Bermuda Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Bermuda Business

TL;DR. The Bermuda Registrar of Companies, operating under the Ministry of Finance, is the official source for company verification in Bermuda. Certified documents cost BMD 70-300 (approximately USD 70-300 at par). The Registrar’s portal is fully in English and requires a registered account. There is no public beneficial ownership register; Bermuda operates a private beneficial ownership framework accessible to authorized authorities only.

What is the official Bermuda business registry?

The Bermuda Registrar of Companies is the statutory body responsible for company incorporation, registration, and record maintenance in Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic. The Registrar operates under the Companies Act 1981 (as amended), the Exempted Partnerships Act 1992, the Limited Liability Company Act 2016, and related legislation. The Registrar falls within the portfolio of the Ministry of Finance.

Public access to company information is available through the Registrar’s online portal and through the Bermuda Government’s e-services platform. The Registrar’s primary public-facing URL is within gov.bm.

Bermuda is particularly significant as a global hub for insurance, reinsurance, and insurance-linked securities (ILS). A substantial proportion of Bermuda-incorporated entities are exempted companies in the insurance, reinsurance, special purpose insurer, and investment management sectors, overseen by the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA).

Entity types registered in Bermuda include:

• Exempted companies: companies incorporated for activities conducted primarily outside Bermuda. The dominant vehicle for insurance, reinsurance, investment holding, and financial structure purposes. Exempted companies cannot carry on business locally with persons resident in Bermuda except in certain permitted ways.
• Local companies: companies permitted to conduct business within Bermuda, subject to local ownership requirements.
• Permit companies: overseas companies granted a permit to conduct business in Bermuda.
• Limited liability companies (LLCs): available under the Limited Liability Company Act 2016, used as an alternative to exempted companies particularly for US-managed investment structures.
• Exempted limited partnerships: used for private equity and alternative investment fund structures.
• Segregated accounts companies (SACs): used for captive insurance, structured finance, and fund structures with ring-fenced account segregation.

What can you search?

The Registrar’s online portal provides the following for registered users:

• Company name search (exact or partial)
• Company registration number (company number) search
• Current status: active, struck off, in liquidation, dissolved, suspended

For each located entity, the portal returns:

• Registered company name and registration number
• Date of incorporation
• Entity type
• Current status
• Registered office address (typically a licensed Bermuda corporate services provider)

Document orders include certificates of compliance (Bermuda’s equivalent of certificates of good standing), certified extracts from the Register of Companies, and certified copies of constitutional documents.

BMA regulated entity status is not contained in the Registrar’s database; the BMA operates a separate public register of licensed and registered financial institutions.

How much does it cost?

BMD/USD conversion: the Bermudian dollar (BMD) is pegged at 1:1 to the US dollar. No conversion uncertainty applies. Pricing is based on the Bermuda Registrar published fee schedule as of May 2026 and should be verified at point of order.

Do you need a local account or ID?

A registered account on the Bermuda Government e-services platform is required to place document orders. Registration uses an email address. No Bermuda identity document or local address is required from foreign buyers. Passport-based identity is sufficient for account creation.

Licensed Bermuda corporate service providers, including Appleby, Conyers, and others, can process document requests for clients with standing Registry access, typically achieving faster turnaround.

Is the website in English?

Yes. Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory and English is the official language. All Registry communications, the online portal, and all company documents and certificates are in English. There is no parallel language interface.

What’s the turnaround time?

Standard document orders are processed by the Registrar within one to three business days. Certificates of compliance are the most commonly ordered compliance documents and are generally processed promptly. Expedited processing for urgent compliance needs may be available through the Registrar’s office directly or through licensed Bermuda corporate service providers with established Registry relationships.

The Registrar operates on Bermuda Atlantic Standard Time (AST, UTC-4).

Is there an API?

No. The Bermuda Registrar of Companies does not offer a public API for programmatic access as of May 2026. Data access is through the online portal only. Organizations requiring automated or bulk data access should work with licensed Bermuda corporate service providers.

What you legally cannot do

Bermuda enacted the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA), Bermuda’s data protection framework. Processing of personal data, including director names and officer information extracted from Registry documents, is subject to PIPA’s principles on fair processing, purpose limitation, and data minimization. PIPA applies to any person processing personal data in or from Bermuda.

Automated scraping or bulk downloading from the Registrar’s portal is prohibited under the terms of use of the Bermuda Government’s e-services platform.

