Workflow checklist
- Identify the registry. rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt
- Check access requirements. Account required: Yes. Local ID required: No.
- Plan budget. Price range: USD 3.00-74.00. Payment methods: Credit card, Online banking.
- Anticipate friction. Captcha / 2FA: Unknown. English UI: Yes.
- Plan turnaround. Expected: 1-3 business days.
- Verify recency. Last verified: 6 May 2026. Confirm current pricing at the official registry before submitting.
TL;DR. Trinidad and Tobago’s official business registry is the Companies Registry, operated by the Registrar General’s Department under the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Online access is through the Companies Registry Online System (CROS) at rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt. An account with a Companies Registry Account (CRA) Identity PIN is required. The interface is English. Trinidad and Tobago was removed from the FATF grey list in February 2020, and removed from the EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions in February 2026.
What is the official Trinidad and Tobago business registry?
The Companies Registry is maintained by the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), which operates under the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs. Statutory authority derives from the Companies Act Chapter 81:01 and the Registration of Business Names Act Chapter 82:85.
The RGD launched the Companies Registry Online System (CROS) on 1 February 2023, replacing the previous paper-heavy process with an e-service platform covering company incorporation, business name registration, annual return filing, and public record search. The main CROS portal is at rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt and the electronic filing portal is accessible at legalaffairs.gov.tt/electronicreg.php.
The registry covers limited liability companies, partnerships, limited partnerships, external companies (foreign company branches), and registered business names. Trinidad and Tobago’s commercial activity spans oil and gas, financial services, manufacturing, and regional trading operations. Port of Spain is the primary financial centre.
What can you search?
CROS supports public record searches by:
- Company name (full or partial)
- Company registration number
- Business name
- Non-profit organisation name
Per entity, available data includes: registered name, registration number, date of incorporation, entity type, registered address, status (active, struck off, dissolved, in liquidation), and officer names. Filing history (annual returns submitted) is also accessible through the account interface.
Data is updated on a filing-event basis. CROS is designed for real-time processing of electronic filings, so changes filed through the system should be reflected promptly after acceptance by the Registrar.
How much does it cost?
| Item | Cost (TTD) | Cost (USD, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Company name reservation | TTD 25 | ~USD 4 |
| Business name registration | TTD 75 | ~USD 11 |
| Company incorporation (limited company) | TTD 200 to 500 | ~USD 30 to 74 |
| Public record search (via CROS) | TTD 25 to 100 | ~USD 4 to 15 |
| Certified extract / certificate | TTD 100 to 300 | ~USD 15 to 44 |
Fees are based on published TTBizLink and Registrar General’s Department schedules as of early 2026. The TTD/USD rate used: approximately TTD 6.75 = USD 1 (verify at point of purchase). Search and document fees are modest by international standards. Name reservation at TTD 25 (~USD 4) is among the lower-cost entry points in the Caribbean compliance registry market.
Do you need a local account or ID?
Yes, an account is required. CROS uses a Companies Registry Account (CRA) system. Registration requires personal information (name, email, date of birth), identity document details (such as a passport, acceptable for foreign users), and a photo. The RGD verifies submitted details before issuing login credentials and a unique CRA Identity PIN.
The verification process takes a few business days. Foreign compliance buyers can complete registration using a passport as the identity document. No Trinidad and Tobago national identification or BIR (Board of Inland Revenue) number is required.
For assistance, the RGD CROS helpdesk is contactable at croshelpdesk@gov.tt or by telephone at (868) 223-AGLA (2452).
Is the website in English?
Yes. CROS and all RGD digital services are fully English. Trinidad and Tobago’s official language is English. All search interfaces, form labels, status fields, and document outputs are in English.
What’s the turnaround time?
Name searches and public record queries return results immediately through CROS. Certificate and certified extract orders typically process within one to three business days. CROS is designed for electronic turnaround without requiring an in-person visit, though complex or historical requests may take longer.
For entities incorporated before the CROS launch (pre-February 2023), some historical records may not yet be fully digitised. In these cases, the RGD may require an in-person request or additional processing time to retrieve physical files.
Is there an API?
No public API is available from the Registrar General’s Department as of May 2026. CROS is a portal-based system without a documented developer API or bulk data download facility. The TTBizLink portal (ttbizlink.gov.tt) coordinates business process integration across government agencies but does not currently expose a public registry API for company search. Screen scraping CROS is not permitted under the system’s terms of use.
What you legally cannot do
The RGD’s terms of use for CROS and Trinidad and Tobago’s Data Protection Act 2011 apply:
- Automated bulk extraction of registry records via scraping is prohibited
- Certified extract documents may not be commercially redistributed without RGD authorisation
- Use of registry data for unsolicited marketing or spam is not permitted
- Personal data of Trinidad and Tobago residents processed through CROS is subject to the Data Protection Act 2011
Compliance buyers conducting KYC or AML checks should document the stated purpose of each registry search. The Data Protection Act 2011 applies to processing of personal data; ensure your data handling aligns with its requirements for cross-border data transfers.
Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers
- Company number is the anchor identifier. Each registered entity is assigned a unique company number at incorporation. This number remains constant and is the most reliable identifier for cross-referencing across Trinidad and Tobago government databases. Company names can be changed; the company number does not change.
- CFATF membership. Trinidad and Tobago is a founding member of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), the FATF-Style Regional Body for the Caribbean. The CFATF secretariat is based in Port of Spain. This regional context means that mutual evaluation and AML/CFT oversight for T&T follows CFATF methodology in addition to FATF standards.
- FATF grey list status. Trinidad and Tobago was placed on the FATF grey list in November 2017 and was removed in February 2020, making it the first CFATF member to exit the list. As of May 2026, T&T is not subject to increased FATF monitoring. See fatf-gafi.org for current status.
- EU tax non-cooperative list removal. Trinidad and Tobago was on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes until February 2026, when it was removed after meeting agreed international tax transparency standards. This removal is material for EU-based compliance buyers who apply EU Council list screening to counterparty onboarding.
- Annual returns. Companies must file annual returns with the RGD. Non-filing results in a compliance flag on the CROS record and can lead to striking-off. Review the annual return status of any counterparty as part of due diligence. For a broader due diligence workflow, see the global due diligence guide.
- Oil and gas sector context. Trinidad and Tobago’s economy is dominated by petroleum and petrochemical industries. Counterparties in energy, LNG, and related supply chains are common. Sector-specific licensing and regulatory permits are held by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) separately from the Companies Registry.
Alternatives if you cannot access the Registrar General’s Department directly
- Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates indexes Trinidad and Tobago filings but lags official data. Useful for a quick name check; not for compliance-grade verification.
- TTBizLink (ttbizlink.gov.tt): the government’s integrated business portal, which links to CROS and other agency systems. Useful as a navigation point to identify the correct registry for a specific business process.
Local data suppliers
- mybiztt.com (mybiztt.com). A private platform offering company search and incorporation services in Trinidad and Tobago, operating as a CROS-adjacent service. Useful for initial screening; confirm results with a certified RGD extract for compliance purposes.
Use the Registrar General’s Department and CROS for the authoritative legal filing record. Use a local legal or accounting firm when you need credit risk context or payment behaviour data beyond the registry extract.
FAQ
Can a foreign company access the Trinidad and Tobago registry directly?
Yes. CROS is accessible online to any user worldwide. Foreign compliance buyers can create a CRA account using a passport as identity documentation, complete the verification process, and access the public record search and document order functions. No local TT identity document is required.
What is the company registration number in Trinidad and Tobago?
Each company registered with the RGD receives a unique company registration number assigned at the time of incorporation. This number appears on the certificate of incorporation and is the primary identifier used across government systems. Business names registered under the Registration of Business Names Act receive a separate registration number series.
What entity types are registered with the Companies Registry?
The registry covers limited liability companies (private and public), unlimited companies, limited partnerships, partnerships, external company registrations (branches of foreign companies), and registered business names. Non-profit organisations are also registered. The Companies Act Chapter 81:01 governs companies; the Registration of Business Names Act Chapter 82:85 governs business name registrations.
Does Trinidad and Tobago have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?
Trinidad and Tobago has enacted beneficial ownership disclosure requirements under its AML/CFT framework, consistent with FATF Recommendation 24. However, a fully public UBO registry accessible online does not exist as of May 2026. Beneficial ownership data is held by regulated financial institutions and the Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (FIUTT). For UBO verification, engage a local compliance officer or legal counsel with access to the relevant supervisory channels.
How current is the data in the Companies Registry?
CROS is designed for real-time processing of electronic filings. Changes submitted through the CROS portal are reflected in the public record promptly after the Registrar accepts the filing. For historical records predating the February 2023 CROS launch, data may be less complete. The RGD is progressively digitising legacy records.
Is Trinidad and Tobago on the FATF grey list?
No. Trinidad and Tobago was removed from the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring in February 2020, making it the first CFATF member country to exit the grey list. As of May 2026, T&T is not subject to increased FATF monitoring. T&T also removed from the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes in February 2026. Current FATF status is at fatf-gafi.org.
What’s the difference between the Companies Registry and the BIR?
The Companies Registry (RGD) handles company formation, annual returns, and corporate law compliance. The Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) handles tax registration and income tax filing. A company incorporated with the RGD must separately register with the BIR for tax purposes. The company registration number and the BIR file number are different identifiers; both may appear in a compliance file for a T&T entity.
Last verified: May 2026. Source: Registrar General’s Department of Trinidad and Tobago (rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt); FATF country page (fatf-gafi.org); EU Council press release on EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions, February 2026 (consilium.europa.eu). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.