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What a company registry search shows and does not show

Last checked: 20 October 2026 · Explainers

A company registry search shows what the company has filed with the state registrar. In the United Kingdom, Companies House offers free company information including the registered office, filing history, accounts, officers and charges 1. Shareholder and beneficial owner data is handled differently. Nigeria publishes core data on persons with significant control free of charge 3. Uganda allows inspection on application and payment 5. Rwanda's law gives access to competent authorities 6.
UK basic search
Free company information 1
Nigeria electronic search, view only
₦1,000 per entity 2
South Africa disclosure certificate
R30 4
Uganda record search, companies register
UGX 25,000 8
Ghana search, companies register
GH₵30.00, excluding charges and insolvency 9

Basic company details and officers

Companies House in the United Kingdom describes its free service as covering the registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges and business activity 1. It lets users search for disqualified directors and order certificates and certified documents 1.

In South Africa, CIPC counts basic company information as one record in its data extracts, and each director or auditor as one more record 4. In Nigeria, the CAC sells historical search reports on directors and officers, on shareholding and on charges 2.

Shareholders and filings

Shareholding data is not always in the basic search. The CAC prices a historical search report on shareholding at ₦10,000 for private companies and ₦20,000 for public companies 2. Filings such as annual returns and resolutions are kept as documents on the register. URSB in Uganda charges UGX 35,000 for a record search on its register of documents and UGX 35,000 to certify a company document 8.

Certified copies cost extra. CIPC charges R20 to certify a copy of a document on a company file and R50 for a certificate relating to company information 4.

Beneficial owners

Rwanda's companies law defines a beneficial owner as the natural person who in the end owns or controls a legal entity 6. Thresholds and access rules differ by country 3,5 6,7.

CountryThresholdWho can see it
Nigeria 3At least 5% of shares or voting rights, or control tests 3The public, free, for listed fields 3
Ghana 710 percent, or 5 percent in high-risk sectors 7The public, for name, month and year of birth, place of birth, ownership percentage and PEP declaration 7
Uganda 5No percentage set, final ownership or control 5Any person on application on Form 3 and payment of UGX 25,000 5
Rwanda 6At least 25% of shares or voting rights 10Competent authorities 6

What a search does not show

  • Residential addresses are often withheld. Nigeria's PSC form marks the residential address as not for publication 3.
  • Some free searches are partial. Ghana's ORC says its free online name search is not a full search of its database 7.
  • Registry data is only as good as what is filed and checked. Uganda's regulations require the registrar to verify the identity of every beneficial owner and to keep the particulars correct as far as possible 5. Rwanda's Registrar General verifies the accuracy of beneficial owner information companies submit 6.
  • Beneficial owner data may be closed to the public. Rwanda's amended companies law gives access to competent authorities and has no public access provision 6.

Checking before you rely on a search

Note the date of the search and the source of each item. A registry page can change or go offline. Registries sell certified copies and official certificates, which carry more weight than a screen view 1,4.

Common questions

Does a company search show who owns the company?

It depends on the country. Nigeria publishes core data on persons with significant control free 3. Rwanda gives beneficial owner access to competent authorities 6.

Is a company search free?

Some are. Companies House offers free company information 1. Nigeria charges ₦1,000 for a full electronic search, view only 2.

Does a company search show home addresses?

Not always. Nigeria's PSC form marks the residential address as not for publication 3.

What is a certified copy?

A copy the registry certifies as matching its file. CIPC charges R20 per certified copy for a company 4.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.

Sources

  1. Companies House: Search the register (read 20 October 2026)
  2. Corporate Affairs Commission: Summary of Fees (undated)
  3. Corporate Affairs Commission: Persons with Significant Control Regulations, 2022 (published January 2023)
  4. CIPC: Search our registry, with disclosure fees (read 20 October 2026)
  5. Uganda Gazette: Companies (Beneficial Owners) Regulations, 2023, Statutory Instrument 1 of 2023 (6 January 2023)
  6. Official Gazette: Law N° 019/2023 of 30/03/2023 amending Law N° 007/2021 governing companies (30 March 2023)
  7. Office of the Registrar of Companies: FAQ (no date shown, read 20 October 2026)
  8. URSB: Business, Company and Document Registration Fees (no date shown, read 20 October 2026)
  9. Office of the Registrar of Companies: Fees (2026)
  10. Official Gazette: Instructions of the Registrar General N° 001/2023/RG determining the threshold for identification of the beneficial owner (31 March 2023)

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