Every record in a KYC file, explained.
What each registry holds, what each document proves, and where the trail goes private. Written for the people who order the searches.
Company registry guides
Find the right entity, choose the records and understand their limits. Practical search workflows for registries across jurisdictions.
A Brazilian CNPJ match and a state commercial registry record establish different facts.Start with the federal CNPJ and locate the relevant state record. Company form and filing dates determine what Brazilian registration acts establish about ownership and authority.
Mexico’s commercial folio and RFC connect different records for the same company.Use the commercial folio to locate company acts and the RFC to reconcile tax identity. Present shareholders and signing powers may require additional evidence.
A Chilean company search starts by choosing RES or the traditional Commerce Register.An empty RES result can belong to a company registered through Chile’s traditional route. Identify the regime before ordering company certificates or interpreting ownership.
Argentina’s company record belongs to the competent local registry, not one nationwide IGJ search.Identify the local registry before ordering Argentine company records. A CUIT and a Buenos Aires address need further context to locate the right corporate file.
A Kenyan CR12 is a dated company search rather than a complete ownership conclusion.BRS records anchor a Kenyan company review. Legal form, record dates and access permissions determine what an official search can establish.
A Nigerian CAC number identifies the registered form before the ownership review begins.Keep RC, BN and other entity-type references intact. A CAC name match is the start of the review, followed by dated records and ownership evidence.
An Egyptian commercial register number needs its issuing office to identify the record.Commercial registration, incorporation and investment evidence have different custodians. Match the office and legal form before requesting the records for an Egyptian review.
A Moroccan RC number needs its local registry context alongside the ICE.OMPIC and DirectInfo support company-record searches. Local RC context, legal form and dated filings determine how the evidence should be interpreted.
A Polish KRS number and a tax NIP identify different records.A Polish business can be a company or an individual entrepreneur. Choose the correct register and keep the corporate, tax and statistical identifiers separate.
A Portuguese certificate access code is different from the company’s NIPC.A permanent certificate code grants access to a registry service. Keep it separate from the NIPC, then read the certificate’s scope, entries and validity.
A Danish production-unit number does not replace the business’s CVR number.A CVR record identifies the registered business. Link its production units, financial reports and ownership evidence without confusing those records with the contracting entity.
A Swedish company extract and its shareholder register are separate sources.Bolagsverket establishes registered company particulars. Its record, the company’s shareholder register and tax information answer different questions.
A Saudi company file separates commercial registration from operating permissions.Identify Saudi companies through official commercial registration, reconcile Arabic and English names and assess licences, authority and ownership gaps.
A Bahrain company search must preserve the CR and its branch reference.Use Sijilat to match Bahrain commercial registrations, distinguish branches and licences and assess representation and ownership evidence.
A Qatar company search starts by identifying its registration framework.Identify the correct Qatar registry, distinguish MOCI commercial registration from QFC records and assess licences, branches and ownership evidence.
An Oman company file separates commercial registration from sector permissions.Identify Omani entities through official commercial registration, distinguish branches and free-zone arrangements and assess authority and ownership gaps.
A Japanese corporate number identifies the company; its certificate shows the registered facts.Choose current, historical or representative matters for the question you need to answer. Japanese registry certificates leave shareholder evidence with the company.
A Korean court certificate and a DART filing describe different parts of the company.Korean court records identify the company and its officers. Ownership and financial evidence may require DART, business-group disclosures or records supplied by the company.
Taiwan’s public registration data names officers without listing every shareholder.Match the unified business number and read registration dates. Taiwan’s public officer holdings leave ownership questions that a company registration page cannot settle.
A Macau quota-company certificate records owners and how the company is bound.Choose a certified record or an informational written report. Macau company forms determine whether registered quota holders or a separate shareholder record supplies the ownership evidence.
A Thai affidavit establishes registered officers; the shareholder list has its own date.Read the DBD affidavit for officers and signing rules. Use the shareholder list’s own date and the correct form for the company before drawing an ownership conclusion.
A Philippine GIS records a filing position; SEC registration and secondary licences need separate checks.Use SEC records to establish the exact Philippine entity and its filed position. A GIS, incorporation certificate and secondary licence answer different onboarding questions.
