Denmark Company Registry (2026 Update)

If you're conducting KYB due diligence on Danish companies, you'll need to get familiar with the Central Business Register, or CVR, as it's commonly known.  

This guide walks you through everything you need to know about searching the registry, accessing documents, and navigating Denmark's recent changes to beneficial ownership access. 

What Is the CVR? 

Denmark's Central Business Register has been around since 1999, managed by the Danish Business Authority. It covers all legal entities in Denmark and, since 2018, Greenland as well. 

What Information Can You Find? 

The CVR is impressively comprehensive. Here's what you can access: 

• Company fundamentals: Name, registration number, incorporation date, status, and business activities. 

• Ownership details: Who holds shares, what types of shares they have, and their voting power. 

• Management information: Senior managers and company founders. 

• Financial data: Annual accounts, share capital, accounting periods, and financial year details. 

• Historical records: Any changes to company information over time. 

• Beneficial ownership: This one's trickier. Since September 2025, access has been restricted to those with "legitimate interest" (more on this later). 

The registry is available in Danish, English, and Kalaallit (West Greenlandic), which is helpful for international compliance teams.  

How to Search the CVR 

Let's walk through the actual search process. 

Step 1: Get to the Portal 

Head over to the Danish Business Authority's website and navigate to the Central Business Register page. It's straightforward to find. 

Step 2: Start Your Search 

Type in a company name in the search bar. Simple enough. 

Step 3: Review Your Initial Results 

You'll see a list of companies matching your search, showing their name, CVR number, status, and business type immediately. 

Step 4: Filter and Refine 

The interface lets you filter by business type, production unit, or individuals. You can sort by name or postcode, and if you need bulk data, download your results as an XLSX file. 

Step 5: Select Your Target Company 

Click on the company you're investigating. You'll immediately see key information, including: 

• CVR number. 

• Full address and postcode. 

• Start date. 

• Business type. 

• Whether they have advertising protection enabled. 

• Status. 

Here's a useful feature for ongoing monitoring: click "Follow Company" to get email notifications whenever the registry data changes. You can also view all other entities registered at the same address, which can be revealing for due diligence purposes. 

Step 6: Dig Into the Details 

Scroll down, and you'll find collapsible sections packed with information: 

• Expanded Business Information: Includes municipality, activity codes, VAT registration status, financial year details, articles of association, share classes, registered capital, and first accounting period. 

• Key Individuals: Lists everyone important (founders, management) with their roles, names, and addresses. 

• Legal Owners: Shows who owns what, including their share of capital, voting rights, and when ownership changed hands. 

• Financial Statements: Gives you access to annual reports showing the reporting period, publication date, approval date, and chairman. You can download these documents in XBRL or iXBRL format. 

• Registration History: Provides a timeline of changes—founders, starting capital, establishment date, management changes, first financial year, company purpose, and more. 

Beneficial Ownership: Now behind a legitimate interest requirement (we'll get to this). 

Downloading Official Documents 

At the bottom of each company page, look for "Other Documents." Here's what Kyckr found (in January 2026), and what it'll cost you: 

• Registration certificate (300 DKK): Certified proof that the company is registered with CVR 

• Name change certificate (500 DKK): Official documentation of any name changes 

• Serviceattest (750 DKK): This is the big one, a comprehensive certificate combining information from ATP pension, tax authority, probate court, and criminal records 

• Statutes (150 DKK): The company's articles of association 

• Capital documentation (150 DKK): Proof of paid-in capital 

• Founding document (150 DKK): Original incorporation documents 

• Minutes of General Meetings (150 DKK): Records from shareholder meetings 

• Assessment report (150 DKK): Valuation reports for non-cash contributions 

• Opening balance (150 DKK): Initial balance sheet 

• Merger plan (150 DKK): Terms and process documentation for mergers 

• Review form (150 DKK) 

• Management statement (150 DKK): Declarations from the management board 

• Fission plan (150 DKK): Documentation for company splits 

• Statement on subsequent acquisitions (150 DKK): Details on post-formation asset acquisitions 

• Statement on self-financing (150 DKK): Information about the company's own shares 

• Certified copy of accounts (150 DKK): Officially certified financial statements 

Important note: Everything except the registration certificate requires you to log in with an account. 

The Authentication Challenge 

Here's where things get complicated for non-EU entities. To register an account and download documents, you need either a Danish national ID or an EU equivalent digital ID: 

• NemID (private or employee signature). 

• Employee digital ID from an EU/EEA country. 

• Private person digital ID from an EU/EEA country. 

As of January 2026, this effectively means only Danish and EU/EEA citizens can download documents directly.  

There's a catch, though. Even some EU countries can't access it. Digital IDs from Iceland, Norway, Finland, Greece, Bulgaria, and Hungary aren't supported. 

If you're a third-country obliged entity, you'll need to work with a data provider like Kyckr to access these documents. 

API Access 

Good news on the technical front: since September 2025, Denmark has offered two company registry APIs. One includes beneficial ownership data; the other doesn't. If you're integrating CVR searches into your compliance workflow, the API route might be worth exploring. 

The Beneficial Ownership Access Change 

This is a big one. From September 1, 2025, Denmark restricted access to beneficial ownership information to those with "legitimate interest." This aligns Denmark with the EU's 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive. 

Who Qualifies for Legitimate Interest? 

Denmark has been quite generous compared to some EU countries. Access is granted to: 

• Journalists. 

• Civil society organisations. 

• Data aggregators (like Kyckr). 

• Third-country obliged entities. 

Three Ways to Access Beneficial Ownership Data 

1. Single entry: Instant access through the portal if you're logged in and authenticated. This access lasts for 3 years. 

2. API: Real-time access, but you'll need to set up a contract. Also lasts 3 years. 

3. Manual request: If you have a legitimate interest but can't use the digital solutions, submit a manual request through Virk using their request form. 

For Non-EU Obliged Entities 

Unfortunately, it's not automatic. Third-country obliged entities need to apply on a case-by-case basis using the request form on Virk. The Danish Business Authority evaluates each request on an individual basis. 

Processing times: Digital requests are instant. Manual requests take about 12 days.  

Access Danish Company Data Through Kyckr 

As an authorised data aggregator, Kyckr eliminates the authentication barriers that prevent third-country entities from accessing Danish company documents. We provide instant API access to comprehensive CVR data, without the need for Danish or EU digital IDs, manual requests, or 12-day processing delays.