How to verify a Belgian company (KBO/CBE)

Step by step

1. Get the enterprise number. Every Belgian company has a 10-digit enterprise number (ondernemingsnummer, numéro d'entreprise) in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO/BCE). It starts with 0 or 1 and is written 0XXX.XXX.XXX.
2. Check the check digits. The last two digits must equal 97 minus the first eight digits modulo 97. A number that fails this test is mistyped or invented.
3. Search it in KBO Public Search. The free KBO Public Search shows the name, legal form, status, start date and registered office.
4. Check the VAT number in VIES. The Belgian VAT number is BE plus the enterprise number. VIES says whether it is registered for intra-EU trade.
5. Or automate it. Send the enterprise number, written 0XXX.XXX.XXX, to LimitGuard's POST /v1/kyb/check as registration_number with country BE. It looks the number up in KBO/CBE and screens the entity_name you send against sanctions lists, then returns a KYB status, a trust score and a sanctions flag, not the name or the register fields. It does not test the check digits, and it asks VIES only when you also send the VAT number as vat_number (see “Automate it” below).

What the public register shows, and what it does not

• It shows the name, legal form, status (active or stopped), start date, registered office and the activities (NACE codes).
• It does not show the ultimate beneficial owners: access to the Belgian UBO register was restricted after the CJEU judgment of 22 November 2022 (C-37/20 and C-601/20).
• It does not say whether the company, or anyone behind it, is on a sanctions list.

What it costs

• KBO Public Search and VIES are free to use.
• LimitGuard reads KBO/CBE data through cbeapi.be, which republishes the KBO open data.

The API lookup with a sanctions screen: POST /v1/kyb/check, $1.50 fresh or $0.25 on the cached tier, which answers from a recent result for the same company. All prices

Automate it

Test the shape of a check with a free sandbox key (no wallet, mock data); run it for real per call with USDC (x402) or an API key — see every price on the pricing page or start with the API quickstart. A free real check will come with a LimitGuard account once sign-up opens.

Frequently asked questions

What does a Belgian enterprise number look like?

Ten digits, starting with 0 or 1, usually written 0XXX.XXX.XXX. The last two digits are check digits: 97 minus the first eight digits modulo 97.

Is the Belgian VAT number the same as the enterprise number?

Yes. A Belgian VAT number is BE followed by the 10-digit enterprise number, so one number gives you both the KBO/CBE lookup and the VIES check.

Is KBO Public Search free?

Yes. KBO Public Search, run by the FPS Economy, is free to use and needs no account.

Can I see who owns a Belgian company?

Not from the public registers. Access to the Belgian UBO register was restricted after the judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU of 22 November 2022 (C-37/20 and C-601/20).