What can you check in the public search?
You can find basic information about a company, such as trade name and KVK number, via the public search function of the KVK. This is useful to check whether you have the right company. The search result is not a certified proof of registration. Also look at location and legal form: companies with similar names are easy to confuse. Make a note of the KVK number before requesting a document, because that number makes your choice more precise than just the name.
And if it is your own company?
In My KVK you can view the Trade Register details of organizations with which you are personally registered. There you can check whether your own registration is correct. According to the KVK, ordering or downloading a Trade Register Extract is not possible in My KVK; for this you use the product route. Public access to your own data is therefore useful for checking, but does not automatically produce the document that a bank, for example, wants to receive.
When do you pay for an extract?
If you want to see which company officers and signing powers are registered, an extract contains more information than a public search result. The KVK also offers online access to an uncertified extract. If the recipient needs certified proof, choose a digital or paper certified KVK extract. Ask for the desired document date, language and delivery form. The KVK indicates that you can order a certified extract directly from it without an access code. So you don't have to use an intermediary for this product.
Where does our Company Profile fit?
Our Company Profile is its own PDF with available company information. It is not an extract issued by the KVK and does not have a KVK seal. It may suit your own orientation or if the recipient expressly accepts an informative overview. When sending, call it a company profile, so that the recipient knows what they are receiving. For certified proof, the choice refers to the digitally certified extract. If you first want to know what a seal means, read certified or uncertified.
A different question sometimes requires a different document
An extract shows the current registration. It does not automatically tell you what the financial results were for a closed financial year. To do this, you look at annual accounts. If you are looking for a previous trade name or change of address, trade register history is a better fit. If you investigate relationships between legal entities, look at group relationships. First decide which question you want to answer and then check whether the chosen product contains that information. This prevents you from researching the same company twice with two documents that both miss your question.
Please check before paying
- Which KVK number belongs to the company you mean?
- Does the recipient ask for data, an overview or certified proof?
- What language, delivery form and maximum age will the recipient accept?
- Do you need current registration, a financial year or historical data?
Which route suits your question?
| Your goal | Suitable route | What you don't receive |
|---|---|---|
| Check name or KVK number | Public KVK search | Not a certified document |
| Check your own registration | My KVK | No downloadable Trade Register extract |
| Evidence for a recipient | Certified extract from the KVK or via our service | No guarantee that every recipient will accept every form |
| Own first exploration | Our Company Profile | No KVK seal |
Sources and review
Content checked on . Product availability varies by business.