Commercial Register in Poland
As a rule, conducting business activity requires entry into Commercial Register in Poland. There can be distinguished two Business Registers in Poland: Central Registry and Information about Business Activities (pl: “CEIDG”) and Companies Register – National Court Register (pl: “KRS”).
Companies Register in Poland – National Court Register (pl: “KRS”)
The National Court Register is probably the most important commercial register in Poland.
In the National Court Register are enclosed all Polish companies. In addition to commercial law companies, the National Court Register also provides information on foundations and associations in Poland.
Access to Polish Companies Register is totally out of charge and is available at following webpage: https://ekrs.ms.gov.pl/web/wyszukiwarka-krs/strona-glowna/index.html
To find company in Poland there have to be checked the “Przedsiębiorcy” box at the top in the “Rejestry” section:
Next, the information about the entrepreneur has to be provided. The easiest way is to enter the “KRS number”, which entering blocks editing of all other fields. The KRS number is nothing else as unique company register number.
If you do not know the KRS number of Polish company, you can provide information about the tax identification number of the company (pl: “NIP”) or its name (pl: “nazwa”).
Once you press Search button (pl: “Szukaj”) you will be able to download an excerpt from the Polish Commercial Register.
Printed excerpt downloaded from the online National Court Register has the power of official document and does not require a signature or seal.
Excerpt from Polish Commercial Register provides following information on company status:
- Section I of the register includes data on the entity’s name, the legal form (type of company) address, address of branches of the given entrepreneur. It also contains information about Commercial Number (pl: “KRS”), Tax Identification Number (pl: “NIP”) and statistical number (pl: “ REGON”). An important element of section I is also information about the Articles of Association under which the entrepreneur operates. In the further part of the above-mentioned section you can find information about the previous registration of the company and date of establishment of Polish company.
- Section II of the register contains information on the method of representation of the company and personal data on the persons authorized to represent entrepreneur. The rest of this section contains information about the supervisory authority, if any, and its composition. This section also contains information about the commercial proxies of company in Poland.
- In Section III of the register, there is enclosed subject of activity, according to the codes of the Polish Classification of Activities. There are also information of the annual financial statements.
- Section IV of the register has a special warning function, because it contains information on the occurrence of tax, customs and social security arrears. It also contains information about securing the debtor’s assets in bankruptcy proceedings by suspending enforcement proceedings against him, dismissing the bankruptcy petition due to the fact that the assets of the insolvent debtor are not sufficient to cover the costs of the proceedings.
- Section V of the register mentions the appointment and dismissal of a trustee.
- Section VI contains information about the opening and completion of liquidation proceedings, the establishment of a board and liquidators, details of liquidators or managers along with the manner of representation. This section also discloses information about the merger or transformation of the company, information about the declaration of bankruptcy, the initiation of reorganization proceedings.