Indonesia’s AHU profile, NIB and tax number answer different company-check questions.Use AHU for the legal entity and recorded shareholders. Match OSS business identification and tax records separately, then resolve changes or ownership gaps with supporting deeds.
Vietnam’s enterprise code anchors the search; shareholder evidence depends on the company form.Use the enterprise code to match the legal entity and tax identity. Registration records reveal different ownership information for limited liability and joint stock companies.
A Jersey company search separates public members from restricted beneficial owners.Jersey publishes members and directors on its company register. A practical ownership file still needs record dates, control evidence and the right access route.
A Guernsey register statement identifies directors and leaves current members to the company.A Statement of the Register brings Guernsey company details and director history together. Current shareholders require a separate company-held record.
An Isle of Man company number points to two different disclosure models.1931 Act and 2006 Act companies disclose different ownership information. The company number and registry type determine which evidence to request.
Bermuda company evidence comes from the Registrar and the registered office.Bermuda publishes director records through the Registrar. Members are recorded at the company, and beneficial ownership has a separate restricted access regime.
Mauritius company disclosures depend on domestic or Global Business status.The CBRD public file is broader for domestic companies. Global Business and Authorised Company records require a different evidence plan.
A Seychelles official search shows current director names within a limited public file.Seychelles IBC searches use a request to the FSA. Public director summaries, full registers and ownership evidence have different access rules.
Samoa domestic and international companies follow different search routes.Samoa has a public domestic company register and a restricted international-company file. Identify the registration regime before requesting documents.
Cyprus member certificates and beneficial ownership searches answer different questions.Cyprus e-search provides company particulars and officer information. A fuller member record and the separate beneficial ownership system need different requests.
A German company number needs its register court.A register number alone can lead to the wrong German company. Pair the court with the number, then connect the current extract to the filed ownership documents.
A Dutch KVK extract identifies authority before it resolves ownership.A KVK extract can establish the entity and its signing rules. Multi-shareholder ownership usually needs additional company documents and an authorised UBO access route.
An Irish annual return is an ownership snapshot with its own date.The latest annual return can be older than the officer changes on file. Read the return date, later filings and the separate beneficial ownership access rules together.
Luxembourg ownership evidence depends on the company form.An SARL and an SA disclose different ownership information. Combine the RCS extract, filed acts and permitted RBE evidence without treating them as interchangeable.
Malta company records distinguish shareholders from beneficial owners.Public company records can name registered shareholders. Beneficial owner information follows a separate access process, and every ownership document needs a date.
A Spanish nota informativa and a certificate serve different purposes.A nota informativa supports a company review, while a certificate provides the registrar’s formal confirmation. Select the evidence your recipient actually needs.
An Australian ABN record and an ASIC company extract answer different questions.ABN Lookup identifies business and tax-registration particulars. An ASIC company extract adds company officers, capital and the member information ASIC holds.
A UAE company search starts with the issuing authority.A Dubai mainland company, a DIFC company and a DMCC company have different issuers and document sets. Identify the authority before asking for a registry search.
A Canadian company search starts with its incorporating jurisdiction.Find the correct Canadian corporate register, match federal or provincial identifiers and distinguish corporate filings from tax and ownership records.
New Zealand company records separate registration from trading names.Use the Companies Register and NZBN to identify New Zealand companies, inspect filed details and distinguish shareholders from beneficial ownership.
French company searches connect the RNE with the relevant trade register.Identify French entities by SIREN, distinguish establishments by SIRET and select RNE data, trade-register extracts and filed accounts.
An Italian company file connects the Registro Imprese record with its filings.Search Italian companies using registry identifiers, choose current or historical visura records and assess accounts and representation evidence.
Swiss company evidence combines Zefix discovery with cantonal records.Identify Swiss entities by UID, find the competent cantonal register and read representation, historical notices and ownership limits.
A Belgian enterprise number links identity records with separate corporate filings.Match Belgian enterprise numbers, distinguish establishment units and combine CBE data with corporate publications and National Bank accounts.
A South African enterprise search starts with its CIPC registration number.Identify South African companies and close corporations through CIPC, choose disclosure documents and separate directors, ownership and tax evidence.
