The business register in Albania is the Regjistri Tregtar (Commercial Register), a single national database maintained by the Qendra Kombëtare e Biznesit — QKB (National Business Center) and available online at qkb.gov.al. QKB has jurisdiction over the whole territory of the Republic of Albania and is the only institution that registers business activity, so companies, branches and self-employed traders all appear in the same register. Registration data are free to search, and every registered subject receives a unique identification number (NIPT) that also serves as its tax and social-insurance identifier.

The company registry in Albania

Albania operates a single, centralised commercial register. The Regjistri Tregtar (Commercial Register) is kept by the Qendra Kombëtare e Biznesit (National Business Center), a state administration body with legal personality established by Ligji nr. 131/2015 “Për Qendrën Kombëtare të Biznesit” (Law no. 131/2015 “On the National Business Center”), which merged the former National Registration Centre and National Licensing Centre. QKB operates under the minister responsible for trade, currently the Ministria e Ekonomisë dhe Inovacionit (Ministry of Economy and Innovation). The substantive rules on registration are set out in Ligji nr. 9723, datë 3.5.2007 “Për regjistrimin e biznesit”, i ndryshuar (Law no. 9723 of 3 May 2007 “On business registration”, as amended).

One register for companies and sole traders

There is no separate register for individual entrepreneurs. Article 22 of Law no. 9723 places in one and the same register commercial companies, natural persons carrying out an independent economic activity or a free profession, simple partnerships, branches and representative offices of domestic and foreign companies, savings-and-credit companies, mutual cooperation societies and any other subject that a special law requires to register. Article 18 provides for a single electronic database with an individual electronic file for each subject. Public search is performed through the register’s own portal at format.qkb.gov.al.

Related registers

QKB also administers two further registers: the Regjistri i Pronarëve Përfitues (Register of Beneficial Owners), created by Ligji nr. 112/2020 (Law no. 112/2020), and the Regjistri Kombëtar i Licencave, Autorizimeve dhe Lejeve (National Register of Licences, Authorisations and Permits). Non-profit entities — fondacione (foundations), shoqata (associations) and qendra (centres) — are not in the commercial register: under Ligji nr. 80/2021 (Law no. 80/2021) they are registered by the Tirana First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction, although they still report their beneficial owners to QKB. Albania has no regional registrars and no separate free-zone registers; service counters at municipalities and chambers of commerce are delivery points only.

Legal forms that can be registered in Albania

Commercial forms are governed by Ligji nr. 9901, datë 14.4.2008 “Për tregtarët dhe shoqëritë tregtare”, i ndryshuar (Law no. 9901 of 14 April 2008 “On entrepreneurs and commercial companies”, as amended), supplemented by special statutes for cooperative and financial forms. The register accepts the following:

  • Person fizik / Tregtar (Natural person / sole trader) — Article 2 of Law no. 9901. Unlimited liability with all present and future personal assets; the standard vehicle for self-employed traders, professionals and agri-business.
  • Shoqëri e thjeshtë (Simple partnership) — a Civil Code partnership registered under Article 22 of Law no. 9723; partners contribute and remain personally liable; used for non-commercial joint ventures and professional groupings.
  • Shoqëri kolektive — SHK (General partnership) — Article 22 of Law no. 9901. All partners are unlimitedly liable towards creditors; typical of small family and professional businesses.
  • Shoqëri komandite — SHKM (Limited partnership) — Article 56 of Law no. 9901. At least one unlimited partner and one partner liable only up to his contribution; used to combine an active manager with passive investors.
  • Shoqëri me përgjegjësi të kufizuar — SHPK (Limited liability company) — Article 68 of Law no. 9901. Members are not liable for company obligations and bear losses only up to their unpaid subscribed contributions; capital is divided into kuota (quotas). This is the dominant Albanian trading vehicle.
  • Shoqëri aksionare me ofertë private — SHA (Joint-stock company, private offer) — Articles 105 and 107 of Law no. 9901. Capital divided into shares; shareholders risk only the unpaid value of subscribed shares; used for larger closely held businesses.
  • Shoqëri aksionare me ofertë publike (Joint-stock company, public offer) — a distinct registered form under Article 105, subject additionally to securities legislation and to a higher minimum capital; used for companies raising capital from the public.
  • Degë e shoqërisë së huaj (Branch of a foreign company) — Article 9 of Law no. 9901 and Article 37 of Law no. 9723. No separate legal personality; the foreign parent bears liability for the branch’s permanent place of business in Albania.
  • Zyrë përfaqësimi (Representative office) — Article 9 of Law no. 9901. Shares the legal personality of the company it represents; promotes the company’s activity rather than generating income of its own.
  • Shoqëri e kursim-kreditit dhe unionet e tyre (Savings-and-credit company and unions thereof) — Article 22 of Law no. 9723 and Ligji nr. 52/2016. Member-owned cooperative financial institutions subject to financial supervision.
  • Shoqëri e bashkëpunimit të ndërsjellë (Mutual cooperation society) — Article 22 of Law no. 9723 and Ligji nr. 8088/1996. Members pool capital for mutual benefit within a defined territory.
  • Shoqëri e bashkëpunimit bujqësor — SHBB (Agricultural cooperation society) — Ligji nr. 38/2012. The Albanian agricultural cooperative, registered with QKB like any other subject.

No commercial company form has been abolished under the current text of Law no. 9901; what changed institutionally is that the former Qendra Kombëtare e Regjistrimit (National Registration Centre) ceased to exist in 2015 and its functions passed to QKB, so older references to “QKR” should be read as references to QKB.

