or logging. For an AML-compliant and GDPR-secure solution, we recommend using anny and Regpit, which handle upload, storage, and documentation in an audit-proof way.
Do I have to buy Regpit if I use anny?
No. Regpit is a separate, paid platform and is not included in the anny subscription. Providers who only need a simple ID check and are not subject to the AML obligation can use anny without Regpit. The AML compliance mailbox solution with Regpit is only required when a full AML check, including PEP screening and sanctions list screening, is necessary.
Can only virtual mailboxes be rented and verified with anny?
No — anny is designed as a flexible booking and subscription platform and can map a wide range of resources: desks, meeting rooms, parking spaces, and more. The Regpit integration for automated identity verification in subscription workflows can be used wherever an AML-compliant check is required — not just for mailbox rentals.
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