GLEIF MCP Server

Verify any company's legal identity in one question. Look up LEI codes, validate counterparties, and trace corporate ownership structures using the official GLEIF database. Covers 2.8M+ entities across 200+ jurisdictions.

29 tools for LEI lookup, entity search, BIC/SWIFT cross-referencing, corporate ownership, and batch validation. Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, and other MCP-compatible tools.

Use Cases

KYC & Onboarding: Verify counterparty identities before signing contracts
Compliance Checks: Validate LEIs for MiFID II, EMIR, or DORA reporting
Due Diligence: Research corporate ownership chains and ultimate parents
Financial Analysis: Cross-reference securities (ISIN) and banks (BIC/SWIFT) with their legal entities
Data Enrichment: Batch-process company lists to add LEI data

What is LEI?

The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is a 20-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies legal entities participating in financial transactions worldwide. It's mandated by 200+ regulations including MiFID II, EMIR, Dodd-Frank, and DORA.

LEI Format (ISO 17442):

Characters 1-4: LOU (Local Operating Unit) prefix
Characters 5-18: Entity-specific identifier
Characters 19-20: Check digits (mod 97 validation)

Example: HWUPKR0MPOU8FGXBT394 (Apple Inc.)

Features

Core Capabilities

LEI Lookup: Get full entity details by LEI code
Batch Lookup: Look up multiple LEIs in a single request (up to 100)
Entity Search: Find companies by name with fuzzy matching and pagination
LEI Validation: Verify format, check digits (ISO 17442), and registration status

Financial Identifiers

BIC/SWIFT Lookup: Find bank LEIs from BIC codes
ISIN Lookup: Find security issuer LEIs from ISIN codes
Country Browse: List entities by jurisdiction

Relationships & Compliance

Corporate Ownership: Parent companies, subsidiaries, ultimate parents
Fund Relationships: Fund managers, umbrella funds, sub-funds
Reporting Exceptions: Level 2 data exceptions with reasons
LEI Issuers: List and details of all Local Operating Units (LOUs)

Performance & Reliability

Fast Responses: Results are cached locally, so repeat queries return instantly
No API Key Needed: Works out of the box with GLEIF's public API
Handles Errors Gracefully: Automatic retries on timeouts or temporary failures
Stays Within Limits: Built-in rate limiting prevents hitting GLEIF's quotas

Installation

Download Binary

Pre-built binaries for all platforms on the releases page:

Platform	Binary
macOS (Apple Silicon)	`gleif-mcp-server-darwin-arm64`
macOS (Intel)	`gleif-mcp-server-darwin-amd64`
Linux (x64)	`gleif-mcp-server-linux-amd64`
Linux (ARM64)	`gleif-mcp-server-linux-arm64`
Windows (x64)	`gleif-mcp-server-windows-amd64.exe`

# macOS/Linux - download and make executable
chmod +x gleif-mcp-server-darwin-arm64

Build from Source

Requires Go 1.25+:

git clone https://github.com/olgasafonova/gleif-mcp-server.git
cd gleif-mcp-server
go build -o gleif-mcp-server .

Install via Go

go install github.com/olgasafonova/gleif-mcp-server@latest

AI Agent Setup

Quickest start: Using Claude Desktop? Just add the config below and restart. Using an IDE like Cursor? Same idea, different config file. Pick your tool below.

Claude Desktop

Step 1: Download the binary

Go to the releases page and download the binary for your system:

Mac (Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3/M4): gleif-mcp-server-darwin-arm64
Mac (Intel): gleif-mcp-server-darwin-amd64
Windows: gleif-mcp-server-windows-amd64.exe

Step 2: Mac only - allow the file to run

macOS blocks downloaded files. Open Terminal and run:

chmod +x ~/Downloads/gleif-mcp-server-darwin-arm64
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ~/Downloads/gleif-mcp-server-darwin-arm64

Step 3: Open the config file

Mac: Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, paste this path:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/

Windows: Press Win + R, paste this path:

%APPDATA%\Claude

Open claude_desktop_config.json. If it doesn't exist, create it.

Step 4: Add the config

Mac (replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual username):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gleif": {
      "command": "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Downloads/gleif-mcp-server-darwin-arm64"
    }
  }
}

Windows (replace YOUR_USERNAME - note the double backslashes):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gleif": {
      "command": "C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\Downloads\\gleif-mcp-server-windows-amd64.exe"
    }
  }
}

To find your username: Mac - open Terminal and type whoami. Windows - look at C:\Users\.

Step 5: Restart Claude Desktop

Quit completely (Cmd + Q on Mac) and reopen.

Step 6: Test it

Type in Claude Desktop:

Look up Apple's LEI using GLEIF

You should see Claude call the GLEIF tool and return company data.

