Company Registry Spain: Doing a Company Search in Spain

The Spanish company registry, or “Registro Mercantil“, offers transparency and allows the public access to information about companies in Spain.

An owner of a company can’t keep the information about his business a secret, everybody can find out basic data such as the name of the company, its activity, its managing director, and its shareholders.

Questions about Company Registry Spain

What is the Spanish Company Register?

The Spanish company register is a public registry that records the information of all companies in Spain, including sole traders (freelancers).

Who can search the Central Mercantile Register?

The public registry is open and accessible to anyone, regardless of whether they want to search for a specific company or check out how their competitor is doing.

How to register your company with the Mercantile Registry?

When forming your company in Spain, you will need to register it with the Spanish company registry. The first step for registering a business in Spain is getting your NIF (CIF), an identification number that will be used by the commercial registry as well as the Spanish tax office.

How does the Registro Mercantil work?

The Registro Mercantil collects and stores the basic information of all Spanish companies. It offers transparency and allows the public access to information about every business, from small units to large corporations.

The Spanish company register is open to the public, so everybody can find out basic data about a business entity that interests them. You can search for companies in the Spanish company register by name, industry, and location.

What can you do at the Registro Mercantil?

There are many things you can do there, depending on what you need.

• When you want to start a company

  The first step in starting a business in Spain is to go to the Central Mercantile Registry and request a name. If you are not sure if your name is taken you can have a look in the Spanish Commercial Registry to see if it is available.

• If you want to know if a company is active

  You can either search for the company by name or NIF number (CIF). If you are searching by name and it’s not available, try adding an ‘S’ at the end of the name. This is, if you are searching for “Sociedad de Gestion”, try also searching for “Gestion S” or simply, “Gestion”.

• If you want to know the directors and owners of a specific company

  You can also search by name and NIF number (CIF). If you don’t know the exact name use one or two first letters and choose between “Possible Individuals” or “Possible Legal Entities”. Notice that you can only access information about individual people if you have a legitimate interest.

• If you want to check the company’s solvency and creditworthiness

  You can request their balance sheet which will show you all of their assets, liabilities, credits, and guarantees in addition to the names of the current directors/owners.

• If you want to check if a company is registered or not

  You can search for its entity number which will tell you whether the company was successfully formed and is currently active, inactive (dormant), dissolved (liquidated), or bankrupt.

• If you want to know which companies operate in certain industries or specific business activities in Spain

  The company register also offers lists of companies in certain industries, for example, the list of companies operating in different areas (districts) throughout Spain, or the list of car dealers.

How can a company register with the Registro Mercantil?

To establish a company in Spain, you must file it with the Registro Mercantil Central. The method of company formation in Spain is guided by a set of paperwork that must be signed by the company’s officials. Among these are the information of the shareholders, and articles of association. If you need help with company formation we can help you. Contact SpainDesk.

What types of companies are registered in the Trade Register in Spain?

The mercantile register regulations require every company in Spain to be registered here. The most frequent type of business entity registered in Spain is the limited liability company. This business form offers some of the best conditions for entrepreneurs and may be used for a wide range of commercial purposes. Other popular company entities that you can find in the Spanish central mercantile register are sole traders, partnerships, and public limited companies.

Types of company registers in Spain

You can find company information in different places. Below are the most popular types of registers that you can look for companies in:

• Registradores: This type of register is the most widespread and populous, so it’s useful if you want to find information about companies in certain areas (provinces).
• RMC: the commercial register in Spain is a database with all the companies which have an R.M.C. number. You can obtain this information by going to any local commercial registry office or requesting it from the Spanish Commercial Registry (RMC).
• BVDinfo: This website provides a list of all companies registered with the Spanish Trade Registry. You can find the company code, its NIF number, and date of registration, among other data.
• EBRA: The European Business Registry Association (EBRA) is a database similar to the Spanish commercial register. It offers company data in all EU member states.
• Infoempresa: Infoempresa is a website with information on companies and business activities. It also includes the list of companies operating in certain areas (districts) throughout Spain or the list of car dealers.
• Companysearch.es: this is another website that provides information about companies operating in Spain. You can find clearly what kind of information is included on their website.
• Info-clipper: Info-clipper is another site with company information on Spanish companies. It also offers information about companies from other countries.

As you can see there are many options to find information on companies in the Spanish central company register. The official Registro Mercantil is a safe choice. However, other sources might have more information available.

How reliable are the documents in the Spanish Company Register?

The central commercial register in Spain is public and open to all, so anyone can request information about a company. In general, the data is reliable and authentic, especially when it comes from a governmental source like the Central Registro Mercantil.

Still, sometimes we come across information that we believe is inaccurate or outdated. We also see some cases where the documentation on a company isn’t available, even though they are legally required to keep it up to date and accessible to everyone. This can happen because of database errors or a company incorporation process that went wrong.

What are the costs involved with the company register?

There are small costs involved in accessing several of the services offered by the company register. Depending on the number of companies you want to see, the price will increase. The price can also increase when you want to find different types of company documents.

What company documents can you find in the company registry?

Company documents you can find in the mercantile register are:

• Company financials such as the filing of annual accounts and legalized official books. Balance sheet, income statement, annual report, changes in equity, and cash flows.
• Registered office
• Brands under company
• Social capital
• NIF-IVA number
• Representatives, directors, attorneys, and contacts
• Stock data for listed companies
• Original filings/images
• Detailed corporate structures
• Business activity

What do you need for a company search in Spain?

You can search for Spanish companies by company name, key officers, NIF (CIF) number, finance, and even by business activity. If you need to know what kind of company is this and its legal status you will find the required information in the National Company Register (Registro Mercantil).

Disclaimer: Information on this page may be incomplete or outdated. Under no circumstances should the information listed be considered professional legal or financial advice. We highly recommend seeking guidance from a legal or financial expert if you lack extensive knowledge or experience dealing with any of the procedures outlined in these articles.