Twilio Regulatory Compliance Bundles

---
name: twilio-regulatory-compliance-bundles
description: >
  Manage regulatory compliance for international phone numbers. Covers
  what bundles are, which countries require them, how to create End-Users
  and Supporting Documents, evaluate and submit bundles, fix evaluation
  failures, update bundles when regulations change, and ISV multi-account
  patterns. Use this skill when provisioning numbers outside the US.
---

## Overview

Phone numbers are national resources — many countries require **identity verification of the end-user** before provisioning. A Regulatory Bundle is a container holding an End-User record + Supporting Documents that proves your right to use numbers in a specific country.

**Not all countries require bundles** — check the [Regulatory Guidelines page](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/guidelines/regulatory) for country-specific requirements. If a country requires a bundle, provisioning fails without one.

---

## Key Concepts

| Resource | What it is |
|----------|-----------|
| **Regulation** | Country-specific requirement defining what End-User types and document types are needed |
| **Bundle** | Container that holds an End-User + Supporting Documents for a specific regulation |
| **End-User** | The entity answering calls or receiving messages (`individual` or `business` type) |
| **Supporting Document** | Identity/address verification documents (business registration, proof of address, etc.) |
| **Evaluation** | Synchronous check that validates a bundle against its regulation before submission |
| **Item Assignment** | Links an End-User or Supporting Document to a Bundle |

---

## Quickstart: Provision a Number with a Bundle

### Step 1 — Query the Regulation

Find out what's required for the country and number type:

**Python**
```python
import os, requests

account_sid = os.environ["TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID"]
auth_token = os.environ["TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN"]

# What does Germany require for local business numbers?
regulations = requests.get(
    "https://numbers.twilio.com/v2/RegulatoryCompliance/Regulations",
    params={"IsoCountry": "DE", "NumberType": "local", "EndUserType": "business"},
    auth=(account_sid, auth_token)
).json()

for reg in regulations["results"]:
    print(f"Regulation: {reg['sid']}")
    print(f"Requirements: {reg['requirements']}")
```

### Step 2 — Create an End-User

**Python**
```python
end_user = requests.post(
    "https://numbers.twilio.com/v2/RegulatoryCompliance/EndUsers",
    data={
        "FriendlyName": "Acme GmbH",
        "Type": "business",
        "Attributes": '{"business_name": "Acme GmbH", "business_registration_number": "HRB12345"}'
    },
    auth=(account_sid, auth_token)
).json()
```

### Step 3 — Upload Supporting Documents

**Python**
```python
document = requests.post(
    "https://numbers.twilio.com/v2/RegulatoryCompliance/SupportingDocuments",
    data={
        "FriendlyName": "Acme Business Registration",
        "Type": "business_registration",
        "Attributes": '{"business_name": "Acme GmbH"}'
    },
    auth=(account_sid, auth_token)
).json()
```

### Step 4 — Create a Bundle and Assign Items

**Python**
```python
# Create the bundle
bundle = requests.post(
    "https://numbers.twilio.com/v2/RegulatoryCompliance/Bundles",
    data={
        "FriendlyName": "Germany Local - Acme",
        "RegulationSid": regulations["results"][0]["sid"],
        "IsoCountry": "DE",
        "EndUserType": "business",
        "Email": "compliance@acme.com"
    },
    auth=(account_sid, auth_token)
).json()

bundle_sid = bundle["sid"]

# Assign End-User to bundle
requests.post(
    f"https://numbers.twilio.com/v2/RegulatoryCompliance/Bundles/{bundle_sid}/ItemAssignments",
    data={"ObjectSid": end_user["sid"]},
    auth=(account_sid, auth_token)
)

# Assign Supporting Document to bundle
requests.post(
    f"https://numbers.twilio.com/v2/RegulatoryCompliance/Bundles/{bundle_sid}/ItemAssignments",
    data={"ObjectSid": document["sid"]},
    auth=(account_sid, auth_token)
)
```

### Step 5 — Evaluate and Submit

**Python**
```python
# Run evaluation (synchronous — returns field-level failures)
evaluation = requests.post(
    f"https://numbers.twilio.com/v2/RegulatoryCompliance/Bundles/{bundle_sid}/Evaluations",
    auth=(account_sid, auth_token)
).json()

if evaluation["status"] == "noncompliant":
    for violation in evaluation["results"]:
        print(f"Field: {violation['friendly_name']} — {violation['description']}")
    # Fix the issues, then re-evaluate
else:
    # Submit for review
    requests.post(
        f"https://numbers.twilio.com/v2/RegulatoryCompliance/Bundles/{bundle_sid}",
        data={"Status": "pending-review"},
        auth=(account_sid, auth_token)
    )
```

### Step 6 — Provision Number with Bundle

Once the bundle is approved:

**Python**
```python
from twilio.rest import Client
client = Client(account_sid, auth_token)

number = client.incoming_phone_numbers.create(
    phone_number="+4930xxxxxxx",
    bundle_sid=bundle_sid
)
```

---

## Updating an Approved Bundle

When regulations change, you'll receive an email. Update without deprovisioning numbers:

1. **Copy** the approved bundle into a mutable state via the Bundle Copies resource
2. **Update** the End-User or Supporting Document on the copy
3. **Re-evaluate** the copy
4. **Replace** items in the original bundle via the Replace Items resource

Phone numbers remain provisioned throughout this process.

**Alternative:** Create a new bundle → get it approved → remap numbers to the new bundle.

**Docs:** [Bundle Copies](https://www.twilio.com/docs/phone-numbers/regulatory/api/copies-resource) | [Replace Items](https://www.twilio.com/docs/phone-numbers/regulatory/api/replace-items-resource)

---

## ISV / Multi-Account Pattern

If managing Twilio subaccounts for multiple customers:

- **Each customer needs their own bundle** — Do not reuse your business information in customer bundles
- Use the **Bundle Clones** resource to duplicate bundle structures across subaccounts
- End-User records must reflect the actual end-user (your customer), not you

**Docs:** [Bundle Clones](https://www.twilio.com/docs/phone-numbers/regulatory/api/clones-resource)

---

## CANNOT

- **Cannot provision numbers without required bundles** — Provisioning fails immediately. Check Regulations resource first.
- **Cannot reuse one bundle across different number types** — Each bundle is tied to a specific regulation (country + number type + end-user type).
- **Locality-matching addresses required in ~33 countries** — Germany (and others) require the End-User address to be within the region of the phone number prefix, not just any address in the country. US HQ address will fail for a Berlin number.
- **Cannot hardcode regulation requirements** — Regulations change periodically. Always query the Regulations resource dynamically.
- **Do not create a new bundle when evaluation fails** — Fix the existing bundle. Creating new ones wastes time and clutters your account.
- **Cannot reuse your ISV info in customer bundles** — Bundles must represent the actual end-user. Twilio audits this.
- **Some markets are business-only** — Individual provisioning not allowed. Check the `EndUserType` in the Regulation.

---

## Next Steps

- **Choose number type before provisioning:** `twilio-numbers-senders`
- **Register numbers after provisioning:** `twilio-compliance-onboarding`
- **Country-specific requirements:** [Regulatory Guidelines](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/guidelines/regulatory)
- **API reference:** [Regulatory Compliance API](https://www.twilio.com/docs/phone-numbers/regulatory/api)