Country-specific guidance Current
Cross-checking a client company's registration details
Confirm what the client told you against the Companies Registry's own record.
A corporate client's own paperwork isn't the same as an independent check. This guide sets out how to cross-check what a client has told you against the Companies Registry's own records. It is general information, not legal or compliance advice.
Action plan
1 Search the company through the Companies Registry's e-Services Portal This is the Registry's own current source, not a third-party summary.
The Companies Registry's e-Services Portal gives access to current data of registered companies and image records of registered documents. Searching the client company here, rather than relying only on documents the client provided, gives you an independent check against the Registry's own current record.
- Search the client company by name or company number through the e-Services Portal
- Treat this as an independent check, not a duplicate of documents the client already gave you
- Keep a record of the search itself, including the date it was run
Done when: The client company was independently searched through the Registry's e-Services Portal
Companies Registry: how to obtain company information2 Compare what the client told you against the Registry record Company name, registered office, and directors are the details most worth cross-checking.
Compare the company name, registered office address, and director details the client provided against what the Registry search returns. A mismatch is worth resolving before you rely on the client's own documents alone, rather than assuming the client's version is simply more up to date.
- Compare company name, registered office, and director details specifically
- Resolve any mismatch before relying on the client's documents alone
- Don't assume the client's version supersedes the Registry's current record without checking
Done when: The client's registration details were compared against the Registry search result and any mismatch was resolved
3 Remember the significant controllers register itself isn't searchable this way This search confirms company registration facts, not beneficial ownership.
This kind of registry search confirms company registration details such as name, registered office, and directors. It doesn't give you the significant controllers register itself, which isn't open for public inspection. Beneficial ownership still needs to come directly from the client, as a separate step.
- Treat a registry search as covering company registration facts, not beneficial ownership
- Request significant controller information directly from the client, separately
- Don't treat a clean registry search as proof beneficial ownership has been confirmed
Done when: The distinction between a registration-details search and beneficial ownership confirmation is reflected in the client file
See requesting beneficial ownership information from a corporate client