Information available from the Albanian business register

Albania operates one of the more open registers in the region. Under Article 66 of Law no. 9723, any interested person may search the electronic database free of charge for every registered datum, with the single exception of the residential address of individuals. Article 70 confirms that searches, extracts and copies of accompanying documents may be obtained at the electronic counter without electronic identification wherever identification is not otherwise required.

The free public search returns, and allows filtering by, the subject’s NIPT, registered name and trade name, legal form, date of registration, object of activity, ownership type (fully Albanian, fully foreign, joint or state-owned), county and city, and the names of administrators, partners and shareholders. Every registration is additionally published within one day in the Buletini i Njoftimeve Zyrtare të Regjistrimit (Official Registration Notices Bulletin) on QKB’s website; under Article 61 that publication is the official publication of the entry.

The register also holds the documents that companies must file: annual financial statements with the management and audit reports, appointments of statutory auditors and liquidators, and acts of dissolution, transformation, merger, division and reorganisation (Article 43). Joint-stock companies file the full list of registered shareholders together with the annual balance sheet. Financial statements must be deposited no later than seven months after the end of the financial year (Article 46). These filings are not confidential, but they are obtained as copies of accompanying documents under Articles 67 and 68 rather than through the free search.

What is restricted

Two categories are closed. First, the residential addresses of natural persons are excluded from free searching under Article 66 and are released only on an identified request under Article 67. Second, beneficial ownership data are only partly public: Article 7 of Law no. 112/2020 makes freely accessible the beneficial owner’s name and surname, citizenship, year and month of birth, date of designation, and the type and percentage of direct or indirect ownership. All remaining beneficial-owner data are reserved to the reporting subject itself, to competent state authorities and to AML-obliged entities; any other person must demonstrate a legitimate interest, and QKB may refuse disclosure where the beneficial owner is a minor or lacks capacity, or where disclosure would expose him to a disproportionate risk of fraud, kidnapping, extortion, harassment or violence. Voluntarily supplied contact data such as telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are treated as personal data and are not released.

Documents that can be obtained from the register

  • Ekstrakt i thjeshtë i regjistrit tregtar (Simple extract of the commercial register) — the subject’s current registered data: NIPT, name and trade name, legal form, date of establishment, seat and places of business, object, capital, partners or shareholders with their holdings, administrators with their powers and terms, and status. The standard proof of existence and of who may sign for the company, used for banks, tenders, notarial deeds and contracts.
  • Ekstrakt historik i regjistrit tregtar (Historical extract of the commercial register) — the complete chronology of every entry made since initial registration, including all changes of name, seat, object, capital, ownership and management, together with deposited acts and balance sheets. Used for due diligence, litigation and reconstruction of ownership chains.
  • Certifikatë e regjistrimit (Registration certificate) — issued under Article 62 with the name, legal form, NIPT, date of initial registration and the address of the place of business. A separate certificate is issued for each place of business and must be displayed there; a duplicate is available if it is lost or damaged.
  • Vërtetim regjistrimi (Registration confirmation) — issued after any subsequent registration, stating the action performed and its date; evidence that a specific filing, such as a change of administrator or capital, has taken effect.
  • Certifikatë për rezervimin e emrit (Name reservation certificate) — confirms that one or more company names have been reserved for a future registration.
  • Kopje e vërtetuar e dokumenteve shoqëruese (Certified copy of accompanying documents) — certified copies of the deed of incorporation, statute, partner and shareholder decisions, deposited annual financial statements, management and audit reports, and liquidation or reorganisation acts. Used for court, notarial, banking and cross-border legalisation purposes.
  • Buletini i Njoftimeve Zyrtare të Regjistrimit (Official Registration Notices Bulletin) — the official daily publication of all registrations effected, which produces the register’s effects towards third parties.
  • Ekstrakt i Regjistrit të Pronarëve Përfitues (Extract of the Register of Beneficial Owners) — available in simple and historical versions, showing the publicly accessible beneficial-owner data of a reporting subject. Used for AML and KYC checks, tender qualification and counterparty screening.
  • Shërbime dytësore (Secondary services) — tailored reports and statistics produced from the register on request, for example registrations and de-registrations over a period, breakdowns by legal form, ownership type, citizenship of partners, object of activity or county, and reports on deposited financial statements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the business register in Albania called?

It is the Regjistri Tregtar (Commercial Register), maintained by the Qendra Kombëtare e Biznesit — QKB (National Business Center) at qkb.gov.al. It is the only business register in the country.

Is the Albanian company register free to search?

Yes. Article 66 of Law no. 9723 gives any interested person free access to every registered datum except the residential addresses of individuals, through the public search at format.qkb.gov.al.

Are sole traders registered separately from companies in Albania?

No. Natural persons carrying out an independent economic activity are entered in the same commercial register as companies, under Article 22 of Law no. 9723.

Can I see who the beneficial owner of an Albanian company is?

Partly. The name, citizenship, year and month of birth, date of designation and percentage of ownership of a beneficial owner are public under Article 7 of Law no. 112/2020. Further details require a legitimate interest or a qualifying status such as an AML-obliged entity or state authority.

Are financial statements of Albanian companies available?

Yes. Companies must deposit annual financial statements with the register within seven months of the financial year end, and copies can be obtained as accompanying documents under Articles 67 and 68 of Law no. 9723.

What is a NIPT?

The Numër Unik i Identifikimit të Subjektit — NIPT (Unique Identification Number of the Subject) is assigned on registration under Article 60 and serves simultaneously for register, tax, social and health insurance and labour inspection purposes. It is issued once and never reused.

Sources

Keywords

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