1. What should the document demonstrate?
If a bank asks for the current registration and signing authority, a current extract is the obvious choice. A client may only want to check the KVK number and name for a file. A tender may contain its own requirements for supporting documents. Read the exact words in the request: does it concern registration, representation, financial figures or previous changes? Annual accounts describe a financial year; trade register history is about previous register data. Neither automatically replaces a current extract.
2. Does it have to be certified?
The KVK offers a non-certified form to view data online and certified extracts for use as certified evidence. Our Company Profile is our own overview without the KVK seal. Therefore, literally ask whether the recipient requires an extract certified by the KVK. If the answer is yes, don't choose based on the lowest price or amount of information alone. A more extensive overview without a certificate does not comply with a request for a certified document. Also see the difference between certified and non-certified documents.
3. Digital or original paper?
A digitally certified extract is a PDF with a verifiable electronic seal. Forward the original file unchanged so that the recipient can verify its provenance and integrity. A printout of that PDF is not the same as a paper copy issued by the KVK. Ask for an original paper extract if the recipient expressly requires paper. For use outside the Netherlands, the recipient can also impose its own requirements for translation or legalization; do not infer this from the language in which the request is written.
4. Which language and document date?
The KVK offers certified extracts in Dutch or partly in English. Not all fields are translated. An English-language extract is therefore not automatically accepted by every foreign authority. Ask what language the file requires. Also ask the maximum age the document may be on the day of submission. The extract shows the registration at the time of request. The electronic seal can remain valid while the company details change or the recipient requests a more recent issue date. Therefore, order close enough to the delivery date, but allow time for any paper delivery.
5. Which entity do you need proof of?
A trade name on a form is sometimes not enough to find the correct registration. Check the KVK number and the legal entity or company to which the request relates. A concern can have multiple entities; an extract from the parent company does not automatically prove the details of a subsidiary. If there are multiple locations, the location number may also be relevant. If in doubt, send the recipient the name and number found and have them confirm which entry the file should contain.
Record the answer before ordering
Preferably in writing, ask the recipient to confirm the document type, seal, delivery form, language, maximum age and the correct entity. It doesn't have to be a long message. A short question with these six points is more useful than 'which extract should I buy?'. For a digitally certified extract, you can then view the product information and total price. The final acceptance remains with the receiving organization; we cannot decide on their requirements for them.
Send these questions to the recipient
- What information do you want to prove: registration, signing authority, financial figures or history?
- Must the document be certified by the KVK?
- Do you accept the original digital PDF or do you request an original paper extract?
- What document language and maximum age apply on the filing date?
- Of which legal entity or branch do you need proof (name and KVK number)?
- Are there additional translation or legalization requirements for use abroad?
Sources and review
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