Official open data from the BCE
BCE Public Search for Belgian companies
Search every company registered in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, by name or company number.
Browse Belgian companies
Explore companies by municipality or by sector of activity, from BCE data.
Major cities
Sectors of activity
- A Agriculture, forestry and fishing 33,242
- B Mining and quarrying 1,947
- C Manufacturing 122,470
- D Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply 3,219
- E Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities 8,862
- F Construction 149,362
- G Wholesale and retail trade 256,542
- H Transportation and storage 52,293
- I Accommodation and food service activities 74,500
- J Publishing, broadcasting, and content production and distribution activities 30,528
- K Telecommunication, computer programming, consulting, computing infrastructure and other information service activities 100,863
- L Financial and insurance activities 107,492
- M Real estate activities 155,232
- N Professional, scientific and technical activities 317,888
- O Administrative and support service activities 263,245
- P Public administration and defence; compulsory social security 2,373
- Q Education 66,618
- R Human health and social work activities 85,453
- S Arts, sports and recreation 74,372
- T Other service activities 97,228
- U Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and service-producing activities of households for own use 449
- V Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies 388
What is BCE Public Search?
BCE Public Search is the official public lookup service of the Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises (BCE, the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises), managed by the Belgian FPS Economy. It lets any citizen, professional or business search and view the legal information registered for any economic entity active in Belgium.
The official portal is available at kbopub.economie.fgov.be. This is the direct URL of the BCE public search engine, maintained by the FPS Economy.
The BCE (KBO in Dutch, for Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen) centralises all the identification data of Belgian businesses: companies, self-employed people, non-profit associations (ASBL/VZW), foundations and other entities under Belgian law. Each entity is identified by a unique 10-digit enterprise number, in the format 0XXX.XXX.XXX.
What does the BCE database contain?
The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises currently lists more than 2.5 million entities registered in Belgium. For each company, the public data available include:
Legal identification
- BCE enterprise number (format 0XXX.XXX.XXX)
- VAT number (format BE 0XXX.XXX.XXX)
- Official name(s) in French, Dutch and German
- Legal form (SA/NV, SRL/BV, ASBL/VZW, natural person…)
- Status (active, ceased, in liquidation…)
- Start date of activity
Contact details and address
- Registered office address
- Email address (if available and public)
- Phone and fax number (if available)
- Website
Economic activities
- NACE code(s) — the European classification of economic activities
- Main and secondary activities
- VAT activities and NSSO activities
Establishment units
- List of the physical establishments attached to the company
- Address, trade name and opening date of each unit
Mandates and publications
- Mandate holders (managers, directors, legal representatives) in some cases
- Links to the publications in the Belgian Official Gazette
How to search the BCE?
Searching the BCE is simple. You can query the database in two main ways:
By enterprise number
If you know the BCE number or the VAT number of the company you are looking for, this is the most direct and accurate method. Enter the number as 0205.764.318 or BE0205764318 — both formats are recognised.
By company name
If you do not know the number, you can search by name. Enter the trade name or the legal name, and Belgium Search shows you the matching companies with their legal form, address and locality.
Tip: for common names or groups with several entities, enter several words of the name to narrow down the results: every word must appear in the company's name.
Who is BCE Public Search for?
The public BCE lookup is used every day by a wide range of people:
Professionals and businesses
Before signing a contract, purchasing managers and legal directors systematically check the legal status of their suppliers and partners. Is the company really active? Is the VAT number valid? Who are the mandate holders authorised to sign? The BCE answers these questions in seconds.
Bookkeepers and accountants
Accounting firms use the BCE to check the identification of their clients, verify a company's data during a takeover or a due diligence, and make sure the tax data and the BCE data are consistent.
Lawyers and notaries
In transactions, disputes or estates involving legal entities, legal professionals consult the BCE to establish the exact legal identity of the parties.
Individuals
Anyone can look up a company to check that a tradesperson legally exists, confirm the address of a shop, or find the details of a business whose exact name they have forgotten.
Banks and lenders
Financial institutions check the enterprise number and the active status of an entity before opening a business account or granting financing.
Journalists and researchers
The transparency of BCE data makes it a valuable tool for economic investigations, sector analysis or academic research on the Belgian business landscape.
BCE vs KBO — what is the difference?
BCE and KBO refer to exactly the same database (in English, the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises), in two different languages:
- BCE for Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises, its French name
- KBO for Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen, its Dutch name
- ZDU for Zentrale Datenbank der Unternehmen, its German name, less commonly used
Likewise, BCE Public Search and KBO Public Search refer to the same public lookup service. On Belgium Search, both terms work: whether you search for “BCE public search” or “KBO public search”, you end up with the same result.
Open data and reliability of the information
The data shown on Belgium Search come directly from the official BCE open data, published by the FPS Economy under an open licence. They are the same data as those available on the official portal economie.fgov.be. The raw open data are published on data.gov.be.
Update frequency
The BCE is fed in real time by the approved business counters, notaries, enterprise courts and the tax administration. Changes (of address, status or mandate holder) are quickly reflected in the central database.
Limitations
BCE data reflect the information legally declared. They are not an assessment of a company's solvency or commercial reliability. For an in-depth financial analysis, cross-check the BCE data with the annual accounts published by the Central Balance Sheet Office of the National Bank of Belgium.
Frequently asked questions about BCE Public Search
How do I find a company's BCE number?
If you do not know a company's BCE number, search for it by name on Belgium Search. The 10-digit number appears in the results. You can also find it on an invoice, a contract or in the articles of association published in the Belgian Official Gazette.
Is a BCE lookup free of charge?
Yes, the BCE public data are entirely free. Access to the official BCE Public Search portal and to Belgium Search requires neither an account nor a subscription.
Can I search for a non-profit association (ASBL/VZW) in the BCE?
Yes. Non-profit associations (ASBL/VZW), foundations, political parties and other non-commercial entities are also registered in the BCE and can be looked up on Belgium Search.
How do I check whether a company is active?
The “Status” and “Legal situation” fields of the company page show whether the entity is active, in liquidation or bankrupt. Belgium Search only includes the active entities published in the BCE open data: a company that has ceased or been struck off the BCE is no longer listed and is no longer legally active.
My company does not appear in the results — what should I do?
If your company was created recently, it may not be in our index yet. Check directly on kbopub.economie.fgov.be (the official BCE Public Search portal of the FPS Economy). If the company is listed there but not here, contact us.
Belgium Search vs the official BCE Public Search
The official BCE Public Search portal (economie.fgov.be) is the ultimate reference source. Belgium Search is not a competitor: it is a complementary interface, designed for speed and readability.
| Criterion | Official BCE Public Search | Belgium Search |
|---|---|---|
| Data source | BCE / FPS Economy | BCE open data (same source) |
| Access | Free | Free |
| Interface | Administrative | Clean, fast |
| Multilingual | FR / NL / DE | FR / NL / DE / EN / ES / IT |
| Search by name | Yes | Yes |
| Search by number | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time data | Yes | Regularly updated |
For any official procedure (changing data, filing a deed, lodging a dispute), always use the official portal. For quick everyday lookups, Belgium Search saves you time.