Registry scope and authority
Latvia maintains an official business registry (sometimes described as a commercial register, companies register, or trade register). The registry records core legal data for registered entities within the jurisdiction and publishes parts of that data for public access under national law.
Registry responsibilities can be centralised or distributed across courts or administrative bodies. Always treat the official portal and any issued extract as the authoritative source, and review the portal’s legal notices for scope and limits.
Common identifiers used in practice
- National registration number: the identifier assigned when an entity is registered in the national register.
- VAT number: tax identifier for value-added tax purposes, typically written with the country prefix LV followed by a national format.
- Other reference numbers: some systems also use internal filing, court, or establishment identifiers for specific document types.
What registry records usually include
Public registry entries commonly expose a subset of the following fields (availability differs by entity type and national rules):
- Legal name and registered office address
- Legal form and registration date
- Registration status (active, dissolved, liquidation, etc.), where published
- Representation details (directors, managers, authorised signatories), where published
- Filings and announcements (changes, annual accounts, mergers), where published
How to access the official portal
- Confirm the entity’s jurisdiction (registered office is the key reference).
- Use the official portal or the EU directory that links to official national portals.
- Search by registration number when available; name searches may require exact spelling.
- Open the entity record and review the last update / filing timestamps shown by the register.
Official portal directory: Use the European e-Justice Portal’s “Business registers” section to reach the official entry point for Latvia and other EU member states. This helps avoid unofficial intermediaries.
Extracts and documents
Many registers allow you to view a summary record online and, separately, request or purchase an extract (sometimes called an “official extract”, “certificate”, or “report”). Extracts may exist in multiple forms: current status, historical status, or filing-specific documents. Fees and delivery methods depend on national rules.
If you need an official document for legal or banking purposes, request it from the official registry portal and keep the receipt / reference number provided by the system.
Interpretation notes
- Name similarity: identical or similar names can exist; use the registration number to avoid mismatches.
- Timing: registries reflect filings; there can be delays between a real-world change and its publication.
- Translations: registry interfaces and documents are often in the national language; machine translation can help navigation but is not a legal translation.