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BCE register extract

Pierre-Henri Janssens
Author

What is the Belgium BCE Register Extract?

The BCE (Banque Carrefour des Entreprises) Register Extract is an official document issued by the SPF Économie (FPS Economy) in Belgium. It provides a structured overview of a company or legal entity registered in the national business register. Accessible via the Public Search platform, this document is used by compliance teams, financial institutions, and regulatory bodies to validate company identity, status, and activity.

BCE extracts are public and available free of charge through the online portal. For automated and large-scale access, XML and Open Data formats can be retrieved via FTP or secure APIs.

What does it look like?

Belgium register extract

Key Elements

The BCE Extract includes structured information across several sections:

1. Header and BCE logo

2. General Company Details

  • Company number: Unique national identifier, a 10-digit number
  • Legal status: e.g., Actif, Situation normale.
  • Incorporation date
  • Legal name and address
  • Contact information (email, phone, website): these data are not mandatory and so rarely displayed
  • Legal form (e.g., SRL, SA)
  • Type of entity
  • Number of establishment units (if applicable)

3. Management Roles

  • List of directors/administrators and appointment dates
  • It means we don't know the directors birthdate

4. Specific authorizations

  • Field reserved for “ambulant / forain” licenses (typically empty for most entities)
  • VAT info telling if the company is subjected to VAT

5. VAT Status and Economic Activities

  • VAT registration status (e.g., “Assujettie Ă  la TVA”)
  • NACEBEL activity codes: Describes the company's business activity. Example:
    • Code 70220: Business consultancy
    • Code 62090: IT services
  • Historical activity versions (2003, 2008, 2025) are also referenced

6. Financial Information & links with other establishment

  • Date of the general meeting and Financial year-end date (typically December 31st)
  • Link with other establishments

7. External Links

  • Links to official publications (Moniteur belge)
  • Access to deeds, legal filings, and notarial acts

8. Timestamp

The document includes the exact date it was issued, ensuring full traceability. To be precise, this date always corresponds to the day before, as the register is updated daily with company data, resulting in a one-day delay.

With Semaphore

Semaphore enables automated retrieval of the BCE Extract through our unified API. We structure and normalize key fields, including:

  • Legal identifiers and status
  • Directors and functions
  • NACEBEL activity codes and VAT status
  • Links to legal filings

This streamlines KYB checks for entities registered in Belgium, ensuring a compliant and efficient onboarding process.