KVK-nummer — what it means and where it is recorded
A KVK-nummer is the eight-digit registration number the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel, KVK) assigns to every entity entered in the Dutch trade register. It identifies the entity itself, not a person, and it is public: anyone can look up the holder's name, legal form and registered address. It is not a tax number.
The Dutch term and its English translation
The Dutch term for this identifier is KVK-nummer (Chamber of Commerce number, also called the trade register number). It is the number issued when an entity — a company, a foundation, a partnership, or a sole trader — is entered in the Handelsregister (Trade Register) kept by KVK. The working English translation used across cross-border practice is "Dutch Chamber of Commerce number" or simply "KVK number". It is distinct from the RSIN, a separate tax and social-insurance number issued in parallel to most legal entities, and from the identification number used for VAT.
Where it is recorded and who may see it
| Item | Recorded in | Held by | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| KVK-nummer | Handelsregister (Trade Register) | Kamer van Koophandel (KVK) | Public, on request, no interest needed |
| RSIN | Same register entry, linked field | KVK, shared with the tax authority | Public alongside the KVK-nummer |
| Filed annual accounts | Handelsregister | KVK | Public, once filing has taken place |
Under the applicable Dutch rules, registration in the Handelsregister is mandatory for the entity types listed above, and the register is open to public inspection; extracts can be ordered directly from KVK. No specific statutory article is confirmed for citation on this page, so the underlying basis is stated in this neutral form rather than by number.
Why it matters commercially
This sits inside corporate law and governance: a counterparty's KVK-nummer is the anchor for every check that follows, from matching a signatory's authority to tying together filings such as pledges and UBO entries. Quoting the wrong KVK-nummer, or the number of a dissolved or merged entity, means every downstream check attaches to the wrong file. Getting it wrong at drafting stage creates ambiguity about which entity is bound, and that ambiguity surfaces at the worst point: if the counterparty later fails to perform and the matter is brought before a Dutch court, the claimant must first establish, against the register, which entity it actually contracted with.
Worked illustration
A buyer in the Netherlands receives a supply agreement naming "Contractparty Trading B.V." with a KVK-nummer printed in the signature block. Before signing, counsel checks that number against the trade register and finds it belongs to a different entity of the same name, registered at a different address with a different sole director. The agreement is corrected before signature to name the entity that actually holds the assets being sold. No fact is invented here beyond the illustration; the check itself is what the register exists for.
Adjacent terms
Two terms are frequently confused with the KVK-nummer: the RSIN, and the entity's registered name at KVK, which need not match its statutory name exactly. For structures built around a public limited company, see the entry on the naamloze vennootschap (NV). Where a KVK-nummer needs to be checked against an exclusivity clause during a live transaction, see how exclusivity is recorded in a term sheet.
What this does not cover
- This entry does not cover the RSIN, the BSN, or VAT identification numbers, each of which is a separate register.
- It does not cover the procedure for correcting a Trade Register entry.
- It does not state the fee for an extract: that is a KVK tariff, not a court fee, and it changes independently of this page.
- It does not cover trade register equivalents outside the Netherlands.
Questions
Is the KVK-nummer the same as a VAT number?
No. The KVK-nummer identifies the entity in the Trade Register. VAT identification is issued separately and can differ in format and in the entity to which it attaches, particularly inside a fiscal unity.
Can a KVK-nummer change?
The number stays fixed to the trade register entry for the life of that entity. Where an entity converts, merges, or is succeeded by another, the successor receives its own number; the original entry is marked accordingly rather than reused.
Author
Sanne de Wit, structures, holding and tax. Sanne works on ownership chains, entity mapping and the register questions that sit underneath a transaction.
Where this leads
A structure question that starts with a single KVK-nummer usually ends with a full ownership chain: see a cross-border ownership chain report. The broader practice behind this entry is the corporate practice. Where the exit sits in a specific sector, the pattern for technology and SaaS groups is set out in the technology and SaaS exit page. A structure report from Nolthenius & Partners maps the entities behind a KVK-nummer, their filings and their directors: see a structure report.
Last legal review: 2026-09-23