Frequently asked questions about the Business Register
- Edited 9 October 2024
- 1 min
It is important to the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce KVK that your personal data are handled with care. This goes for all data registered in our customer system for the purpose of providing our services. In doing so, we follow the GDPR rules. Read how we handle privacy-sensitive information.
Recording data of businesses and organisations is an important task and duty of KVK. Some of that information is public. As a result, others can view your data. You can also request data from a business you wish to cooperate with, for example. This is how the Business Register helps you do business safely.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) exists to protect personal data. Strict rules apply to organisations using data. If organisations do not comply, they can be fined.
Frequently asked questions
The Business Register contains the details of natural persons who own a business. Such as an eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship), vof (general partnership), and maatschap (partnership). And of officers of legal entities, such as directors of a bv (private limited company), nv (public limited company), or stichting (foundation).
For eenmanszaken (sole proprietorships), vofs (general partnerships), and maatschappen (partnerships), you can find the owner’s name, home address, date of birth, and place of birth.
There are also company details in the Business Register. Yet these sometimes also provide information about a person. These include the KVK number, the trade name, or email address (if it contains the name of the owner), the visiting address (if it is the same as the residential address), or a (mobile) telephone number.
Furthermore, personal data of officers of a legal entity are also in the register. These include: name, private address, date of birth, and place of birth.
Please note: the data of legal entities themselves (think bv's, nv's) are not considered personal data by GDPR. For example: the KVK number, trade name, business address, telephone number, and email address of the legal entity Klusbedrijf Jansen BV are not personal data. Not even if the business address is Mr Jansen's home address and the company phone number is the same as his own mobile number.
Public information:
- name
- date of birth
- KVK number
- legal structure
- visiting address
- trade name
Not public:
- citizen service number (BSN)
- private residential address
- gender
- place of birth
- country of birth
- addresses of officers
- protected visiting addresses
Tip: also look at 'Are home addresses in the Business Register public?'.
The GDPR only applies to personal data. It therefore concerns the data of persons who own a company (such as an eenmanszaak, vof, cv and maatschap) and data of officers (think directors) of a legal entity, such as a bv, nv and stichting.
Note that the GDPR protects the privacy of individuals. Additional rules exist for the Business Register. This means that the GDPR applies to the Business Register, but that KVK must disclose certain personal data.
Different rules also apply to people who are registered in the Business Register. For example, they may not ask to have their data removed from the Business Register (the so-called ‘right to be forgotten’) or object to the use of their data in the Business Register.
Tip: also read ‘What personal data in the Business Register are public?’.
The home addresses listed in the Business Register are not public. The only exception is the home address of the keeper of books and records. This is someone who, after the end of the legal entity (such as a bv, nv, or stichting), has to keep the business records for up to 7years. For example, the balance sheet, financial statements, stock and payroll records, articles of association, and invoices of a business that no longer exists.
Note that sometimes the home address of a person is the same as the visiting address of a business. Yet the Commercial Register Act 2007 (Handelsregisterwet) considers the home address and the visiting address to be different addresses. According to the law, the visiting address must be public, even if it discloses a residential address.
Sole proprietorships can have their visiting address shielded in the Business Register.This is also possible for other legal structures under certain circumstances. This means that your visiting address can no longer be seen by people looking up your details. Only employees of certain government organisations, lawyers, civil-law notaries, and bailiffs can view residential addresses and shielded visiting addresses, if they have the rights to do so.
The privacy statement explains how KVK handles customer data and privacy.
No, this is not possible. KVK is not allowed to share a list with information about who requested your extract in the register. That would compromise the privacy of those individuals.
No, that is not necessary. KVK complies with the Commercial Register Act 2007 (Handelsregisterwet). This states that KVK is a ‘data processor’ when it comes to additions and changes to the Business Register. As a result, we do not have to sign a processing agreement with anyone who registers in the Business Register.
The Business Register is a public register. This means that even businesses that want to send advertising can look up your details. You can turn on a Non-Mailing Indicator (NMI) to stop unwanted marketing. Once you have done so, companies and organisations may not use your Business Register data for mail advertising or door-to-door sales.
There are several ways to make sure you get less unwanted advertising. For example, there is the Non-Mailing Indicator (NMI). If you turn that tool on, businesses are no longer allowed to use your Business Register data for mail advertising or door-to-door sales.
Businesses are not allowed to post your personal information online without your permission. If this happens, ask the business to remove your data. If the business does not do so, you can complain to the Dutch Data Authority .