TL;DR. New Zealand’s official company registry is the Companies Register, operated by the Companies Office under MBIE. Searching is free and requires no account. Any foreign buyer can look up company names, company numbers, directors, and shareholders at no cost via companiesoffice.govt.nz. The site is fully English, data is current to the filing date, and an API is available for bulk access.
What is the official New Zealand business registry?
The Companies Office, a business unit of New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), administers the Companies Register under the Companies Act 1993. The primary search portal is available at companiesoffice.govt.nz. MBIE is the statutory authority responsible for company incorporation, filing obligations, and registry data publication across more than 25 separate registers.
All New Zealand-incorporated companies receive a company number at registration. From 2012, New Zealand also introduced the New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) as a cross-government identifier. Most government and commercial systems now use the NZBN, though the internal Companies Register number remains the primary registry key.
As of March 2026, the register holds records for approximately 750,000 companies. Historical records for many entities extend to the early 1990s when the current digital registry was established. Overseas companies registered to operate in New Zealand also appear on the register.
What can you search?
The Companies Register supports several search paths:
- Company name (partial match supported; returns ranked results)
- Company number (exact match; fastest lookup for known entities)
- NZBN (New Zealand Business Number)
- Director or shareholder name (cross-entity search across the full register)
- Address keywords (useful when the entity name is unknown)
- Entity status filter (registered, in administration, removed)
Data visible at no cost on a company profile includes: registered company name, company number, NZBN, entity type, registered office address, status (registered, in liquidation, in receivership, removed), date of incorporation, principal place of business, share structure (share classes and total shares), list of directors (name and appointment date), list of shareholders (name and share count for most companies), and filing history (annual returns, director changes, constitution updates).
Document downloads (constitution, share register, annual return PDFs) are available from the filing history view. These have historically been free. A fees review was initiated by MBIE in May 2025, so charges for some document types may be introduced after Cabinet approves final proposals. Verify current pricing at companiesoffice.govt.nz before relying on free access in a production workflow.
How much does it cost?
Searching the Companies Register and viewing company profiles is free. No credit card or payment method is required. All profile data, director lists, shareholder information, and filing history are accessible at no cost.
| Item | Cost (NZD) | Cost (USD, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Company name or number search | Free | Free |
| Company profile view (directors, shareholders, status) | Free | Free |
| Document download (constitution, annual return) | Free (pending fee review) | Free |
| Bulk data download (subscription) | Contact MBIE | Contact MBIE |
| API access | Contact MBIE data services | Contact MBIE data services |
Pricing note: MBIE ran a consultation on new fees from May to June 2025. Any new charges will require legislative approval. As of May 2026, document downloads remain free. Verify at companiesoffice.govt.nz before building a paid workflow assumption.
NZD/USD conversion used: 0.60 (approximate, May 2026).
Do you need a local account or ID?
No account is required to search the register or view company profiles. Any user can access company data without registering.
A RealMe account (New Zealand’s government digital identity system) is required only for filing and maintaining company information (such as updating directors or lodging an annual return). RealMe is available to New Zealand residents and citizens. Foreign users have no need for it in a read-only compliance context.
There is no New Zealand-specific ID requirement for search access. No NZBN or local tax identifier is needed to look up another entity.
Is the website in English?
Yes. The Companies Register portal and all related pages are fully English. Search results, entity status labels, filing type names, and document metadata are presented in English. There is no Maori-language interface for the register itself, though MBIE’s broader website includes bilingual branding consistent with New Zealand government conventions.
What’s the turnaround time?
Data is available instantly. Company profiles load in real time, and filing history downloads are available immediately once a file is selected. There is no manual fulfilment step.
Data freshness depends on filing activity: director changes, address updates, and share structure changes appear within one to two business days of the Companies Office processing the lodgment. Annual returns typically reflect the filing date shown on the document.
Is there an API?
Yes. The Companies Office offers API connections and bulk data services under its data services programme. Available data service types include register searches, bulk data downloads (subscription-based), and custom data extracts. Details are documented at companiesoffice.govt.nz/data-services.
For production compliance workflows requiring automated lookups, contact the Companies Office data services team directly to discuss access tiers and terms. Screen scraping the public portal is not recommended and likely falls outside the permitted-use terms.
What you legally cannot do
The Companies Office Terms of Use and the Companies Act 1993 set limits on how registry data may be used:
- Bulk commercial redistribution of registry data without MBIE’s written permission is not permitted
- Automated scraping of the public search portal is outside permitted use
- Using director or shareholder personal data for unsolicited marketing is prohibited under New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020
- Representing registry data as independently verified when it is simply republished is misleading under the Fair Trading Act 1986
Compliance buyers using data for customer due diligence (CDD), UBO verification, or AML monitoring are within permitted use. Compliance buyers should document the stated purpose of each fetch as part of their internal audit trail, consistent with the registry’s permitted-use framework and New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 obligations.
Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers
- NZBN is the cross-system anchor. The NZBN (New Zealand Business Number) is a 13-digit identifier used across government and commercial systems from 2012. If you have an NZBN from another New Zealand government source, use it to search the register directly. Company names can change; the NZBN and company number do not.
- Director search is open. Unlike some registries, New Zealand’s director search crosses the entire register. A single name search returns all companies where that individual appears as a director or shareholder, which is useful for connected-party analysis.
- Removed companies remain searchable. An entity with status “Removed” has been deregistered but its record remains visible. A removed company cannot enter contracts, but its historical filings are accessible.
- Overseas companies show limited data. Companies incorporated offshore but registered to operate in New Zealand appear on the register under their overseas registration details. Their home-country filing obligations are not captured here.
- Constitution is often filed. Many New Zealand companies file a constitution with the register. Where available, download it to understand share classes, director powers, and any transfer restrictions before completing a transaction.
- FATF compliance context. New Zealand is a FATF (Financial Action Task Force) member and has implemented AML/CFT obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009. Reporting entities in New Zealand (banks, law firms, accountants) are required to conduct CDD at onboarding. A registry extract from the Companies Register is the standard starting point for that process.
Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly
- OpenCorporates (opencorporates.com): indexes New Zealand company filings across 140+ jurisdictions. Useful for a quick name check or cross-border connected-party screen. Data lags the official register. Not suitable for compliance-grade primary-source verification.
- API access for platform-level bulk integration (see above).
Local data suppliers
If you need a packaged report rather than a raw Companies Register extract, New Zealand has a small set of established providers:
- Centrix (centrix.co.nz). New Zealand-owned and operated credit bureau with consumer credit data on approximately 95% of New Zealand consumers and most credit-active businesses. Offers business credit reports, beneficial ownership checks, director/shareholder information, PPSR searches, and portfolio monitoring. Uses a pay-per-use model with no joining fee, making it accessible to foreign buyers.
- Equifax New Zealand (equifax.co.nz). Operated by Equifax Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Equifax Inc (US). Holds data on approximately 600,000 companies operating in New Zealand. Provides business credit risk scoring, asset verification (property and motor vehicle ownership), fraud and identity solutions, and credit risk decisioning tools. Use Equifax NZ when you need a credit risk overlay on top of the registry filing.
- Experian New Zealand Operations Limited (experian.co.nz). Part of the global Experian group. Provides commercial credit information for entities across Australia and New Zealand, including trade line data, credit risk assessments, and account management solutions. Formerly accessible via illion.co.nz, which now redirects to experian.co.nz following a rebrand and acquisition.
Use the Companies Register for authoritative incorporation and ownership data. Use a credit bureau when you need payment history, credit scoring, or trade reference data layered on top of the filing record.
FAQ
Can a foreign company search the New Zealand Companies Register?
Yes. The register is publicly accessible without any New Zealand account or identity document. Any user can search by company name, company number, NZBN, or director name at no cost from any country.
Is the New Zealand Companies Register free to use?
Searching and viewing company profiles is free. As of May 2026, document downloads are also free. MBIE ran a consultation on introducing fees in 2025, and any new charges require Cabinet approval. Check companiesoffice.govt.nz for the current status before building workflows that assume free document access.
What identifier do New Zealand companies use?
New Zealand companies have two identifiers: an internal company number assigned at incorporation, and a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) introduced from 2012. The NZBN is the preferred cross-government identifier and is now shown on most government and commercial systems. Both identifiers appear on the Companies Register profile.
What information is available on directors and shareholders?
Director names, appointment dates, and (for most companies) residential addresses are publicly visible. Shareholder names and share counts are also public for most New Zealand companies. Address suppression is available to directors who apply under the Companies Act, but names remain disclosed.
How current is the data?
Data reflects filings to date. Director changes, address updates, and share structure changes typically appear within one to two business days of the Companies Office processing the lodgment. Annual returns reflect the filing date shown on the document.
Does New Zealand have beneficial ownership disclosure requirements?
Yes. New Zealand introduced beneficial ownership obligations through the Companies (Directors and Shareholders) Amendment Act and related AML/CFT legislation. Reporting entities must identify beneficial owners as part of CDD. The register itself shows registered shareholders; a beneficial owner who holds shares through a nominee may not appear on the face of the register. Additional due diligence is required for nominee structures.
Is the New Zealand Companies Register reliable for AML compliance purposes?
The register is the primary source document for legal entity verification in New Zealand. It is the standard starting point for CDD under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009. For full AML compliance, supplement the registry extract with a credit bureau report and any available UBO disclosure, particularly where nominee shareholders are present.
Last verified: May 2026. Source: New Zealand Companies Office (companiesoffice.govt.nz), Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (mbie.govt.nz), FATF (fatf-gafi.org).