Access to the register of beneficial owners

The register of beneficial owners (UBO register) is a mechanism designed to strengthen financial transparency and combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

To meet transparency requirements across the European Union, a major reform was introduced (European Directive No 2024/1640).

In France, this reform has changed the rules for accessing the UBO register from 31 July 2024. The aim is to balance financial transparency with respect for privacy.

Access without needing to demonstrate a legitimate interest

1. Competent authorities
   These authorities are mainly public institutions responsible for monitoring and investigating financial activities to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. In France, the main competent authorities include:

   • TRACFIN

   • Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)

   • Banque de France

   • Police and gendarmerie services

   • Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution (ACPR)

2. Obliged entities
   These professionals are subject to legal due diligence obligations to identify and report any suspicious transactions in the course of their work. They therefore have direct access to the UBO register in order to know more about the beneficial owners of the companies they deal with. The main obliged entities are:

   • Lawyers and notaries

   • Chartered accountants and statutory auditors

   • Banks and other financial institutions

   • Estate agents

3. Companies for their own beneficial owners
   Each company can consult the information relating to its own beneficial owners. If a company wishes to access its own register, it can request this directly by sending an email to certificatbe@infogreffe-siege.fr.

Access requiring demonstration of a legitimate interest

1. Companies for the beneficial owners of their counterparties

2. A company can also obtain information on the beneficial owners of its partners or counterparties, provided it can justify a legitimate interest.
   Example: A company considering a merger may request this information to better understand the ownership structure of the target company.

3. Journalists, researchers and civil society actors

4. Journalists, researchers and civil society organisations can access the register in the course of their work, provided they can demonstrate a legitimate interest.
   Example: A journalist investigating links between companies and public figures may access this information if they can prove it serves the public interest.

5. Any natural or legal person with a legitimate interest

6. Persons or entities not covered by the categories above can request access if they prove a legitimate interest.

To obtain access to UBO register data, several steps are required:

1. Creating an INPI account
   The first step is to create an account on the INPI website via the