A US company search needs the state and the entity number.Choose the correct US state registry, separate domestic formation from foreign qualification and understand status, agents, filings and ownership limits.
An ACRA profile starts the Singapore company check.Match the UEN, choose the right ACRA records and read their filing dates. A public profile leaves some ownership and control questions for the company to answer.
An SSM profile links Malaysia’s company numbers and filed records.Match Malaysia’s old and new registration numbers, then choose the profile and extracts your review needs. Check filing dates and the limits of public ownership evidence.
MCA master data and annual returns answer different company questions.Use the CIN to match the company, then obtain the annual return and attachments for ownership. Master data, director records and financial filings each answer a different question.
A UK ownership check reads control disclosures alongside the filings.Companies House publishes officers, control disclosures and filed records together. Read their dates and scope before drawing an ownership or risk conclusion.
A BVI ownership check continues beyond the public search report.A BVI public search identifies the company and agent. Ownership evidence often requires company authorisation and a separate record from the registered agent.
Cayman search products and authorised certificates have different scopes.Cayman public searches, certificates and member records have different access rules. Match the legal form and authority before assembling the evidence file.
A Hong Kong KYB file draws on several public registers.Start with the Companies Registry for identity, officers and filed ownership records. Add the IRD record and other public searches according to the purpose and risk of the review.
A Mainland company is verified by its Chinese name and its 18-character code.Check the credit code against the SAMR publicity system and read the business licence against the register. When the result crosses to Hong Kong, the names on it need a lawful transfer basis.
Each registry in Asia has its own identifier and its own view of what the public may see.Compare the identifiers and public records in 13 Asian jurisdictions, with BVI and Cayman for offshore ownership layers. A registry search’s scope determines the evidence you can obtain.
Mainland China records
One public register, an 18-character code and a business licence. Then the enforcement and abnormal-operations lists that say whether to worry.
A business licence shows the company as it was on the day it was printed.Nine items must appear on a Mainland company's business licence, plus a QR code that links to the register. Here is what each one proves, and what a photo of the licence can never show.- A Mainland company's credit code never changes and is never given to anyone else.The 18-character Unified Social Credit Code replaced three separate numbers between 2015 and 2017. Read position by position, it tells you who registered the entity, what kind it is and where, and it is the only search key that cannot drift.
- Mainland annual reports contain self-reported information.Enterprises file annual reports by 30 June. Most fields are public; specified financial information may be withheld from public view. The filing is the company’s statement, rather than an auditor’s opinion.
Three different Chinese words can all reach you in English as revoked or cancelled.The status word on a Mainland record decides whether you are dealing with a live company, a penalised one that still exists, or one that is gone. In English the three can look identical.- Every Mainland company has one person whose acts are the company's.The legal representative is a director or manager named on the business licence, and what that person does in the company's name binds the company. The name is not the owner.
- A court order against a Mainland company can stop its legal representative boarding a plane.Three common court records distinguish enforcement, dishonesty and consumption restrictions. Read the company’s record and any consequences for the people who run it.
- A missed annual report puts a Mainland company on a public list within ten working days.Market regulators keep two public lists with different grounds and consequences. An abnormal-operations entry can carry restrictions; a serious-illegality entry follows heavier penalties.
- A deposit to a Mainland supplier should go to the company you checked.Seven checks, in order, for a buyer about to pay a Mainland supplier for the first time, and the answers that mean you should ask for more.
At 25%, Hong Kong and Mainland shareholding tests give different results.Follow one fictional ownership chain from Hong Kong through the BVI to Shenzhen. Each layer has its own record, its own disclosure rules and its own idea of who counts as an owner.- A Mainland company is verified by its Chinese name and its 18-character code.Check the credit code against the SAMR publicity system and read the business licence against the register. When the result crosses to Hong Kong, the names on it need a lawful transfer basis.
The GBA Standard Contract is filed twice, once on each side of the boundary.The GBA Standard Contract supports eligible transfers between the nine Mainland GBA cities and Hong Kong. Filing, consent and onward-transfer restrictions apply within its defined scope.
