When can you remove your business address from the Business Register?

The Business Register Act states that the visiting address of a business or organisation must be made public. This makes doing business safer, as you can see who you are doing business with. However, there are also downsides to this.

For example, business owners may receive threats at their work or home address. That is why, in some cases, you can 'hide’ or 'shield' the visiting address. KVK will then remove it from the information that people can request about your business. As a result, your visiting address will no longer appear in an extract for your business, for example.

If you choose to shield the visiting address of your business or organisation, you must always have a postal address in the Business Register. That address is public and cannot therefore be the same as the visiting address of your business or organisation.

Shielding the business address of an eenmanszaak

Are you the owner of an eenmanszaak? If so, you can always hide your business address, even if it is different from your home address. You can hide your address via My KVK.

Do you still need to register your eenmanszaak with KVK? Then you can select afschermen bezoekadres (shield visiting address) when completing your registration form.

Shielding a visiting address for a partnership or legal entity

Do you want to remove the business address of a partnership (for example, a VOF or maatschap) or a legal entity (for example, a BV or a vereniging). This is possible in the event of an immediate threat. There are 2 types of threats: a clear threat and a probable threat.

However, the business or organisation must meet a number of conditions. Read below to find out what these conditions are.

A clear threat

A clear threat means there is a high probability that something dangerous will happen. This could be threats made by email or social media, for example.

To remove a visiting address from the Business Register, KVK needs proof of the threat. For example, a record of an official report to the police or documents showing police protection.

A probable threat

A probable threat means there is no immediate threat yet. But you do expect that something dangerous could happen by carrying out your profession. Or the profession of someone you share a house or office with, who is registered with KVK.

The registered office address of a BV, NV, European Company (SE), or European Cooperative Society (SCE) cannot be shielded on the grounds of a probable threat due to European legislation. However, for other legal structures, such as a VOF, CV, maatschap, vereniging, or stichting, it is possible to shield the registered office address based on a probable threat.

The following conditions apply:

• The visiting address is the same as the home address of an official.
• Agreements on probable threats have been made with the relevant sector or professional organisations, or those of your office colleague or housemate. These agreements are set out in a covenant (see below).

Request shielding in the event of a clear or probable threat

If there is a clear threat, download the form at the bottom of this page and email it to afschermenadres@kvk.nl. Is it urgent? If so, please include ‘spoed / urgent’ in the subject line of your email. KVK will set your registration to ‘invisible’ as soon as possible. This is usually done within 1 working day.

You do not need to provide a new postal address for your business or organisation when submitting your application. Once you have provided KVK with your new postal address, your business or organisation will once again be listed in the Business Register. This time without a visiting address.

In the event of a probable threat, you will find a form on the page for 1 of the covenants at the bottom of this page.

What you need to consider

If KVK restricts access to your business address, it will no longer be visible to everyone in the Business Register. Even if you request an extract yourself, the address will not appear on it.

Does ‘shielded’ really mean invisible?

Only staff of regulatory bodies, solicitors, civil-law notaries, bailiffs and employees of organisations subject to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act (Wwft) can still see your address. To do so, they must have permission, which they can request from KVK.

Do keep in mind that your business or organisation’s visiting address can also be found elsewhere, such as on your website or in business directories. Do you want to be even harder to find? Then you must ensure that the visiting address is no longer listed there either.

Disadvantages of shielding your information

The Netherlands Tax Administration will need to provide a different address to systems such as the VIES register. In such cases, they will use the postal address you have set out with KVK. This can cause problems, for example in international trade where Customs checks are required.

Authorities may request additional proof of your business address if it is shielded in the Business Register. For instance, this means you may also have to show your rental agreement if you wish to take out insurance or open a bank account.

The solution does not lie with KVK. You must contact those parties yourself and provide alternative supporting documentation.

Shielding is not enough on its own

Shielding in the Business Register is not always enough to hide your address from others. You are often still visible online. Especially if your visiting address has been public for some time. So, it is wise to take extra measures:

• Shield your address in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen, BRP). You can do this at your municipality.
• Make sure your telephone number is not public. More information on how to shield your phone number is available on the ACM website (in Dutch).
• Make sure your details cannot be found on your own website, third-party websites, (online) phone directories, or social media.
• Check if your details can be found through other public registers, such as your sector organisations or the Kadaster (Land Registry Office).

Please keep in mind that the old visiting address will still be visible in the historical data of your business registration.

Make an address visible again

Do you want to make a visiting address visible again in the Business Register? For an eenmanszaak, you can do this online.

Do you have another legal structure? Then use this form to cancel shielding. Your visiting address will then be public again.

Covenants

Agreements have been signed with the organisations listed below. Check the information on these pages to see if you are covered by the agreement and whether you can apply for shielding due to probable threat on that basis.

• Covenant Customs Administration of the Netherlands
• Covenant Netherlands Police
• Covenant Goede Doelen Nederland
• Covenant Senate of the States General
• Covenant Public Prosecution Service
• Covenant House of Representatives of the States General
• Covenant Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ)
• Covenant Association of social work professionals (BPSW)
• Covenant Sector association Aegis for legal representatives
• Covenant The Netherlands Bar (NOvA)
• Covenant Council for the Judiciary
• Covenant Decentralised political public office holders
• Covenant Royal Dutch Association of Civil-law Notaries (KNB)
• Covenant Royal Dutch Organisation of Bailiffs (KBvG)
• Covenant Mentorschap Nederland