Bermuda’s beneficial ownership framework operates through the Beneficial Ownership Act 2015 and its successor regulations. Bermuda-incorporated companies are required to maintain beneficial ownership registers through their licensed corporate service providers. These registers are held privately and are accessible to Bermudian authorities (the Bermuda Monetary Authority and law enforcement) and, under bilateral agreements, to UK law enforcement under the UK Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018’s requirements for Overseas Territories. There is no public beneficial ownership register in Bermuda. This aligns with FATF Recommendation 24, implemented through a private centralized model rather than a public register.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• The BMD is at par with USD. Fees and transactions are effectively in USD. No conversion risk or foreign exchange cost applies when paying from a USD account.
• Certificate of compliance is the standard compliance document. The Bermuda Registrar issues a Certificate of Compliance as the equivalent of a certificate of good standing. It confirms the company is duly incorporated and in compliance with filing obligations. This is the standard document accepted by banks, counterparties, and regulators for Bermuda entity KYC.
• BMA register for regulated entities. For insurance companies, reinsurers, fund managers, and other BMA-supervised entities, always check the Bermuda Monetary Authority’s public register (bma.bm) in addition to the Registrar’s records. An entity appearing in the Registrar’s database as an exempted company may also have a Class 3B reinsurance license or fund manager registration with the BMA; these statuses are material for counterparty due diligence in financial services.
• Exempted company cannot trade locally. Bermuda’s exempted company form is structured for offshore operations. If a counterparty describes itself as conducting Bermuda-based business operations, verify whether it holds a local company structure or a permit; an exempted company cannot do so ordinarily.
• Segregated accounts companies in captive insurance. Bermuda SACs are used extensively in captive insurance structures. Each segregated account within a SAC has ring-fenced assets and liabilities. When an SAC appears in due diligence, identify the specific account that is the counterparty, as the SAC’s overall Registry record covers the entire structure.
• OECD CRS and FATCA. Bermuda is an early adopter of the OECD Common Reporting Standard and has FATCA intergovernmental agreements with the US. Financial institutions incorporated in Bermuda are enrolled with the BMA for CRS and FATCA reporting obligations.

For the broader due diligence framework applicable to offshore holding jurisdictions, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.

Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly

• Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates has partial Bermuda coverage but is not comprehensive and may lag official data. Suitable for name checking only.
• Licensed Bermuda corporate service providers: Appleby, Conyers, Wakefield Quin, and other licensed firms can order Registry documents with established turnaround times.
• BMA public register (bma.bm): For regulated financial entities, the Bermuda Monetary Authority provides a public register of licensed banks, insurers, reinsurers, investment funds, and fund administrators.

Local data suppliers

• Dun & Bradstreet (dnb.com). Global data provider with coverage of Bermuda-registered entities, particularly operating companies, insurers, and reinsurers with commercial trading histories. Reports on pure holding or SPV structures will have limited financial depth.

Use the Registrar of Companies for the official incorporation record and certificate of compliance. Use the BMA register for regulated financial services status. Use a commercial provider when financial risk or payment behavior data is needed.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the Bermuda Registrar of Companies directly?

Yes. The Bermuda Government e-services platform is accessible globally after account registration. No Bermuda identity document or local address is required. Foreign buyers can register and order documents directly, though licensed Bermuda corporate service providers can facilitate faster processing for time-sensitive needs.

What is the company number format in Bermuda?

Bermuda company registration numbers are numeric sequences assigned sequentially at incorporation. The number is permanent and does not change through the life of the company. It is the anchor identifier for unambiguous entity matching, particularly for exempted companies that may have changed names.

What entity types are registered with the Bermuda Registrar of Companies?

The Registrar covers exempted companies, local companies, permit companies (overseas branches), limited liability companies (since 2016), exempted limited partnerships, and segregated accounts companies. The exempted company is the dominant form for Bermuda’s insurance, reinsurance, investment, and holding company sector.

Does Bermuda have a beneficial ownership registry?

Yes, but it is private. Bermuda-incorporated companies are required to maintain beneficial ownership registers through their licensed corporate service providers, with information held in a secure government database accessible to Bermudian authorities and, under bilateral instruments, to UK law enforcement. There is no public search function. This model aligns with FATF Recommendation 24 on transparency of legal persons, implemented without a public register.

How current is the data in the Bermuda Registrar’s portal?

The Registrar’s portal reflects filings processed by the Registry, including annual government fee payments and event-driven filings. For time-sensitive compliance checks, a freshly ordered Certificate of Compliance provides the most current Registry-confirmed status. Cached portal search results may not reflect recent changes.

Is Bermuda on the FATF grey list?

No. Bermuda is not on the FATF increased monitoring (grey) list as of May 2026. Bermuda has undergone mutual evaluation through the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and has been assessed as compliant with FATF standards. For current status, verify at fatf-gafi.org. Bermuda is also not on the EU’s list of high-risk third countries for AML purposes.

What is the difference between the Registrar of Companies and the Bermuda Monetary Authority?

The Registrar of Companies records all incorporated entities: companies, partnerships, LLCs, and foreign registrations. The Bermuda Monetary Authority (bma.bm) is the financial services regulator and maintains a separate public register of entities licensed or registered to conduct regulated financial services activities, including Class 1-4 insurers, Class A-E reinsurers, investment funds, banks, and money service businesses. Both records are relevant for full due diligence on Bermuda entities in financial services.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: Bermuda Registrar of Companies (gov.bm/registrar-of-companies), Bermuda Monetary Authority (bma.bm), Companies Act 1981 (as amended), FATF (fatf-gafi.org), OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information.