Search and document delivery at a glance
- Search online
- Yes. Public enterprise information through Public Search; annual accounts through NBB Consult. [1] [3]
- Search language
- Public Search offers Dutch, French, German and English. [10]
- Digital documents
- Accounts filed since 1999 are downloadable as PDF through Consult; XBRL and CSV depend on the filing. Accounts from April 1978 to 1998 can be ordered as PDF attachments by e-mail. [3] [14]
- Document language
- Accounts use the official language of the relevant linguistic area. English is available only as an additional filed version. The search language does not determine the language of the accounts. [13]
- Paper and collection
- Older accounts: order paper copies online for postal delivery at €0.25 per page plus postage. Provide the reference number and financial year. [14]
- International delivery
- Not specified
- Fees at a glance
- Public Search and Consult downloads: €0. Older accounts on request: PDF €5 per document; paper €0.25 per page plus postage. Approved legitimate-interest UBO access is free.
- Access
- Public Search requires no account or Belgian electronic identity. UBO enquiries require authentication and an access entitlement.
Choose the right register
KBO, BCE, CBE and ZDU are language variants of the same Belgian business database. Public Search is its publicly accessible search interface. They are not four competing registers. [1] [2] [11] [12]
For a company, start with the legal entity record. An establishment unit represents an individual location and has its own number. A shop or office result is therefore not necessarily the legal entity you need. Public Search connects the two levels. [1]
Public company and establishment search.
Free access to annual and consolidated accounts.
Separate authentication and entitlement for beneficial ownership information.
Names and abbreviations explained
- ZDUZentrale Datenbank der Unternehmen
- German name of the register maintained by the Federal Public Service Economy. [1]
- KBOKruispuntbank van Ondernemingen
- Dutch name of the same database. This abbreviation also appears in the web address. [12]
- BCEBanque-Carrefour des Entreprises
- French name of the same database. [11]
- CBECrossroads Bank for Enterprises
- English name of the same database. [2]
- Public SearchPublic registry search
- The application for looking up individual businesses and establishment units free of charge. [1]
- NBB / ConsultNational Bank of Belgium / annual accounts search
- The National Bank runs the Central Balance Sheet Office. Consult is its application for viewing and downloading published accounts. [3] [4]
- UBOUltimate Beneficial Owner
- The natural person who ultimately owns or controls an entity. The finance administration maintains the UBO register separately from Public Search. [6]
Search step by step
Identify the right company
Start with the company number
Open Public Search and select search by number. Use the company registration number if you have it; it is more precise than a name. An establishment unit number takes you to a location record instead. [1]
Search by name when you have no number
Select “legal person” for a company. Use exact search for a known name and narrow results by legal form or postcode. If spelling is uncertain, use phonetic search to include similar-sounding names. [1]
Include former names and discontinued entities
Enable the former-name option when researching an earlier company name. For historical research, remove the default active-entities-only filter. Searches returning more than 200 results must be narrowed down. [1]
Match identity and status
Compare the company number and registered office with your starting information. Read legal form, status and legal situation separately. Then review statutory functions and linked establishments. [1]
Find accounts and official publications
Follow the company record to the relevant source
External links in Public Search lead to publications in the Belgian Official Gazette and annual accounts in the Central Balance Sheet Office. Follow the link for the identified company to avoid confusing similar names. [2]
Select the reporting period and document in Consult
Open the company’s available accounts at the National Bank. Check the reporting period in the file. Consolidated accounts and individual accounts concern different reporting entities; choose the document that matches your question. [3] [7]
Download the appropriate format
Choose PDF for reading. Available XBRL or CSV files can support your own data analysis. Not every filing is available in every format; the document table sets out the relevant date limits. [3]
Documents and fees
| Document / information | Contents and purpose | Fee | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Search company profile [1] | Public identification data, status, activities and statutory functions. | Free | Open the company record in Public Search.
|
| Annual or consolidated accounts in PDF [3] [4] | Accounts published by the National Bank since 1 January 1999. | Free | Select the required accounts in Consult.
|
| Annual accounts in XBRL or CSV [3] [4] | Machine-readable accounts. XBRL for accounts filed in that format since 2 April 2007; CSV for XBRL filings since 4 April 2022. | Free through Consult | Choose an available file format for the relevant filing.
