Nauru Registrar of Corporations: Government Hub, No Self-Service Search

TL;DR. Nauru’s company registration is administered by the Department of Justice and Border Control. https://www.nauru.gov.nr is online, titled The Government of the Republic of Naoero - The Government of the Republic of Nauru. It is the government’s own website: its search box posts to /search-results.aspx and searches that site, and there is no self-service company-register form on it. No Australian dollar fees are published; confirm at source. The FATF site at https://www.fatf-gafi.org is online, and Nauru’s NCCT listing in 2000 and removal in 2005 remain historical context rather than a statement of its current listing.

What is the official Nauru business registry?

Nauru is the world’s third smallest country by area (21 square kilometers) and one of its smallest by population (approximately 10,000-11,000 residents). Company registration is administered by the Department of Justice and Border Control under the Corporations Act 1972 (and subsequent amendments). The registry is located in Yaren, Nauru’s de facto capital (Nauru has no officially designated capital city).

Nauru’s commercial history includes a material offshore financial sector that developed in the 1990s. At its peak, Nauru was reported to have registered hundreds of offshore shell banks and thousands of offshore corporations, primarily used by non-residents for tax planning and financial structuring. This offshore boom attracted international attention for its role in facilitating money laundering and financial crime, culminating in Nauru’s placement on the FATF Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories (NCCT) list in 2000.

FATF blacklisting had severe consequences for Nauru. International correspondent banks severed relationships with Nauru-based banks. The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued special measures against Nauru under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, requiring US financial institutions to apply enhanced scrutiny to any transactions involving Nauru. Other jurisdictions applied similar measures.

In response, Nauru enacted major legislative reforms between 2003 and 2005. The offshore banking sector was effectively shut down. The shell company regime was substantially restricted. Nauru was removed from the FATF NCCT list in 2005 following these reforms. The US Section 311 special measures were also subsequently revoked.

Nauru’s current FATF listing is not stated here; check the current lists at https://www.fatf-gafi.org. The commercial registry that survives the 2003-2005 reforms is described as a small domestic company registry. Nauru uses the Australian dollar (AUD) as its official currency. The government site is https://www.nauru.gov.nr, and it is not a company-register search form.

What can you search?

There is no publicly accessible self-service search portal on https://www.nauru.gov.nr. Its search box posts to /search-results.aspx and searches the government site. A company register cannot be queried independently from that page.

Through a formal request to the Department of Justice and Border Control, the following has been reported as available; confirm at source:

• Confirmation of entity registration and current status
• Registered company name and number
• Director names (where current filings exist)
• Date of incorporation
• Registered office address

Given the collapse of Nauru’s offshore sector and the legislative reforms of 2003-2005, many formerly registered shell entities have been dissolved or struck off. The surviving registry represents a small domestic commercial sector.

How much does it cost?

No Australian dollar figures are published on nauru.gov.nr, so the table above reads unknown rather than free; confirm at source.

Do you need a local account or ID?

There is no online account system on the government site. Written requests to the Department of Justice and Border Control have been the usual path, and no web form for that request is published; confirm at source.

Is the website in English?

Yes. The government site is in English, but it is not a company-register search.

What’s the turnaround time?

Unknown. No turnaround for a company-register extract is published. Several business days to weeks has been reported; confirm at source.

Is there an API?

No API or digital company-register search function is on nauru.gov.nr.

What you legally cannot do

Use of registry data for purposes beyond the stated inquiry purpose is not permitted. Given Nauru’s AML/CFT history, compliance buyers should document all searches and the purpose for which each search is conducted, as part of a defensible audit trail. This is particularly important if the Nauru-connected entity is subject to regulatory scrutiny.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• Historical FATF blacklisting: understand the context. Nauru was placed on the FATF Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories (NCCT) list in 2000 — the FATF’s highest-severity designation at that time — for failing to enact laws against money laundering and for maintaining an offshore financial sector with insufficient regulatory controls. The US PATRIOT Act Section 311 measures applied against Nauru were among the most severe financial sanctions available. Nauru’s removal from the NCCT list in 2005 followed legislative reform and the effective dissolution of the offshore sector. Counterparties referencing “Nauru-registered” entities, particularly ones that predate 2005, are treated as a heightened-risk indicator in most institutional frameworks, with current standing verified.
• Current FATF status not confirmed here. The NCCT listing in 2000 and the removal in 2005 remain historical context; check the current lists at fatf-gafi.org.
• Offshore sector essentially defunct. The shell bank and offshore corporation industry that characterized Nauru in the 1990s was dismantled. If a counterparty presents an “offshore” Nauru incorporation as a structuring vehicle, treat this as a material red flag requiring immediate escalation. The surviving domestic registry is for local businesses.
• AUD currency. Nauru uses the Australian dollar; all fees and local payments are in AUD.
• No beneficial ownership register. No public beneficial ownership search could be found.
• ADB context. The Asian Development Bank provides development assistance to Nauru focused on transport, energy, and public financial management. ADB country documents at adb.org/countries/nauru/overview provide useful context on Nauru’s governance and economic environment.

Alternatives if you cannot access the Nauru registry directly

• FATF. Check the current lists at fatf-gafi.org. No Nauru country page is cited here.
• Direct disclosure. Request certified incorporation documents and director declarations directly from the Nauru-connected entity. For entities claiming to be incorporated in Nauru, requesting a certified registry extract from the Department of Justice and Border Control via the entity’s own legal counsel is the most defensible approach.

Local data suppliers

No commercial credit bureau or business information provider with verified retail access to Nauru company data is operating at scale as of May 2026. Given Nauru’s small domestic commercial sector, the Department of Justice and Border Control is the only primary source.

FAQ

Why was Nauru blacklisted by FATF?

Nauru was placed on the FATF Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories (NCCT) list in 2000 because it failed to enact effective anti-money laundering legislation and maintained an offshore financial sector (hundreds of shell banks and thousands of shell companies) with essentially no regulatory oversight. The offshore banks and companies registered in Nauru during the late 1990s were widely used for money laundering, tax evasion, and concealment of illicit funds. Nauru was removed from the list in 2005 after enacting AML laws, signing the Egmont Group’s financial intelligence requirements, and shutting down the offshore banking sector.

Is Nauru on the FATF grey list today?

Nauru’s current listing is not stated here. It was on the NCCT list in 2000 and removed in 2005. Check the current lists at fatf-gafi.org.

What entity types are registered in Nauru?

Under the Corporations Act 1972 and subsequent amendments, Nauru registers domestic companies including private limited companies and public companies. The offshore bank and shell company frameworks of the 1990s were substantially dismantled by 2005. The surviving registry covers local trading and service businesses.

Does Nauru have a beneficial ownership registry?

No public beneficial ownership search could be found.

What currency does Nauru use?

Nauru uses the Australian dollar (AUD) as its official currency. There is no Nauruan national currency. All government fees and local transactions are in AUD.

Last verified: 2026-09-04. Sources: nauru.gov.nr, the government website, whose search box searches that site rather than a company register and which publishes no fees; and fatf-gafi.org. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.