Business registers in EU countries | European e-Justice Portal

I. History of the establishment of the national register

i. When was it founded?

The Business Register (Department of the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property (Tmíma Efórou Etaireión kai Dianoitikís Idioktisías)) is a state agency and is attached to the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry. The national register includes all organisations registered since 1923. The first foreign company was registered on 20 June 1923. The ‘Companies’ section (Kládos Etaireión) was created in 1924, with the first company being registered on 20 May that year. The ‘Partnerships and Trade Names’ section (Kládos ton Synetairismón kai Emporikón Eponymión) was created in 1929, with the first partnership being registered on 26 April that year and the first trade name on 3 May 1929.

ii. When was it digitised?

In 2013.

iii. What is the current applicable legislation?

Domestic and foreign companies are governed by the Companies Law (O perí Etaireión Nómos) (Chapter 113).
Partnerships and trade names are governed by the General and Limited Partnerships and Trade Names Law (O perí Omorrýthmon kai Eterorrýthmon Synetairismón kai Emporikón Eponymión Nómos) (Chapter 116).
European companies are governed by the 2006 Regulations on European public limited liability companies (SE) (Regulatory Administrative Act No 290/2006).
European economic interest groupings are governed by the 2012 European Economic Interest Groupings Law (Law No 161(Ι)/2012).

II. What information does the business register offer?

i. Who has the right to access the register?

i. Who has the right to access the register?

Any interested party may access the register and obtain information on domestic and foreign companies, partnerships, trade names, European companies and European economic interest groupings.

Anyone can establish online whether a particular organisation is listed in the Department’s registers and its status.

As regards European companies and European economic interest groupings, there is no electronic search function but a physical search can be carried out at the Department’s offices.

ii. What information does the business register offer?

(a) Which data types are stored (entities entered in the public register, information on insolvency, financial reports, etc.)?

The following information is stored in the Business Register:

company details, such as name, date of incorporation and registered office;
status of the company, i.e. if it is registered, struck off, wound up, in liquidation or under management;
authorised share capital and issued capital;
details of directors, secretary and shareholders.
the number of shares held by each shareholder.

(b) Which documents are submitted/stored (files, document collections, statutes, minutes of general meetings, etc.)?

The following documents and/or information submitted to or registered with the Registrar of Companies is published in electronic form in the Business Register and is referred to as ‘mandatory disclosure information’:«»

the company’s founding document and statutes;
any amendment to the founding document and statutes;
following an amendment to the founding document or statutes, the text of the new version of the amended document;
the certificate of incorporation and any change of name;
the appointment and departure details and personal information of officers, including any change to that information;
the annual report and financial statements;
details of the registered office and any changes thereto;
any change to the headquarters of the company;
any order for liquidation, continued liquidation under the supervision of a court, or suspension of liquidation;
notices of appointment of a liquidator and the particulars of the liquidator;
dissolution and any dissolution order;
any voluntary winding-up resolution;
the liquidator’s report after a final meeting;
the removal of a company from the register;
any capital report or certificate;
any share grant report;
other notifications required by law.

iii. How can I perform a search (and what are the available search criteria)?

(a) In person

Information on registered organisations is available directly from the offices of the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property, located at Makariou and Karpenisiou, Xenios Building, 1427 Nicosia, Cyprus.

(b) On the website of the register

The information can be found on the Registrar of Companies web portal:

http://www.companies.gov.cy/

(c)What are the available search criteria?

To run a search, first click on the link of the abovementioned portal. Then click on ‘eServices’, then ‘eSearch in Business Entity’s Registry’. This will take you to the search function.«» Anybody can search for a particular organisation by entering the name or registration number of the organisation.

iv. How can I obtain documents?

(a)Free of charge?

An electronic search may be carried out of the file of a Cypriot company, a foreign company, a partnership or trade name by typing its name or registration number.

The following information is available free of charge:

name of the organisation;
registration date;
type of organisation;
organisation status;
address of registered office/place of work;
name of existing directors and secretary/partners/trade name owner;
preview of pending services to be entered in the register;
preview of registered documents;
date of last annual report registration.

(b)For a fee?

For a fee of €10, a full search can be carried out of the selected organisation’s electronic file, where all the information entered in the register from the date of its registration up to and including the date of the search is available.
Any interested party may obtain certificates / certified copies upon payment of the relevant fee.

v. How can I obtain an extract from the register, certified copy or transcript of documents?

Any interested party may submit a request for certificates / certified copies upon payment of the appropriate fee. Certificates / certified copies can be obtained either online, in person, by post or by email.

III. The registration process

i. How can I launch the registration procedure (how to submit applications to the register, certification of documents, type of documents which need to be attached)?

(a)In person

The registration procedure can be carried out directly at the guichets of the Registrar of Companies, upon payment of the appropriate fee.

(b)Online

It is possible to register documents fully online. In order to register documents of a registered organisation via the electronic document registration system, you first need to obtain the log-in codes of the business entity in question. Log-in codes can be obtained by submitting an application to register a registered organisation in the electronic system to the following email address: efilingcodes@drcor.meci.gov.cy

For more information, see: http://www.companies.gov.cy/en/21-eservices/efiling-of-documents

ii. How are submitted applications examined?

Submitted applications are examined by officials of the Department in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.

IV. Legal effects of the registration

i. Effect of entries on third parties in accordance with Article 17 of Directive (EU) 2017/1132

The Registrar of Companies uploads to the register, in electronic form, all up-to-date information explaining the provisions of national law pursuant to which third parties may rely on information and each type of document referred to as ‘mandatory disclosure information’.«»

ii. Discrepancies between the register entry and its publication

In the event of a discrepancy between a register entry and its publication pursuant to Article 365a(1), the company in question may not use the published text against third parties, but third parties may invoke it, unless the company can demonstrate that the third party was aware of the text entered in the register.

iii. Who is responsible for the accuracy of the records?

The directors/officers of the company in question are responsible for the accuracy of the records.

V. Data protection procedures

Pursuant to Article 371a of the Companies Law (Chapter 113), the processing of personal data on the basis of that Law is subject to the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the Law on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data.

VI. Contact details

You can contact the Department of the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property by phone on (+357) 22404301 / 22404302, or by email at eterion@drcor.meci.gov.cy or deptcomp@drcor.meci.gov,
or by post at the following address: Makariou and Karpenisiou, Xenios Building, 1427 Nicosia, Cyprus.

VII. Useful links

Last update: 27/01/2025