---
updatedAt: 2026-09-29T08:27:48.000Z
agentTools:
projectIndex: https://docs.sumsub.com/llms.txt
---
# Approve applicant
# Overview
Use this method to set an [applicant status](https://docs.sumsub.com/docs/applicant-statuses) to **Approved**.
When invoked, the applicant status is updated in the Dashboard to **Approved**, and the API response reflects the following state changes:
* `reviewStatus: "completed"`
* `reviewResult.reviewAnswer: "GREEN"`
The method approves an applicant without altering the status of verification steps, documents, images, or other associated data.
### Warning
This endpoint can temporarily reject the status change with a `409 Conflict` error, a message asking to retry, and a header indicating the time after which you can retry — for example, `Retry-After: 10` (seconds). This can happen when an applicant is set to `pending` and then almost immediately moved to a final status via the API (for example, `approved` right after `pending`) — the request may arrive while internal processing is still running.
To handle this:
- Retry `409` responses instead of treating them as permanent failures. If the response includes a `Retry-After` header, wait for the interval it specifies; otherwise, fall back to a short fixed delay (for example, 10–15 seconds).
- Avoid calling `approve`/`reject`/`init` immediately after moving an applicant to `pending` — wait for processing to finish, or be ready to retry on conflict.
### Attention
- Notes and tags are optional, but if omitted, you must include an empty request body `-d '{}'`; otherwise, a `400` [error](#error-examples) is returned. See the [request examples](#request-examples) for details.
- Applicants can be approved via the API regardless of their current status, except when [Video identification](https://docs.sumsub.com/sumsub/docs/video-identification) is configured for the [verification level](https://docs.sumsub.com/sumsub/docs/verification-levels) and its review is not complete (that is, no Video identification data exists or the status is `queued` or `pending`).
# Required permissions
To use this method, your [app token](https://docs.sumsub.com/sumsub/docs/app-tokens) must have the following [permissions](https://docs.sumsub.com/sumsub/docs/user-roles#permissions):
* **View applicants**
* **View applicant's personal data**
* **Manage applicant notes**
* **Manage applicant tags**
# Request examples
```curl All BODY parameters provided
// This example demonstrates how to send a request with all parameters provided.
curl -X POST \
'https://api.sumsub.com/resources/applicants/687fb2373fc85ad66b5d0000/-/approve' \
-H 'content-type: application/json' \
-H 'X-App-Token: ' \
-H 'X-App-Access-Sig: ' \
-H 'X-App-Access-Ts: ' \
-d '{
"note": "This is an example note",
"tags": [
"First tag",
"Second tag"
]
}'
```
```curl No BODY parameters provided
// This example demonstrates how to send a request without body parameters.
curl -X POST \
'https://api.sumsub.com/resources/applicants/687fb2373fc85ad66b5d0000/-/approve' \
-H 'content-type: application/json' \
-H 'X-App-Token: ' \
-H 'X-App-Access-Sig: ' \
-H 'X-App-Access-Ts: ' \
-d '{}'
```
# Response explained
If the request is sent and processed successfully, you will receive a JSON response representing the applicant profile with augmented and structured information.
You can see the response structure, possible content with descriptions, and examples of response on the [following page](https://docs.sumsub.com/sumsub/reference/get-applicant-data#response-explained).
If the request fails, you will receive an HTTP response containing an error code and a message explaining the error.
### Error examples
```json No request body provided
// The following error is returned if the request body is not provided.
{
"code": 400,
"correlationId": "0b30b4efbc0a885c5a579744d0bde7e1",
"description": "The request body must not be null"
}
```
```json Video identification review is not complete
// The following error is returned if the Video identification review is not complete.
{
"code": 400,
"correlationId": "b6d2f45619fef5c233df435644e53fc4",
"description": "Complete review of Video Ident Control Panel first"
}
```
# OpenAPI definition
```json
{
"openapi": "3.1.0",
"info": {
"title": "sumsub-api",
"version": "1.0"
},
"servers": [
{
"url": "https://api.sumsub.com"
}
],
"components": {
"securitySchemes": {
"sec0": {
"type": "apiKey",
"name": "X-App-Token",
"in": "header",
"x-default": ""
}
}
},
"security": [
{
"sec0": []
}
],
"paths": {
"/resources/applicants/{applicantId}/-/approve": {
"post": {
"summary": "Approve applicant",
"description": "",
"operationId": "approve-applicant",
"parameters": [
{
"name": "applicantId",
"in": "path",
"description": "Unique identifier of the applicant in the Sumsub system.
This identifier is a random combination of 24 digits and lowercase Latin characters. It is automatically generated when the applicant is created on the Sumsub side, and can be found in the [Dashboard](https://cockpit.sumsub.com/checkus/#/applicants/individual?limit=10&page=0).
If the `applicantId` is unknown to you, use the [Get applicant data (externalUserId)](https://docs.sumsub.com/sumsub/reference/get-applicant-data-via-externaluserid) method to fetch it.",
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"required": true
}
],
"requestBody": {
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"note": {
"type": "string",
"description": "Optional note text providing additional context for the applicant profile. Notes can be added and managed either in the Dashboard or via [dedicated API methods](https://docs.sumsub.com/sumsub/reference/add-applicant-note)."
},
"tags": {
"type": "array",
"description": "[Tags](https://docs.sumsub.com/sumsub/reference/add-custom-applicant-tags) that you may want to assign to the applicant profile. Each string represents a standalone tag.
⚠️ Mind that tag names are case sensitive.",
"items": {
"type": "string"
}
},
"RAW_BODY": {
"type": "string",
"format": "json",
"description": "⚠️ If both `note` and `tags` are omitted, you must include an empty request body (`-d '{}'`); otherwise, a `400` [error](#error-examples) is returned.",
"enum": [
"{}"
]
}
}
}
}
}
},
"deprecated": false
}
}
},
"x-readme": {
"headers": [],
"explorer-enabled": true,
"proxy-enabled": true
},
"x-readme-fauxas": true
}
```