Slovakia Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Slovak Business

TL;DR. Slovakia’s Commercial Register (Obchodny register) is maintained by the Ministry of Justice and searchable at orsr.sk. Basic company data including directors and shareholders is free without an account. Certified extracts and official statements cost EUR 4-30 (approximately USD 4.36-32.70). The portal is primarily in Slovak with partial English support. No public API is available. Slovakia participates in EU BRIS for cross-border standardized data.

What is the official Slovakia business registry?

The Commercial Register of the Slovak Republic (Obchodny register Slovenskej republiky) is maintained by the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. The register is publicly accessible at orsr.sk, operated through the court system via the regional district courts that serve as the registering authorities.

The statutory basis is the Commercial Code (Obchodny zakonnik, Act No. 513/1991 Coll., as extensively amended), which establishes formation requirements, disclosure obligations, and the legal effect of registration for commercial entities. The Act on the Commercial Register (Act No. 530/2003 Coll.) governs the registration process and public access rules. Slovakia acceded to the European Union in 2004, which triggered material amendments to align the Commercial Code with EU company law directives.

Registration in Slovakia is handled by eight regional district courts (registry courts), with the most commercially material being the District Court Bratislava I, which covers the capital and the largest share of registered entities. The orsr.sk portal provides a unified search interface across all eight court registers, making it the single point of public access regardless of where a company is registered.

Entity types covered include: Spolocnost s rucenim obmedzenym (s.r.o., private limited company), Akciova spolocnost (a.s., joint-stock company), Verejna obchodna spolocnost (v.o.s., general partnership), Komanditna spolocnost (k.s., limited partnership), simple joint-stock company (jednoducha akciova spolocnost, j.a.s., introduced in 2017), European company (SE), cooperative, and branches of foreign companies.

Slovakia participates in the EU Business Registers Interconnection System (BRIS). The orsr.sk portal is the national contact point for BRIS data provision, giving EU member states access to standardized basic Slovak company data in English.

A separate Beneficial Ownership Register (Register partnerov verejneho sektora and Register konecnych uzivatelov vyhod) was established in phases between 2017 and 2021 under Slovakia’s implementation of EU 5AMLD and domestic anti-shell company legislation.

What can you search?

The orsr.sk portal provides extensive free search without account registration.

Free searches (no account required):

• Company name (full or partial text)

• Identification number (IC, Identifikacne cislo)

• Name of a statutory representative (director)

• Search by district court

• Returns: company name, identification number (IC), legal form, registered office address, status (active, in liquidation, dissolved), date of registration, district court of registration, and a full current filing showing directors (konatelia for s.r.o., board members for a.s.), shareholders and their contributions, registered capital, and the company’s scope of business as stated in the register

• Annual accounts: filed financial statements are accessible via the financial statements register (Register ucelovnych zavierok) at registeruz.sk, linked from company records.

Paid certified extracts:

• Vypis z obchodneho registra (extract from the Commercial Register): available from district courts and through Slovak Post or online, EUR 4-10
• Uplny vypis (full extract including historical amendments): EUR 10-20
• Certified copy of articles of association and amendments: EUR 5-20
• Extract with apostille for international use: EUR 20-30

Data freshness: changes to directors, shareholders, and registered address must be filed with the registration court within 30 days of the change under the Commercial Code. In practice, major changes are often filed more promptly to maintain commercial operations. Electronic filing, introduced progressively after 2017, has improved processing speed; amendments filed electronically are typically reflected within 3-5 business days.

How much does it cost?

EUR/USD conversion: 1.09 (approximate, May 2026; verify at point of purchase). Pricing sourced from the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic fee schedules. Certified extracts can be ordered through the Slovensko.sk national e-government portal, through Slovak Post offices (postová kniznica), or in person at district courts. Foreign buyers typically use the Slovensko.sk portal with credit card payment.

Do you need a local account or ID?

No account and no Slovak identity are required for the free orsr.sk search. The portal provides full company details including directors and shareholders without login.

For ordering certified extracts through the Slovensko.sk e-government portal, a registered account is required. Slovak citizens and residents use the Electronic Identity Card (eid) or Slovak national ID for authentication. Foreign buyers without Slovak eID can create an account on Slovensko.sk using an email address for the basic document ordering service, though some services may be restricted without a Slovak identity document.