Claude Code (CLI)

# Add the server
claude mcp add gleif /path/to/gleif-mcp-server

# Or with scope for all projects
claude mcp add --scope user gleif /path/to/gleif-mcp-server

Cursor IDE

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for global config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gleif": {
      "command": "/path/to/gleif-mcp-server"
    }
  }
}

VS Code with Continue Extension

Add to .continue/config.json:

{
  "experimental": {
    "modelContextProtocolServers": [
      {
        "name": "gleif",
        "transport": {
          "type": "stdio",
          "command": "/path/to/gleif-mcp-server"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Windsurf

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gleif": {
      "command": "/path/to/gleif-mcp-server"
    }
  }
}

Cline (VS Code Extension)

Add via Cline's MCP settings or in .vscode/cline_mcp_settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gleif": {
      "command": "/path/to/gleif-mcp-server",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Antigravity

Add to ~/.antigravity/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gleif": {
      "command": "/path/to/gleif-mcp-server"
    }
  }
}

Not working? Tell us what made it hard — even one sentence helps.

Tools Reference

Core Lookup Tools

Tool	Description	Parameters
`lei_lookup`	Get full details for a specific LEI	`lei` (required): 20-char LEI code
`validate_lei`	Check format, check digits, and status	`lei` (required): LEI to validate
`batch_lei_lookup`	Look up multiple LEIs at once	`leis` (required): Comma-separated LEIs (max 100)

Search Tools

Tool	Description	Parameters
`search_entity`	Search by company name	`query` (required), `limit` (default 20), `page` (default 1), `fuzzy` (default true)
`search_by_bic`	Find LEI from BIC/SWIFT	`bic` (required): 8 or 11 char code
`search_by_isin`	Find issuer LEI from ISIN	`isin` (required): 12-char ISIN
`search_by_country`	List entities by country	`country` (required): ISO 2-letter code, `limit` (default 20)
`autocomplete`	Entity name suggestions	`prefix` (required): min 2 chars, `limit` (default 10)

Relationship Tools

Tool	Description	Parameters
`get_relationships`	Get corporate/fund relationships	`lei` (required), `type`: direct-parent, ultimate-parent, children, fund-manager, umbrella-fund, sub-funds

LEI Issuer Tools

Tool	Description	Parameters
`get_lei_issuer`	Get details about an LOU	`issuer_id` (required): LOU identifier
`list_lei_issuers`	List all LOUs worldwide	None

Compliance Tools

Tool	Description	Parameters
`get_reporting_exceptions`	Get Level 2 reporting exceptions	`lei` (required): LEI to check

Usage Examples

Basic LEI Lookup

Prompt: "Look up LEI HWUPKR0MPOU8FGXBT394"

Returns: Full entity details for Apple Inc. including legal name, headquarters address, jurisdiction (US-CA), entity status, registration status, managing LOU, and next renewal date.

Company Search with Pagination

Prompt: "Search for Deutsche Bank, show page 2"

Tool call:

{
  "name": "search_entity",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "Deutsche Bank",
    "limit": 20,
    "page": 2,
    "fuzzy": true
  }
}

Returns: List of matching entities with pagination info (total results, current page, has more).

Batch LEI Lookup

Prompt: "Look up these LEIs: HWUPKR0MPOU8FGXBT394, 5493006MHB84DD0ZWV18, 549300GKFG0RYRRQ1414"

Returns: Summary of all three entities with LEI, legal name, country, city, and status.

Find Bank by BIC

Prompt: "Find the LEI for BIC DEUTDEFF"

Returns: Deutsche Bank AG's LEI record with full details.

Find Security Issuer

Prompt: "Who issued ISIN US0378331005?"

Returns: Apple Inc. (the issuer of AAPL stock).

Corporate Structure

Prompt: "Who is the ultimate parent of this subsidiary?"

Tool call:

{
  "name": "get_relationships",
  "arguments": {
    "lei": "549300GKFG0RYRRQ1414",
    "type": "ultimate-parent"
  }
}

LEI Validation

Prompt: "Is LEI HWUPKR0MPOU8FGXBT394 valid?"

Returns:

{
  "lei": "HWUPKR0MPOU8FGXBT394",
  "valid": true,
  "status": "ISSUED",
  "entityStatus": "ACTIVE",
  "nextRenewal": "2025-08-15"
}

Check Reporting Exceptions

Prompt: "Why is parent info missing for this company?"

Tool call:

{
  "name": "get_reporting_exceptions",
  "arguments": {
    "lei": "5493006MHB84DD0ZWV18"
  }
}

Returns: Exception categories and reasons (e.g., NON_CONSOLIDATING, NATURAL_PERSONS).

List All LEI Issuers

Prompt: "Show me all LEI issuers"

Returns: Complete list of LOUs (Local Operating Units) with name, country, status, and number of sponsored LEIs.