A batch of Mainland checks needs signed consent and an encrypted spreadsheet.For our batch workflow, send an encrypted spreadsheet and each person’s signed consent form. Send the password separately; a single-person request follows a different format.- Each registry in Asia has its own identifier and its own view of what the public may see.Compare the identifiers and public records in 13 Asian jurisdictions, with BVI and Cayman for offshore ownership layers. A registry search’s scope determines the evidence you can obtain.
Hong Kong companies
Company particulars, the IRD record and other public searches chosen for the purpose of the review. Read the status words and the dates behind each record.
- A Hong Kong company marked Live may not have traded for years.Live means a company is on the register. Dissolved can mean four different things, and some dissolved companies come back.
- A Hong Kong money lender's licence lasts 12 months, and the register shows when it ends.The Registrar of Money Lenders publishes free lists of every licensee with its licence expiry date. Here is what they show and what to check beyond them.
- A Hong Kong KYB file draws on several public registers.Start with the Companies Registry for identity, officers and filed ownership records. Add the IRD record and other public searches according to the purpose and risk of the review.
- A BRC records the business activity declared to the IRD.The Business Registration Certificate records registration and declared particulars. Check its validity and compare the declared activity with the client’s actual business.
- Hong Kong has no public register of beneficial owners.Trace the Hong Kong shareholder record through each ownership layer. Aggregate interests across paths, assess control and corroborate client declarations where public access stops.
- Each registry in Asia has its own identifier and its own view of what the public may see.Compare the identifiers and public records in 13 Asian jurisdictions, with BVI and Cayman for offshore ownership layers. A registry search’s scope determines the evidence you can obtain.
Offshore registers
BVI, Cayman and the other centres that sit in Hong Kong ownership chains: what a search shows, and what only the company or its agent can give you.
- A Jersey company search separates public members from restricted beneficial owners.Jersey publishes members and directors on its company register. A practical ownership file still needs record dates, control evidence and the right access route.
- A Guernsey register statement identifies directors and leaves current members to the company.A Statement of the Register brings Guernsey company details and director history together. Current shareholders require a separate company-held record.
- An Isle of Man company number points to two different disclosure models.1931 Act and 2006 Act companies disclose different ownership information. The company number and registry type determine which evidence to request.
- Bermuda company evidence comes from the Registrar and the registered office.Bermuda publishes director records through the Registrar. Members are recorded at the company, and beneficial ownership has a separate restricted access regime.
- Mauritius company disclosures depend on domestic or Global Business status.The CBRD public file is broader for domestic companies. Global Business and Authorised Company records require a different evidence plan.
- A Seychelles official search shows current director names within a limited public file.Seychelles IBC searches use a request to the FSA. Public director summaries, full registers and ownership evidence have different access rules.
- Samoa domestic and international companies follow different search routes.Samoa has a public domestic company register and a restricted international-company file. Identify the registration regime before requesting documents.
- A BVI ownership check continues beyond the public search report.A BVI public search identifies the company and agent. Ownership evidence often requires company authorisation and a separate record from the registered agent.
- Cayman search products and authorised certificates have different scopes.Cayman public searches, certificates and member records have different access rules. Match the legal form and authority before assembling the evidence file.
- A BVI company search names the directors and leaves out the owners.The BVI public record gives a company's status, agent and directors' names. Ownership sits with the registered agent, and beneficial ownership opens only on a legitimate-interest application.
- An ordinary Cayman Registry search identifies directors and leaves ownership gaps.The Cayman public record gives a company's status, office and directors' names. Members stay at the registered office, certificates go only to the company, and beneficial ownership needs a legitimate interest.
- At 25%, Hong Kong and Mainland shareholding tests give different results.Follow one fictional ownership chain from Hong Kong through the BVI to Shenzhen. Each layer has its own record, its own disclosure rules and its own idea of who counts as an owner.
- Each registry in Asia has its own identifier and its own view of what the public may see.Compare the identifiers and public records in 13 Asian jurisdictions, with BVI and Cayman for offshore ownership layers. A registry search’s scope determines the evidence you can obtain.
Ownership and control
Who owns the company, layer by layer, and which records name the next owner.
- Every Mainland company has one person whose acts are the company's.The legal representative is a director or manager named on the business licence, and what that person does in the company's name binds the company. The name is not the owner.
