Denmark company search: CVR (datacvr.virk.dk)

TL;DR. Denmark’s central business register is the CVR, operated by Erhvervsstyrelsen. Its address https://datacvr.virk.dk blocked automated checks, asking for JavaScript and cookies before it would serve the page, so the search itself could not be read. https://virk.dk is online as a hub whose footer links to datacvr.virk.dk as the CVR. https://cvrapi.dk is online as a third-party lookup, not an Erhvervsstyrelsen developer portal. Search behaviour and fees could not be confirmed behind that block, so the fees in this guide read unknown rather than free; confirm at source.

What is the official Denmark business registry?

Denmark’s central business register is the CVR (Centrale Virksomhedsregister), operated by the Erhvervsstyrelsen (Danish Business Authority) under the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. CVR has been the authoritative national register since its launch in 1999, consolidating what had previously been fragmented across trade registers, tax authorities, and statistical agencies.

The statutory basis is the Erhvervsregistreringsloven (Business Registration Act), which requires all commercial enterprises, associations, and public entities to register. Sole traders (Enkeltmandsvirksomhed) above the VAT threshold are also registered, as are foundations, public institutions, and foreign branches operating in Denmark.

The primary public access point is https://datacvr.virk.dk, which blocked automated checks with a challenge page rather than serving the register. https://virk.dk is online as a hub, with footer link text CVR pointing at datacvr.virk.dk.

CVR coverage includes: A/S (Aktieselskab, public limited company), ApS (Anpartsselskab, private limited company), I/S (Interessentskab, general partnership), K/S (Kommanditselskab, limited partnership), P/S (Partnerselskab, limited liability partnership), IVS (the low-capital variant, now discontinued for new registrations), enkeltmandsvirksomhed (sole trader), and foreign branches (filial). Associations and foundations with commercial activity are also included.

Denmark participates in the EU Business Registers Interconnection System (BRIS), and CVR is one of the most extensively integrated national registers in that network.

What can you search?

datacvr.virk.dk blocked automated checks, so its fields (directors, beneficial owners, annual reports, P-nummer) could not be confirmed here, and neither could whether a search runs without an account; confirm at source.

What is NOT in the CVR:

• Credit history or payment behavior (available from commercial suppliers)
• Court judgments or litigation records
• Detailed shareholder registers beyond the CVR-reported ownership percentages for certain company types

How much does it cost?

Whether search is free could not be confirmed behind that block, so the table above reads unknown rather than free; confirm at source.

Do you need a local account or ID?

Not confirmed. datacvr.virk.dk served a challenge page rather than a search form, so an account is shown as optional rather than as not needed.

Is the website in English?

Not confirmed on datacvr.virk.dk, which served a challenge page in English rather than the register. virk.dk is titled Virk with Danish body text, so English coverage is partial.

What’s the turnaround time?

Unknown. No turnaround time could be read behind the block; confirm at source.

Is there an API?

No official API could be confirmed on datacvr.virk.dk. https://cvrapi.dk, titled Simpelt API til CVR data, is a third-party site rather than Erhvervsstyrelsen, and datahub.virk.dk no longer resolves.

What you legally cannot do

CVR data is public by statutory design, but use is still bounded by Danish and EU law:

• GDPR applies to personal data. Director names, addresses, and personal identification numbers appearing in CVR records are personal data under GDPR (Regulation 2016/679). Systematic collection and processing of personal data from CVR for purposes beyond the legitimate compliance purpose requires a documented legal basis. Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest) is the most common basis, but proportionality applies.
• Reklamebeskyttelse (marketing protection) is legally binding. If a company record carries the reklamebeskyttelse flag, using that company’s contact details for unsolicited direct marketing is prohibited under Danish Marketing Practices Act (Markedsforingsloven). This applies regardless of whether the data was sourced from CVR or elsewhere.
• Bulk re-publication of CVR data as a competing database requires a specific data use agreement with Erhvervsstyrelsen under the Public Sector Data Act (Lov om videreanvendelse af den offentlige sektors informationer), which implements EU Open Data Directive requirements.
• Annual reports are public record but are protected by copyright held by the filing company. They can be cited and used for compliance analysis; wholesale reproduction as a commercial product is not permitted without authorization.

Confirm FATF listing at fatf-gafi.org. Beneficial ownership access could not be confirmed behind the block on datacvr.virk.dk.

