Palau company search: Registrar of Corporations (palaugov.pw)

TL;DR. Palau’s company registry is administered by the Office of the Registrar of Corporations under the Ministry of Finance in Ngerulmud. https://www.palaugov.pw loads as a government hub, “Your guide to finding and using Palau National Government services”, but it carries no company-search form: its site search filters posts, pages and notices, not a company register. No fees are published, so the table below reads unknown rather than free; confirm at source. Palau uses the US dollar, and no account is needed because there is no search to sign in to. The Asian Development Bank’s country page at https://www.adb.org/countries/palau/overview is titled Palau: In-Depth. FATF publishes its black and grey lists at fatf-gafi.org, and the increased-monitoring list of 19 June 2026 does not name Palau.

What is the official Palau business registry?

The Republic of Palau’s Office of the Registrar of Corporations is responsible for company registration and corporate record-keeping under the Business Corporations Act. The registry operates within the Ministry of Finance, located in Ngerulmud, the national capital, on the island of Babeldaob.

Palau became a sovereign nation in 1994 following a unique process: it was the last United Nations Trust Territory administered by the United States to gain independence. The Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the United States, in effect since 1994 and extended under updated compact terms in 2023, provides for US defense obligations, economic assistance, and the right of Palauan citizens to live and work in the United States.

Palau uses the US dollar as its official currency, having no independent national currency. The economy is heavily dependent on tourism (particularly dive tourism in Palau’s UNESCO-listed marine environment), US compact funding, and fisheries.

The Business Corporations Act governs both domestic corporations and foreign companies registered to operate in Palau. Foreign investment is subject to a foreign investment approval process administered by the Foreign Investment Board (FIB) under the Foreign Investment Act. For foreign-owned or foreign-controlled entities, the FIB approval is a separate but parallel requirement to company registration.

The government hub named in this guide is https://www.palaugov.pw, which loads in English. Linked pages include https://www.palaugov.pw/fib/, the Foreign Investment Board page carrying its mission, the Foreign Investment Act and FIAC forms, and https://www.palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/finance/, the Ministry of Finance page. None of them is a company-register search form.

What can you search?

No publicly accessible self-service company-register search appears on the PalauGov.pw hub or on the FIB and Finance pages. The hub’s site search filters the site’s own content rather than company names.

Through formal request to the Office of the Registrar of Corporations or the Foreign Investment Board, the following information may be available; confirm at source:

• Confirmation of entity registration and current status (active, dissolved)
• Registered corporation name and number
• Director names and registered office address
• Foreign Investment Board approval status (for foreign-owned entities)
• Annual filing status

Engaging a local attorney or corporate service provider in Koror is the practical approach when no self-service company search is on the hub.

How much does it cost?

No fee schedule and no payment methods are published on the PalauGov.pw hub, so the table above reads unknown rather than free; confirm at source.

Do you need a local account or ID?

The PalauGov.pw hub has no company-search form and no account gate. Written requests have been reported as needing no Palauan identity document; confirm at source.

Is the website in English?

Yes. The PalauGov.pw hub, the FIB page and the Ministry of Finance page are in English.

What’s the turnaround time?

Unknown. Written requests have been reported as taking several business days to two weeks; confirm at source.

Is there an API?

No. There is no API for programmatic access to Palau company data. The PalauGov.pw hub is an information site, not a data service.

What you legally cannot do

Use of registry data for purposes beyond the stated inquiry is not permitted under Palauan law and data handling standards. The Foreign Investment Act restricts the use of FIB application data; certified copies of approvals are issued only to the applicant entity or its authorized representatives. Document the KYC or due-diligence basis for each search as part of your audit trail.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• Tourism-sector dominance. The majority of commercially active corporations in Palau are linked to the tourism and hospitality sector.
• Foreign investment restrictions. Palau maintains sector-specific restrictions on foreign ownership. Confirming both company registration and FIB approval status is important for due diligence on foreign-invested entities.
• COFA regulatory alignment. Palau’s COFA relationship with the US means that US financial regulations (FinCEN, OFAC) apply to transactions involving US persons and US-dollar transactions with Palauan counterparties in the normal course.
• FATF. FATF publishes its black and grey lists at fatf-gafi.org, and the increased-monitoring list of 19 June 2026 does not name Palau; confirm at source.
• No beneficial ownership registry is published. Beneficial ownership declarations come from the counterparty, not from a Palau register.
• ADB. The Asian Development Bank’s Palau page at adb.org/countries/palau/overview is country programme material, not a Palau company search.

Alternatives if you cannot access the Palau registry directly

The PalauGov.pw hub is the published government address, and it is not a company-search form. No other official search address is published.

• Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PacLII) (paclii.org) publishes Palau legislation, including the Business Corporations Act and Foreign Investment Act. The site is reachable, though its Palau legislation pages are not summarised here; confirm at source.
• Direct company disclosure. Request certified copies of incorporation documents and FIB approval letters directly from the counterparty.
• OpenCorporates has limited Palau coverage due to the absence of a public digital registry.

Local data suppliers

No commercial credit bureau or business information provider offers retail access to Palau company data at scale. Local attorneys in Koror are the primary source of certified company information for foreign compliance buyers.

FAQ

Can a foreign company verify a Palau business remotely?

Not through a company-search form, because palaugov.pw carries none. Submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar of Corporations or the Foreign Investment Board, or engage a Koror-based attorney.

What entity types are registered in Palau?

Palau registers domestic corporations (under the Business Corporations Act), partnerships, sole proprietorships, and foreign companies. Foreign-owned entities may also require Foreign Investment Board approval depending on sector.

Does Palau have a beneficial ownership registry?

No beneficial ownership register is published on the PalauGov.pw hub; confirm at source.

Is Palau on the FATF grey list?

No. FATF publishes its black and grey lists at fatf-gafi.org, and the increased-monitoring list of 19 June 2026 does not name Palau; confirm at source.

What currency does Palau use?

Palau uses the US dollar (USD). There is no Palauan national currency.

Last verified: 2026-09-04. Sources: the PalauGov.pw hub, which carries no company-search form; palaugov.pw/fib/ and palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/finance/; the Asian Development Bank’s Palau country page; the FATF black and grey lists as of 19 June 2026. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.