- A BVI company search names the directors and leaves out the owners.The BVI public record gives a company's status, agent and directors' names. Ownership sits with the registered agent, and beneficial ownership opens only on a legitimate-interest application.
- An ordinary Cayman Registry search identifies directors and leaves ownership gaps.The Cayman public record gives a company's status, office and directors' names. Members stay at the registered office, certificates go only to the company, and beneficial ownership needs a legitimate interest.
- No single registry record proves a company is a shell.Registry records cannot tell you whether a company trades. They can show the patterns that make the question worth asking, and each pattern comes from a specific record.
The EU’s new AML Regulation starts applying on 10 July 2027.The EU’s new AML Regulation harmonises core due diligence and ownership rules, alongside AMLA’s supervisory role. National laws and other duties still matter for covered firms.- At 25%, Hong Kong and Mainland shareholding tests give different results.Follow one fictional ownership chain from Hong Kong through the BVI to Shenzhen. Each layer has its own record, its own disclosure rules and its own idea of who counts as an owner.
- Hong Kong has no public register of beneficial owners.Trace the Hong Kong shareholder record through each ownership layer. Aggregate interests across paths, assess control and corroborate client declarations where public access stops.
Screening and red flags
Sanctions, politically exposed persons, adverse media and the signals in a registry record that a company may be a shell.
- A court order against a Mainland company can stop its legal representative boarding a plane.Three common court records distinguish enforcement, dishonesty and consumption restrictions. Read the company’s record and any consequences for the people who run it.
- A missed annual report puts a Mainland company on a public list within ten working days.Market regulators keep two public lists with different grounds and consequences. An abnormal-operations entry can carry restrictions; a serious-illegality entry follows heavier penalties.
- A deposit to a Mainland supplier should go to the company you checked.Seven checks, in order, for a buyer about to pay a Mainland supplier for the first time, and the answers that mean you should ask for more.
- Sanctions, PEP and adverse-media checks require different responses.Sanctions, PEP and adverse media screening run on the same names and answer different questions. Knowing which is which decides what a match means for your file.
- No single registry record proves a company is a shell.Registry records cannot tell you whether a company trades. They can show the patterns that make the question worth asking, and each pattern comes from a specific record.
Government digital identity
iAM Smart, China eID, Singpass and UAE Pass: identity confirmed by the government, with the person's consent.
Rules and regulators
What each rule asks a firm to hold on file, and which records supply it.
- A UAE company search starts with the issuing authority.A Dubai mainland company, a DIFC company and a DMCC company have different issuers and document sets. Identify the authority before asking for a registry search.
- A Hong Kong money lender's licence lasts 12 months, and the register shows when it ends.The Registrar of Money Lenders publishes free lists of every licensee with its licence expiry date. Here is what they show and what to check beyond them.
- Sanctions, PEP and adverse-media checks require different responses.Sanctions, PEP and adverse media screening run on the same names and answer different questions. Knowing which is which decides what a match means for your file.
- The EU’s new AML Regulation starts applying on 10 July 2027.The EU’s new AML Regulation harmonises core due diligence and ownership rules, alongside AMLA’s supervisory role. National laws and other duties still matter for covered firms.
For KYC, Singpass Login is not enough: the verified data comes from Myinfo.Singpass authenticates a person; Myinfo releases government-held attributes with consent. Access through an intermediary depends on its approved use case and data scopes.- The GBA Standard Contract is filed twice, once on each side of the boundary.The GBA Standard Contract supports eligible transfers between the nine Mainland GBA cities and Hong Kong. Filing, consent and onward-transfer restrictions apply within its defined scope.
Working with the email agent
Write the request the way you would to a colleague. The agent confirms, retrieves and replies in the same thread.
- A request to the agent comes back as one email per document, in the same thread.A status reply first, then one Order success email per document, then a summary report. Whenever something is unclear, the agent asks in the thread.
- The agent reads orders the way people already write them.Six example emails and what the agent picks out of each. Four details make an order faster: the document names, the registry number, the jurisdiction and your reference.
- A batch of Mainland checks needs signed consent and an encrypted spreadsheet.For our batch workflow, send an encrypted spreadsheet and each person’s signed consent form. Send the password separately; a single-person request follows a different format.