What is the BCE/KBO? Complete guide
The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises is the official register of all Belgian companies. Discover its role, how it works, and how to access its data.
In brief
The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (BCE), in Dutch KBO, is the official register managed by the FPS Economy that centralizes data on over 2 million Belgian entities: 10-digit company number, legal form, registered office address, NACE codes, and status. This data is accessible via the public portal kbopub.economie.fgov.be or, programmatically and in structured form, via the Company Belgium API.
The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises
The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (BCE), in Dutch Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen (KBO), is a register managed by the FPS Economy that centralizes the data of all entities registered in Belgium.
Role of the BCE
The BCE fulfills several essential functions:
Who is registered?
The BCE contains data on:
- Legal entities: SA, SRL, ASBL, foundations
- Natural persons carrying out commercial or artisan activities
- Establishment units: each physical activity location
- Public bodies and institutions
In total, over 2 million entities are registered.
Available data
For each company, the BCE contains:
- Official and commercial denomination
- Company number (BCE) and VAT number
- Legal form
- Registered office address
- Economic activities (NACE codes)
- Creation date and status
- Establishment units
- Links to other registers (ONSS, VAT, etc.)
How to access the data?
Official website
The public portal kbopub.economie.fgov.be allows free company searches.
Via our API
Our REST API offers fast and structured programmatic access to BCE data:
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const response = await fetch(class="code-string">'/api/companies/search?q=Proximus', {
headers: {
class="code-string">'X-API-Key': class="code-string">'your_key',
class="code-string">'X-API-Secret': class="code-string">'your_secret',
},
});Conclusion
The BCE/KBO is the cornerstone of business identification in Belgium. To understand the legal forms recorded in the BCE (SRL, SA, ASBL…), see our dedicated guide. If you want to register your company and obtain your BCE number, our step-by-step guide walks you through the process. To search for companies in a specific city, explore company searches in Antwerp via the BCE or in Brussels. Our API lets you leverage this data simply and efficiently.
Frequently asked questions
What is the BCE (Crossroads Bank for Enterprises) in Belgium ?
The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (BCE), known in Dutch as KBO (Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen), is the official Belgian register managed by the FPS Economy. It centralizes administrative data on over 2 million entities: unique 10-digit company number, legal form, registered office address, economic activities (NACE codes), creation date, and status. Every company or natural person conducting a commercial activity in Belgium must be registered there.
How do you find the BCE number of a Belgian company ?
Several methods allow you to find a company's BCE number. The public portal kbopub.economie.fgov.be allows free search by name or address. The Company Belgium API provides programmatic search by name, NACE code, or city with results in JSON format. The BCE number also appears on invoices, official documents, and the company's articles of association.
What is the difference between the BCE and the trade register in Belgium ?
In Belgium, the BCE has replaced and centralized several former registers, including the trade register. Since 2003, all companies have been registered exclusively with the BCE. There is no longer a separate trade register: the BCE is the sole official source for identifying Belgian companies, covering commercial companies, associations (ASBL), self-employed persons, and public bodies alike.
What information is freely available through the BCE about a Belgian company ?
The free public BCE data includes: official and commercial name, BCE company number, VAT number, legal form, registered office address, establishment units, economic activities (NACE codes), and active or struck-off status. Additional data (contacts, directors) is available through paid access or APIs such as the Company Belgium API.
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