To check a Danish company before you pay it, look it up in CVR, the official Danish company register, and confirm three things: the CVR number on the invoice matches the company, the status is active, and the VAT number is valid. Search any Danish company free on CheckBiz. If you want the full check in one place, order the report for €1.99 as a guest, with no account. Your next step is to find the CVR number on the invoice or the supplier’s website.
This guide is one step in How to verify a company in Europe before you pay it — the four checks to make in the official registers before you pay a new supplier.
- What is CVR, and where do you search it?
- What should you check first?
- What does a CVR record actually show?
- Which Danish register details are easy to misread?
- What can CVR not tell you?
- FAQ
What is CVR, and where do you search it?
CVR (Det Centrale Virksomhedsregister) is Denmark’s central business register, run by the Danish Business Authority (Erhvervsstyrelsen). Every Danish company gets an eight-digit CVR number when it registers, and the public record can be searched free at datacvr.virk.dk.
The CVR number is the key to everything else. A Danish company’s VAT number is simply “DK” followed by its CVR number, so the number on an invoice should lead you to exactly one company in the register.
What should you check first?
Before you pay a new Danish supplier, check these five things in order:
- The CVR number matches the name. Search the number from the invoice, not the name. Names can be similar; a number points to one company.
- The status is active. A ceased or dissolved company can still appear in search results.
- The VAT number is valid. Check “DK” + the CVR number in the EU’s VIES system. For Danish numbers, VIES returns the registered name and address, so you can compare them with the invoice.
- The address and legal form fit the story. A supplier that presents itself as an established manufacturer but is registered as a very new company at a different address deserves a question.
- The bank details belong to the same company. CVR does not show bank accounts. If the invoice asks you to pay a new account, confirm it by phone using a number you found yourself.
If you want these checks, plus sanctions screening, in a single report, search the company on CheckBiz and order the €1.99 report before you send money.
What does a CVR record actually show?
We read Danish company data directly from CVR. For a registered company, the record typically returns:
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Name and CVR number | Who the legal entity is |
| Registered address | Where the company is registered, not necessarily where it operates |
| Status | Whether the company is active, ceased or dissolved |
| Legal form | For example A/S (public limited) or ApS (private limited) |
| Industry code | The registered line of business, as a six-digit Danish industry code |
| Start date | When the company was registered |
| VAT registration | Whether the company is registered for VAT |
| Change history | Dated changes to name, address, legal form and industry |
Annual reports for Danish limited companies are public too. They are filed with the Danish Business Authority and can be downloaded free, with the accounting period and the date they were approved.
Which Danish register details are easy to misread?
Three details trip people up, and all three are visible in the raw register data.
Legal form comes as a code. Behind the scenes, CVR stores the legal form as a number. Code 60 means Aktieselskab (A/S) and code 80 means Anpartsselskab (ApS). A tool that maps these codes by hand can show the wrong form, so if an A/S appears as an ApS (or the other way round), look at the original record.
“Active” does not always mean trading. In CVR, a bankruptcy estate can have its own CVR number and its own “active” status while the estate is being wound up. The name usually gives it away: “konkursbo” or “konkursboet” means bankruptcy estate. If the name contains that word, you are not dealing with a normal trading company, whatever the status says.
Dissolved companies keep their records. A company that has ended shows a status such as “Ophørt” (ceased) or “Opløst efter konkurs” (dissolved after bankruptcy). The record stays searchable, which is useful, but it means a search hit on its own proves nothing. Always read the status.
The change history is worth a glance too. A recent change of name, address and industry, all at once, is not proof of anything, but it is a good reason to ask the supplier what changed.
What can CVR not tell you?
CVR confirms who a company is and whether it is registered. It does not tell you:
- whether the person contacting you actually works for the company
- whether the bank account on the invoice belongs to the company
- whether the company is on a sanctions list
- whether the company will deliver what it promised
That is why a register check is the first step, not the only one. For cross-border payments, also read what an EU VAT number check proves, and what it doesn’t, and the supplier scam red flags you can check in the company register. Buying from the UK as well? See how to check a UK company on Companies House.
CheckBiz combines the Danish register data with VAT validation, sanctions screening, registry filings, LEI and an adverse media review in one report. See what we cover by country and how a check works.
In short: find the CVR number on the invoice, confirm the name, active status and VAT number match, read the name for words like “konkursbo”, and verify any new bank details by phone before you pay. Search the company free on CheckBiz; the full report costs €1.99.
FAQ
Is a CVR search free?
Yes. The Danish Business Authority’s CVR search at datacvr.virk.dk is free, and so is searching a company on CheckBiz. The full CheckBiz report costs €1.99 per company.
How do I find a Danish company’s VAT number?
Take the eight-digit CVR number and put “DK” in front of it. You can then check the number in the EU’s VIES system, which returns the registered name and address for Danish numbers.
What does it mean if a Danish company’s status is “Ophørt”?
It means the company has ceased. Its record stays in CVR, so it still shows up in searches, but you should not pay a new invoice from a company with that status.
Can a company in bankruptcy show as active in CVR?
A bankruptcy estate can be registered with its own CVR number and an active status while it is being wound up. Look for “konkursbo” or “konkursboet” in the name.
What is the difference between A/S and ApS?
Both are limited companies. A/S (aktieselskab) is a public limited company and ApS (anpartsselskab) is a private limited company. In the register data they appear as legal form codes 60 and 80.
Do I need an account to order a CheckBiz report?
No. You can buy a full company report as a guest. It is a one-off purchase with no subscription, and the report link stays active for 30 days (see pricing). Your next step: search the supplier free on CheckBiz and order the €1.99 report before you send the money.
This content was generated with artificial intelligence.
Read also: Can you check a European company against sanctions lists without an account?