How do I check a Belgian company (KBO / BCE)?
Search the company name or its 10-digit enterprise number in KBO Public Search, the free search of the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO / BCE) run by the FPS Economy. It shows the status, legal form, registered office, start date, functions such as directors, activities (NACE codes) and establishment units. For deeds and changes, check the annexes of the Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge / Belgisch Staatsblad), and for filed annual accounts the National Bank of Belgium’s Central Balance Sheet Office.
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How to check it manually
- Open KBO Public Search and search by enterprise number or name.
- Check the status, legal form, registered office, start date and the VAT registration shown for the enterprise.
- Review the functions (directors and other mandates) and the establishment units.
- Search the Belgian Official Gazette (eJustice) for publications about the company, such as appointments, changes to the articles and dissolution.
- Open the Central Balance Sheet Office (CBSO) of the National Bank of Belgium to consult filed annual accounts.
What it tells you
- The official registration, status and functions recorded in the KBO.
- Published corporate acts, through the Official Gazette.
- Filed annual accounts, through the NBB.
What it doesn’t tell you
- Beneficial owners: the Belgian UBO register is kept separately by the FPS Finance, with its own access rules.
- Whether the published information is still current if the company has not filed changes.
How SONAR automates it
When you screen a company registered in this country, SONAR looks it up in the Belgian Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO / BCE) and puts the company record (legal name, number, status, legal form and registered address) in the report with a link or ID for the source and the date it was retrieved. SONAR does not pull the directors from this register yet, so check them manually as described above.
The same run screens the company itself, and any people SONAR finds in its other sources, against 8 sanctions lists, the OpenSanctions PEP dataset, the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database and adverse media, and returns PASS, REVIEW, FLAG or NOT RUN for each check. A source that could not be reached is shown as NOT RUN, never as clear.
SONAR is a due-diligence tool for checking vendors, partners, resellers and suppliers. It compiles public-record data. It is not a regulated AML / KYC provider, does not verify identity documents, and is not legal advice.
You can try it on 2 companies a month for free, no card needed; every report includes a receipt for each source it used.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Belgian enterprise number?
The 10-digit number the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises gives each registered entity, often written as 0123.456.789. It is also the basis of the Belgian VAT number (BE followed by the enterprise number).
Is KBO Public Search free?
Yes. KBO Public Search is a free public service of the FPS Economy.
Where can I find a Belgian company’s accounts?
Companies file annual accounts with the Central Balance Sheet Office of the National Bank of Belgium, which publishes them for consultation.
Official sources
Run these checks on a company you’re about to sign
Registry record, owners, sanctions, PEP, ICIJ Offshore Leaks and adverse media in one report, with a receipt for every source. 2 free reports a month, no card.
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