|
| UBO information with legitimate-interest access [8] [6] | Limited information about the natural persons who ultimately control an entity. | Free once access is approved | Authenticate in the separate UBO register and establish a legitimate interest. |
| Public Search web service [5] | Technical searches and retrievals for your own application. | €50 per package of 2,000 requests; free test account | Register, accept the terms and pay for a package by bank transfer. |
| Older annual accounts (April 1978 to 1998) [14] | Accounts held by the NBB from before the free Consult collection. | PDF by e-mail: €5 per document. Paper by post: €0.25 per page plus postage. | Complete the online order form with enterprise number, reference number and financial year; select e-mail or post. |
Information available in Public Search
The record includes the company number, legal form, registered office and registration start date. Contact details and people holding statutory functions are shown where recorded. Further fields cover activities, licences and establishments. [1]
Financial fields in Public Search include capital and financial year-end. For balance sheets and income statements, use Consult. Activity classifications are called NACE-BEL; the portal also contains codes from the 2025 version. [1] [3]
Searching by address, activity or person
Address search requires a postcode, street and building number. It returns registered entities or establishments at that address. Activity search lets you choose up to ten NACE-BEL codes and narrow the area by municipality, neighbouring municipalities or postcode. Licence search is also available. [1]
Name search for a “natural person” concerns a natural person registered as a business. It is not a general reverse search for every directorship held by an arbitrary individual. Open a company record to see its recorded statutory functions. [1]
Access from abroad
Start Public Search directly in the public search form. This research route does not require a Belgian business account or Belgian electronic identity. International users can also retrieve the freely available accounts through Consult. [1] [3] [10]
For the UBO register, authentication and access entitlement are distinct requirements. The finance administration lists Belgian eID, itsme and eIDAS as sign-in options. ForREG (Foreign Registration) is available for people without an appropriate authentication method. [6] [8]
Beneficial owners and restricted access
People outside the entitled authorities and obliged entities must demonstrate a legitimate interest connected with combating money laundering or terrorist financing. Once their application is approved, a limited dataset is available free of charge. General curiosity about a company does not automatically meet that test. [8]
The limited dataset includes surname, birth month and year, nationality and country of residence. This differs from information about statutory function holders in Public Search. Since 1 September 2026, obliged entities can also view supporting documents directly in the UBO register. This change does not create general public document access. [8] [6]
Understanding dates and status
FPS Economy says recorded changes appear in Public Search the following day. That describes transfer to the public interface. Record your retrieval date when using the information. [1]
The finance administration distinguishes that measure from the entity’s continued existence. Read the stated reason and legal situation. [8]
Web service and data reuse
The public interface is intended for targeted individual enquiries. The authority prohibits systematic continuous downloading from it. A separate Public Search web service supports technical requests subject to registration and its own terms. [1] [5]
A package costs €50 and covers 2,000 searches or retrievals. Payment is by bank transfer; the provider states that packages are activated within seven working days after payment is received. The test account is free. These prices apply to the web service, not manual company searches. [5]
Official samples and reading guides
Official Belgian annual accounts templates
The National Bank provides full, abridged and micro models as blank forms. Select the appropriate category for companies with or without share capital. These templates help explain the layout and individual entries in a set of accounts. [9]
Avoid common mistakes
- The default active filter may hide discontinued entities. Remove it when researching historical events. [1]
- An establishment and its company have different numbers. Use the company number when moving on to document research. [1]
- A listed statutory function holder is not automatically a beneficial owner. The information comes from different registers. [1] [8]
Frequently asked questions
Are KBO and BCE different registers?
No. KBO is the Dutch abbreviation and BCE the French abbreviation for the same business database. Its German name is ZDU and its English name is CBE. [1] [2] [11] [12]
Do I need a Belgian account for an ordinary company enquiry?
For Public Search, start directly in the public search form. The UBO register’s authentication and entitlement requirements apply separately. [1] [8]
Why can I not find a company I know exists?
First check the company number, former names and active-entity filter. For name searches, try phonetic search or narrow the query by legal form or postcode. [1]
Can I download a balance sheet for free?
Yes. Consult provides the annual and consolidated accounts published by the National Bank since 1999 free of charge. Whether a particular entity must file depends on its legal form and other conditions. [3] [4] [9]
Can I get every set of accounts in English?
Accounts use the official language of the relevant linguistic area. English is available only as an additional filed version. The search language does not determine the language of the accounts. [13]
Can I order older annual accounts from abroad?
Archive copies can also be ordered from abroad. The form accepts a foreign address and foreign VAT number. Choose PDF by email or a paper copy by post. Postage is charged separately; ask the NBB for the amount for your address. [14]
Original sources
Sources reviewed: 16 September 2026. The guidance is based on the linked information published by registers and public authorities.
- ZDU Public Search: Inhalt und Suchanleitung FÖD Wirtschaft
- CBE Public Search: official guide FPS Economy
- Consult: verfügbare Jahresabschlüsse und Formate National Bank of Belgium
- Consult: kostenloser Zugang in vier Sprachen National Bank of Belgium
- Public Search web service: Zugang und Preise FPS Economy
- UBO-Register: Zugang und aktuelle Hinweise FOD Financiën
- Auswahl des Jahresabschlussmodells National Bank of Belgium
- UBO-FAQ vom 03.09.2026 FOD Financiën
- Companies: amtliche Jahresabschlussmodelle National Bank of Belgium
- Public Search: öffentliche Suchmaske FÖD Wirtschaft / FPS Economy
- Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises: französische Originalbezeichnung FÖD Wirtschaft / FPS Economy
- Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen: niederländische Originalbezeichnung FÖD Wirtschaft / FPS Economy
- NBB: Filing language National Bank of Belgium
- Ordering copies of annual accounts National Bank of Belgium