For physical extract pickup at district courts or Slovak Post, no prior registration is needed; the request is submitted in person with payment on the day.

Is the website in English?

Partial. The orsr.sk portal is primarily in Slovak with no full English toggle. Key data fields in search results, including company name, IC number, registered office, status, director names, and shareholder names, are in a standardized layout navigable by non-Slovak speakers. An English-language version is not available as of May 2026; the BRIS portal or OpenCorporates are the practical English-language alternatives for an initial view.

Official certified documents are issued exclusively in Slovak. Certified translation by a sworn translator (sududny prekladatel) is required for submission to non-Slovak legal or financial proceedings.

What’s the turnaround time?

The free orsr.sk search returns results instantly. Electronic certified extracts ordered through the Slovensko.sk portal are available as digital documents within 1-2 business days; Slovak Post delivers physical copies within 3-5 business days. In-person orders at district courts are typically processed same-day or within 1-2 business days. Apostilled extracts for use outside the EU eIDAS framework take a further 3-5 business days from the Ministry of Justice.

Is there an API?

No. The Ministry of Justice does not provide a public API for programmatic access to the Commercial Register as of May 2026. Company data is accessible only through the orsr.sk portal and the BRIS-integrated EU cross-border query system.

Slovakia participates in BRIS, which provides basic company data in standardized format accessible programmatically through the European Business Register network. For AML platforms integrating Central European jurisdiction data, BRIS is the available programmatic path for Slovak company data alongside Czech Republic and Poland.

The financial statements register (registeruz.sk) provides bulk download access to filed financial accounts under an open data framework. This is the closest to programmatic financial data access for Slovak companies.

What you legally cannot do

Slovakia implements GDPR through Act No. 18/2018 Coll. on Personal Data Protection. Director and shareholder natural persons are data subjects; their data may be used for compliance due diligence under GDPR Article 6(1)(c) or Article 6(1)(f), but not for unsolicited marketing. Circumventing orsr.sk access controls for bulk scraping is inconsistent with the terms of service.

Slovakia’s UBO framework operates through two registers. The Register of Partners of the Public Sector (RPVS) covers entities contracting with the state, with publicly disclosed beneficial owners. The broader UBO register (Register konecnych uzivatelov vyhod) under EU 5AMLD applies to all legal entities. Following the 2022 CJEU ruling, unrestricted public access to natural person UBO data is limited; obliged entities and persons demonstrating legitimate interest retain access. Certified extracts are official judicial documents and must be attributed to the issuing court.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• IC number is the primary identifier. Every Slovak legal entity has an 8-digit IC (Identifikacne cislo organizacie), for example 12345678. The IC is unique and permanent across name changes. Always verify a Slovak counterparty by IC; company names can be reused after dissolution.
• s.r.o. is the dominant form. The s.r.o. (Spolocnost s rucenim obmedzenym) is the standard private limited company for SMEs and foreign subsidiaries, with EUR 5,000 minimum share capital. The a.s. (joint-stock company) requires EUR 25,000. The j.a.s. (simple joint-stock company, 2017) requires just EUR 1 and is used increasingly for startups.
• Statutory representative as the compliance anchor. For an s.r.o., the konatel (statutory representative) is the key compliance contact; name, appointment date, and authority scope are shown on the extract. For an a.s., the board (predstavenstvo) and supervisory board (dozorna rada) are the relevant bodies.
• Annual accounts are separately filed. Slovak companies file annual financial statements with the Financial Statements Register (registeruz.sk), not with orsr.sk. For full financial due diligence, check both: orsr.sk for structural data, registeruz.sk for accounts. The orsr.sk company record links directly to registeruz.sk.
• BRIS for an English-language first view. With orsr.sk being Slovak-only, BRIS is the practical English-language entry point. Use BRIS for initial status confirmation, then orsr.sk for full director and shareholder detail.
• Register of Partners of the Public Sector (RPVS). Slovakia’s RPVS (rpvs.gov.sk), introduced in 2017, requires state-contracting entities to disclose beneficial owners publicly. For counterparties in public-sector contracts, RPVS provides the highest standard of beneficial ownership disclosure in Slovakia, predating EU 5AMLD.

Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly

• Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates indexes Slovakia’s Commercial Register data and provides free basic company records. Useful for quick name-check; not for compliance-grade verification.
• BRIS portal: Slovakia participates in the EU Business Registers Interconnection System, providing standardized English-language basic company data accessible through the European Business Register network.
• registeruz.sk: The Financial Statements Register provides access to filed annual accounts for Slovak companies, useful for financial screening alongside the commercial register data.

Local data suppliers

• CRIF Slovakia (crif.sk). CRIF’s Slovak subsidiary provides company credit reports, risk scores, and due diligence profiles for Slovak entities. CRIF is a leading business information provider in Central and Eastern Europe with strong Slovak coverage and API-based delivery for compliance platforms.
• Bisnode Slovakia (bisnode.sk). Part of the D&B Bisnode network, Bisnode Slovakia provides company credit reports, payment behavior data, and monitoring for Slovak entities. Used by Slovak banks and international compliance teams requiring Slovak coverage alongside Czech, Polish, and Austrian data.

Use the Commercial Register for the official filing record. Use a credit bureau when you need payment behavior or risk scoring on top of the registry extract.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the Slovakia Commercial Register directly?

Yes. The orsr.sk portal is publicly accessible to anyone globally without registration or payment for the basic company search, which includes directors and shareholders. For certified extracts, the Slovensko.sk portal accepts credit card payments; foreign buyers can register an account with an email address. Documents are issued in Slovak and require certified translation for use outside Slovakia.

What is the IC number in Slovakia?

The IC (Identifikacne cislo organizacie, also written ICI or simply ICO in the Czech/Slovak context) is the 8-digit unique identification number assigned to every Slovak legal entity at registration. It is the definitive anchor for all government, tax, and legal proceedings. The IC is permanent across name changes and is displayed on the orsr.sk search results alongside the company name. When verifying a Slovak counterparty, always confirm by IC number.

What entity types are registered with the Slovakia Commercial Register?

The Commercial Register covers s.r.o. (private limited company), a.s. (joint-stock company), j.a.s. (simple joint-stock company), v.o.s. (general partnership), k.s. (limited partnership), cooperative societies, European companies (SE), and branches of foreign companies. Individual entrepreneurs (Zivnostnik) are registered separately under the Trade Register (Zivnostensky register, zrsr.sk) administered by trade licensing authorities rather than the courts.

Does Slovakia have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?

Yes. Slovakia operates two beneficial ownership disclosure mechanisms. The Register of Partners of the Public Sector (RPVS, rpvs.gov.sk), introduced in 2017, requires entities in public sector contracts to disclose beneficial owners publicly. The broader UBO register under EU 5AMLD (Directive 2018/843/EU) requires all commercial entities to declare their beneficial owners. Following the 2022 CJEU ruling, unrestricted public access to natural person UBO data is limited; access is available to obliged entities under AML law and persons demonstrating a legitimate interest.

How current is the data in the Slovakia Commercial Register?

Changes to directors, shareholders, and registered addresses must be filed with the district court within 30 days of the change under the Commercial Code. In practice, commercially active companies file changes more promptly. Electronic filings, processed by the court within 3-5 business days, have improved data currency since their introduction. For compliance purposes, treat the register as current to within 30-60 days for actively maintained entities. Dormant or shelf entities may have considerably older records.

Is Slovakia on the FATF grey list?

No. Slovakia is not on the FATF grey list as of May 2026. Slovakia is an EU member state and implements EU AMLD requirements. Slovakia underwent a FATF mutual evaluation conducted by MONEYVAL in 2017; the evaluation identified areas for improvement in AML/CFT supervision and beneficial ownership transparency, which prompted the RPVS legislation among other measures. Slovakia has since completed follow-up measures. For current status, see fatf-gafi.org.

What is the difference between the Commercial Register and the Trade Register?

The Commercial Register (Obchodny register, orsr.sk) covers incorporated commercial entities: s.r.o., a.s., partnerships, cooperatives, and branches. The Trade Register (Zivnostensky register, zrsr.sk) covers sole traders and individual entrepreneurs (Zivnostnik) operating under trade licences. A sole trader’s business activity is registered in the Trade Register, not the Commercial Register. For counterparties that are individual entrepreneurs rather than incorporated entities, the Trade Register at zrsr.sk is the correct source.

Last verified: May 2026. Source: Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic / Obchodny register (orsr.sk), Financial Statements Register (registeruz.sk), EU 5AMLD (Directive 2018/843/EU), FATF (fatf-gafi.org). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.