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Performing a company search in Spain: the Company Registry
We are asked many times if there is a company registry or a company directory in Spain so that one can do a search for information about a company in Spain.
Spain's Company Registry (Registro Mercantil)
The Registro Mercantil is Spain's official registry of companies (or Companies House). Their Electronic Registry has a version in English and is quite simple to use. To start, click on "card payments". Once you pay with a credit card (under 5€ per consultation), you receive the basic information about a Spanish company, including the company's tax ID, the director's name, and the location of the physical office. You can have the information delivered online or sent to your email address.
If you need more detailed information about the company, you can ask for a certificate by going in person to the Mercantile Registry of the province where the company is registered. The main page of the Company Registry lists the addresses of the provincial offices and the central office in Madrid. You will also find information about the Property Registry.
When you form a company, the first step is to request a name from the Central Mercantile Registry. This is a good site to do a search for names for a new company, to search for regulations, and more. For some services you can pay by credit card, while others require electronic certification.
Private sites
There are also private companies that can retrieve information for a company for you. The main ones in Spain are www.e-informa.es and www.axesor.es. Both are in English and range from 20-30€ per consultation. A bit pricier is the international Bureau Van Dijk. Note that www.e-informa.es merged with Bureau Van Dijk.
Between all of them, our choice is the government's Mercantile Registry. As expected, it's the least expensive and most accurate.
Articles:
Guide to government resources
Getting a business valuation in Spain
Tips on selling a business in Spain
Setting up a business in Spain
Forming a joint venture
Tips on corporate banking in Spain
Use of a company credit card in Spain
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