KRS (Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy, the National Court Register) is Poland’s nationwide, public court register, run by district courts (registry courts) together with the Ministry of Justice. For most business entities, registration in the KRS is mandatory and determines whether a company can legally operate as a legal entity at all.

What’s in the KRS

The KRS is actually three registers in one system:

  • the register of entrepreneurs;
  • the register of associations, other social and professional organizations, foundations, and public healthcare institutions;
  • the register of insolvent debtors.

Data in the KRS is public and available online free of charge: no legal interest needs to be shown to look it up. An entry includes the company’s KRS number, its REGON and NIP numbers, legal form, registered address, share capital (if applicable), and the people authorized to represent the company along with how that representation works (e.g., jointly by two board members).

Who must register (companies) vs who doesn’t (sole traders/CEIDG)

Registration in the KRS is mandatory for companies under Polish commercial law and similar entities, including:

  • capital companies: Sp. z o.o., joint-stock company (S.A.), simple joint-stock company (PSA);
  • partnerships: general partnership (spółka jawna), professional partnership, limited partnership, limited joint-stock partnership;
  • foundations, associations, cooperatives, public healthcare institutions.

A sole proprietorship (JDG) is not registered in the KRS: individuals running a JDG register instead in CEIDG (the Central Registration and Information on Business), a completely separate register. Similarly, a civil partnership (spółka cywilna) itself has no KRS entry; its partners, as individuals, register in CEIDG.

If you register a company online through the S24 system, the company automatically receives its KRS number along with its REGON and NIP numbers.

How to check a business partner in the KRS

You can check a business partner for free through the official Portal Rejestrów Sądowych / KRS search tool run by the Ministry of Justice, available at ekrs.ms.gov.pl (a link to the search tool is also on the Ministry of Justice’s gov.pl page). You can search by:

  • KRS number;
  • NIP (tax ID) number;
  • REGON number;
  • company name.

Once you find the entity, you can immediately download a free current (or full) electronic extract, which has full legal effect on its own; no additional certification is needed.

Practical tip: before signing a contract with a new business partner, check the KRS to confirm the person you’re negotiating with is actually authorized to represent the company (and isn’t acting alone if the company’s articles require joint representation, e.g., two board members together).

Checking a company in the KRS registry onlineChecking a company in the KRS registry online

CRBR, the beneficial ownership register

CRBR (Centralny Rejestr Beneficjentów Rzeczywistych, the Central Register of Beneficial Owners) is a separate register linked to the KRS, introduced under anti-money-laundering (AML) legislation. While the KRS discloses data about the company itself (governing bodies, representation rules, capital), the CRBR discloses the individuals who actually control the company: its so-called beneficial owners (e.g., a majority shareholder, or someone controlling the company through a chain of subsidiaries).

Most companies registered in the KRS (Sp. z o.o., partnerships, S.A., PSA, and others) are required to report their beneficial owners to the CRBR, typically within a deadline counted from the date of KRS registration or a data change. Sole traders (JDG) and partners of a civil partnership generally aren’t subject to this obligation. Filings and searches in CRBR are done online, through the Ministry of Finance’s portal.

The initial filing deadline is 14 days from the date the company is entered in the KRS, and for any data change, 14 days from the date of the change. Missing the deadline, failing to update the filing, or submitting inaccurate data can result in a fine of up to PLN 1,000,000 for the company itself, and up to PLN 50,000 for a beneficial owner who failed to give the company the required data.

FAQ

Does a KRS extract have the same legal force as a court document?

Yes, an electronic printout from the KRS system has full legal effect as an official document and requires no additional certification.

Can I see a company’s history of changes in the KRS (e.g., a former management board)?

Yes, a “full extract” (as opposed to a “current extract”) shows the full history of entries, including data that has since been deregistered.

Does a civil partnership have its own KRS number?

No. A civil partnership is not registered in the KRS; its partners (individuals) register in CEIDG instead.

Bibliography and Legal Basis

Need help registering a company in the KRS or filing with the CRBR? Book a free consultation with our team.

Legal status as of: September 25, 2026.

Author: Walery Kusznirski, in-house legal practitioner at MojaFirma.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every situation depends on the specific contract and individual circumstances.