Practical tips for foreign users

• CVR-nummer is the single key identifier. The 8-digit CVR-nummer (for example, 12345678) is the unique, permanent identifier for every registered entity. It does not change on name changes or address changes. When verifying a Danish counterparty, always confirm by CVR-nummer rather than company name alone.
• P-nummer tracks physical locations. If a company operates from multiple sites, each site has its own P-nummer (production unit number). The P-nummer is useful for supply chain due diligence and for identifying specific sites within a group.
• Beneficial ownership could not be confirmed behind the block, so public access to reelle ejere is not stated here; confirm at source.
• Annual reports could not be confirmed behind the block; confirm at source.
• IVS is discontinued. The IVS (Ivaerksaetterselskab) low-capital private limited form was discontinued for new registrations in 2019. Existing IVS entities were required to convert to ApS by 2021; an IVS with an active status after 2021 warrants additional checking.
• Status “under frivillig likvidation” means voluntary winding-up. This status indicates the company is in the process of being dissolved voluntarily. The company retains legal capacity during this period but is not trading normally. “Slettet” means struck off.

Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly

CVR’s statutory openness could not be re-confirmed, because datacvr.virk.dk blocked automated checks rather than serving its search.

• OpenCorporates: Indexes Danish CVR data and provides free company records at opencorporates.com, including entity histories. Useful for bulk lookups and integrations that benefit from OpenCorporates’ multi-jurisdiction API.
• BRIS portal: For EU cross-border queries, basic CVR data is available through the BRIS network in standardized format, useful for multi-jurisdiction workflow integration.
• Local data suppliers (see section below): Bisnode and Creditsafe add payment behavior, credit scores, and monitoring on top of CVR data. Whether the CVR search itself is free could not be confirmed; confirm at source.

Local data suppliers

• Bisnode Denmark (bisnode.dk). Part of the Bisnode/D&B Nordic network, Bisnode Denmark provides credit reports, risk scores, and monitoring services layered on CVR and private data sources. Commonly used by Danish and Nordic financial institutions for counterparty risk assessment. Offers API-based delivery alongside individual report ordering.
• Soliditet (soliditet.dk). A Scandinavian business information provider with deep coverage of Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian companies. Provides credit scores, payment default data, and monitoring. Solid coverage of the SME segment and widely used by Danish trade creditors.
• Creditsafe Denmark (creditsafe.com/dk). Creditsafe’s Danish entity is part of the global Creditsafe network. Provides Danish company credit reports with English-language delivery, real-time CVR monitoring, and sanctions/PEP screening. Used by compliance teams that need Danish coverage integrated with multi-jurisdiction European data.

FAQ

How do I find a Danish company’s CVR number?

A name search returning matching entities, CVR-nummer, legal form and address could not be confirmed, because datacvr.virk.dk blocked automated checks, and virk.dk is a hub rather than a search page. CVR numbers also appear on official Danish company documents, VAT invoices (as the SE-nummer, which is the same as the CVR-nummer for most entities), and public filings.

Does the CVR include annual reports?

Not confirmed behind the block, so annual-report download is not described here; confirm at source.

What is the reklamebeskyttelse flag on a CVR record?

Reklamebeskyttelse (literally “advertising protection”) is an opt-out flag that a company can set in its CVR record to indicate it does not wish to receive unsolicited commercial communications. Under the Danish Marketing Practices Act, using a company’s contact information for unsolicited direct marketing when this flag is set is a violation. Data buyers who use CVR data for marketing purposes must screen against this flag.

Does Denmark have a beneficial ownership register?

Not confirmed behind the block, so public beneficial ownership access is not described here; confirm at source.

Is Denmark on the FATF grey list?

Confirm at fatf-gafi.org. This guide does not restate a listing it could not read.

What is the difference between an A/S and an ApS in Denmark?

An A/S (Aktieselskab) is the Danish public limited company form, requiring a minimum share capital of DKK 400,000. It may have its shares publicly traded. An ApS (Anpartsselskab) is the private limited company form with a minimum share capital of DKK 40,000, and its shares are not publicly tradeable without restriction. Most Danish SMEs use the ApS structure. Both are registered in the CVR and have the same public disclosure obligations for annual accounts under the Financial Statements Act, adjusted for size class.

What does “under frivillig likvidation” mean in the CVR?

It means the company is in the process of voluntary liquidation. The owners have decided to wind down the company in an orderly manner without a court-ordered insolvency process. During this period, the company retains legal capacity but is not carrying on normal business. The liquidator’s information appears in the CVR record. This is distinct from “konkurs” (bankruptcy), which indicates a court-managed insolvency proceeding.

Last verified: 2026-09-04. Sources: datacvr.virk.dk, which blocked automated checks; virk.dk, titled Virk; cvrapi.dk, a third-party Simpelt API; datahub.virk.dk, which no longer resolves. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.