Kbis Extract (Company Registration Certificate)
The Kbis extract is the official document certifying the legal existence of a commercial company in France. Issued by the clerk of the commercial court, it serves as the company's official "identity card" and contains all information registered with the Trade and Companies Register (RCS). It is the French equivalent of a Certificate of Incorporation in the UK or Articles of Organization in the US.
The Kbis extract compiles essential company information: business name, legal form, registered office address, share capital, identity of directors and officers, SIREN and SIRET numbers, APE code, and any ongoing insolvency proceedings. It is the only official document proving a company's registration with the RCS and is accepted as authoritative by government agencies and business partners.
In KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures, the Kbis extract is systematically required when establishing a business relationship with a legal entity. It enables verification of the company's legal existence, identification of its legal representatives, and detection of potential red flags such as liquidation or deregistration. Anti-money laundering directives and regulatory bodies such as the ACPR mandate this verification for financial institutions and regulated professions.
Automating Kbis verification through artificial intelligence significantly accelerates onboarding processes. Solutions like CheckFile.ai automatically extract key data from the document, cross-reference it with official databases, and detect potential forgeries, thereby reducing the risk of document fraud. Similar documents exist in other jurisdictions: the Handelsregisterauszug in Germany, the KVK-uittreksel in the Netherlands, and the Certidao Permanente in Portugal.
Regulations
Real-world examples
- 1.A bank requires a Kbis extract issued within the last three months before opening a business account for a newly incorporated French company.
- 2.An auditing firm verifies the Kbis extract of a client company to confirm the identity of the managing director and the declared share capital before accepting an audit engagement.
- 3.A crowdfunding platform automatically validates the Kbis extract of each project sponsor to confirm the company's legal existence before listing a funding campaign.