KVK registers: what data do they contain and how can you use it?

KVK maintains 5 registers:

• Business Register
• UBO Register
• UBO Register trusts 
• LEI Register
• Director Disqualification Register 

Business Register

In the Business Register  you can find information about all businesses and organisations in the Netherlands (sometimes you must pay a fee). You can use this data to investigate the reliability of businesses, for example. The public data in the Business Register can be viewed by anyone. Authorised authorities, such as the Netherlands Tax Administration, can also view the non-public data.

What you can do with it

You can use data from the Business Register for various purposes.

Insight into business trends

Are you a policymaker or researcher and do you need a business report on a specific region? Then look at KVK's regional tools (in Dutch). These tools bundle data from the Business Register and provide insight into, for example, the number of self-employed people per region, the number of jobs per sector, or how much energy businesses consume.

Communicating with a group of entrepreneurs

Do you work for a public authority and do you want to send a letter or email to entrepreneurs in the same sector or region? Request an address file. Always take into account the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Checking business details

Do you work for a non-profit organisation or are you an entrepreneur? Check whether your business partners are trustworthy before signing a contract. Or order a Business Register extract for your own organisation as proof that it is registered.

How to find what you are looking for

There are 3 ways to search for data from the Business Register.

1. Search bar on kvk.nl/en

Do you only need a few business details, such as the KVK number or the legal structure of a business? Use the search bar.

2. Order a product

Do you need more information about a business? For example, do you want to know who is authorised to sign or who the managing directors and shareholders are? Then order a Business Register extract. Or perform a more extensive check and also view financial statements, an overview of filings, an overview of historical activities (KVK Business Register history) or relationships with other businesses (KVK Business Register group relations).

3. API connection

Would you like to automatically load Business Register data into your own systems, such as your CRM system? Then buy an API connection. This saves time and reduces errors because you no longer have to enter the data manually.

An API connection links your business directly to the Business Register. This allows you to automatically add business data to your own system. KVK offers 4 API connections.

• KVK Handelsregister Zoeken  (Business Register Search): find businesses and their corresponding KVK numbers.
• KVK Handelsregister Basisprofiel (Business Register Basic Profile): select a business based on its KVK number and find basic data such as activities or establishments.
• KVK Handelsregister Vestigingsprofiel (Business Register Establishment Profile): find out what activities take place at a specific address.
• KVK Handelsregister Naamgeving (Business Register Names): find the trade names associated with a KVK number.

Please note: residential addresses, protected visiting addresses, and telephone numbers are only visible if you have a legal duty for which you need this information. For example, if you are a bailiff and need an address, you can request authorisation.

UBO Register

The UBO Register lists who the ultimate beneficial owners of a business are and who makes the decisions. Eenmanszaken (sole proprietorships) are not listed in the UBO Register. In the case of an eenmanszaak, the UBO is the founder themselves.

The UBO Register is not public and is accessed by organisations that combat fraud, money laundering, and the financing of terrorism. Organisations that have access include banks, the Tax Administration, and parties that monitor organisations and businesses under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act (WWFT, in Dutch).

Are you a lawyer, a civil-law notary, or do you work for an organisation that combats money laundering and would you like access to the UBO Register? Then request authorisation. There are different levels of access. For example, the Tax Administration sees more information about a business than a civil-law notary.

Are you an entrepreneur or do you work for a different type of organisation than those mentioned above? Then you can only view where you yourself are registered as a UBO in the UBO Register. To do so, log in with DigiD. Are you a (managing) director? Then you can also order an extract.

UBO Register Trusts

UBOs of a trust are listed in the UBO Register Trusts. A trust is a foreign legal structure in which people jointly set out agreements about the safekeeping and use of another person's money or property. This register is not public. In the future, organisations with a WWFT obligation will have access to the register to monitor businesses and combat money laundering or the financing of terrorism.

LEI Register

The LEI Register contains all global Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) numbers. The LEI Register is mainly consulted by relevant parties, such as banks, asset managers, other LEI providers, and the owner of an LEI code (the business behind the LEI code).

The LEI Register provides insight into risks within financial systems. You can see which parties are involved in payments made through the stock exchange. This includes buying, selling, borrowing, and lending shares, obligations, and derivatives.

Director Disqualification Register

The Director Disqualification Register shows you immediately who has been subjected to a director disqualification. Anyone can view the Director Disqualification Register free of charge without having to log in.
The Director Disqualification Register is used by parties who check this information under the WWFT. For example, when a new business is established a civil-law notary checks whether the managing director has been disqualified from acting as a director.