Response Format

All tools return JSON with relevant fields. Example entity record:

{
  "lei": "HWUPKR0MPOU8FGXBT394",
  "legalName": "Apple Inc.",
  "country": "US",
  "city": "Cupertino",
  "status": "ACTIVE",
  "regStatus": "ISSUED"
}

Search results include pagination:

{
  "count": 20,
  "results": [...],
  "pagination": {
    "currentPage": 1,
    "perPage": 20,
    "total": 156,
    "lastPage": 8
  },
  "hasMore": true
}

Error Handling

The server returns structured errors:

Error Code	Description	Retryable
`not_found`	LEI/entity not in GLEIF database	No
`invalid_format`	Invalid LEI/BIC/ISIN format	No
`rate_limited`	GLEIF API rate limit exceeded	Yes
`timeout`	Request timed out	Yes
`server_error`	GLEIF API error	Depends on status
`network_error`	Connection failed	Yes

Example error response:

{
  "code": "not_found",
  "message": "LEI not found in GLEIF database",
  "statusCode": 404,
  "retryable": false
}

Architecture

gleif-mcp-server/
├── main.go                 # Entry point, MCP server setup
├── internal/gleif/
│   ├── client.go          # GLEIF API client with caching & rate limiting
│   ├── client_test.go     # Client and validation tests
│   ├── cache.go           # LRU cache with TTL
│   ├── types.go           # Data structures for API responses
│   └── errors.go          # Structured error types
└── tools/
    ├── definitions.go     # Tool metadata and parameter specs
    ├── handlers.go        # MCP tool implementations
    └── handlers_test.go   # Handler tests with mock server

Technical Details

For developers who want the specifics:

Setting	Value
Cache duration	15 minutes
Cache capacity	1000 entities, 500 searches
Rate limit	50 req/min (GLEIF allows 60)
Retry strategy	3 attempts with exponential backoff
Connection pool	100 max idle, 10 per host

API Reference

This server wraps the public GLEIF API:

Base URL: https://api.gleif.org/api/v1
Authentication: None required
Rate Limit: 60 requests/minute
Documentation: https://www.gleif.org/en/lei-data/gleif-api

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

Check the binary has execute permissions: chmod +x gleif-mcp-server
Verify the path in your MCP config is absolute, not relative

"Rate limit exceeded" errors

The server automatically handles rate limiting with retries
If persistent, reduce concurrent requests or wait a few minutes

"LEI not found" for valid LEI

The GLEIF database updates daily; recently issued LEIs may not appear immediately
Verify the LEI format (exactly 20 alphanumeric characters)

Slow responses

First requests may be slower (cache warming)
GLEIF API occasionally has latency spikes; retries handle this automatically

Claude Desktop doesn't show the server

Restart Claude Desktop after editing config
Check JSON syntax in config file
Verify the binary path exists and is executable

Development

# Run tests
go test ./...

# Run tests with coverage
go test -coverprofile=coverage.out ./...
go tool cover -html=coverage.out

# Run tests with race detector
go test -race ./...

# Build
go build -o gleif-mcp-server .

Contributing

Contributions welcome. Please open an issue first to discuss proposed changes.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

More MCP Servers

Check out my other MCP servers:

Server	Description	Stars
mediawiki-mcp-server	Connect AI to any MediaWiki wiki. Search, read, edit wiki content.
miro-mcp-server	Control Miro whiteboards with AI. Boards, diagrams, mindmaps, and more.
nordic-registry-mcp-server	Access Nordic business registries. Look up companies across Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden.
productplan-mcp-server	Talk to your ProductPlan roadmaps. Query OKRs, ideas, launches.

Acknowledgments

GLEIF for the public LEI API
Model Context Protocol for the MCP specification

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 82 Commits
.beads		.beads
.github		.github
internal/gleif		internal/gleif
scripts		scripts
tools		tools
.gitignore		.gitignore
.golangci.yml		.golangci.yml
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CLAUDE.md		CLAUDE.md
Dockerfile		Dockerfile
IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md		IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
Makefile		Makefile
README.md		README.md
go.mod		go.mod
go.sum		go.sum
main.go		main.go
manifest.json		manifest.json
server.json		server.json

Folders and files

Latest commit

History

Repository files navigation

GLEIF MCP Server

Use Cases

What is LEI?

Features

Core Capabilities

Financial Identifiers

Relationships & Compliance

Performance & Reliability

Installation

Download Binary

Build from Source

Install via Go

AI Agent Setup

Claude Desktop

Step 1: Download the binary

Step 2: Mac only - allow the file to run

Step 3: Open the config file

Step 4: Add the config

Step 5: Restart Claude Desktop

Step 6: Test it

Claude Code (CLI)

Cursor IDE

VS Code with Continue Extension

Windsurf

Cline (VS Code Extension)

Antigravity

Tools Reference

Core Lookup Tools

Search Tools

Relationship Tools

LEI Issuer Tools

Compliance Tools

Usage Examples

Basic LEI Lookup

Company Search with Pagination

Batch LEI Lookup

Find Bank by BIC

Find Security Issuer

Corporate Structure

LEI Validation

Check Reporting Exceptions

List All LEI Issuers

Response Format

Error Handling

Architecture

Technical Details

API Reference

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

"Rate limit exceeded" errors

"LEI not found" for valid LEI

Slow responses

Claude Desktop doesn't show the server

Development

Contributing

License

More MCP Servers

Acknowledgments

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