This page contains the list of help topics for the CRO Search Site. All features of the Search Site are covered here. If you require any further
assistance, please contact the Information Unit in the CRO at info@cro.ie, or by using the other contact details
available on the Contact Us page.
Please note that this page is currently only available in English.
How do I search for a Company?
Go to the Company Search page. To get information on a company or business name, enter its name or number.
Please define name searches as precisely as possible - you are searching the LIVE CRO database which is very heavily used.
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What type of Companies can I search for?
You can search the register of Companies and Business Names or both at the same time.
The register of Companies contains all limited companies. The register of Business Names is a register of
trading names that have been adopted by an individual a partnership or a body corporate.
You cannot search for Industrial & Provident Societies, Friendly Societies, Trade Unions or EEIG’s.
A pdf file copy of the Limited Partnership register is available on the site. See Publications & Forms section.
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How does the Company Name search work?
A search can be made against a company or a business name. A business name is a trading name adopted by an
individual or company/partnership. You can check by exact match or use the Alphasort search, which removes punctuation and spaces.
There are four possible name searches:
- 'Contains all these words' searches for names containing these words (recommended)
- 'Starts with this phrase' searches for names beginning with this phrase
- 'Contains this phrase' searches for names containing this phrase.
- The alphasort search below is a string created by removing common words such as 'Ireland', 'Limited', 'The', 'And', etc. and by stripping out spaces, commas, hyphens, etc. from the company name.
To perform an alphasort search you should do the same.
Name searches may be narrowed by including address details.
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How does the Alphasort Option work?
You can check by using the Alphasort search, which removes punctuation, gaps between words and common words such as "Ireland" "Limited" and "The".
The alphasort search can be used for example where "THIS-IS. A. TEST Limited" is being searched for. Simply enter
"Thisisatest" in the Alphasearch. The "–" and "." are removed. Where looking for a company named
"THE TRIED LOOKING & TESTED Limited", simply enter "Triedlookingte" to find the business.
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What should I do if I cannot find the Company I am looking for?
If you cannot find the details of the Company you you are looking for, try using the Alphasort option on the Search page. The Alpha Sort search
option removes punctuation, spaces, and words such as “of” and “the” from the search.
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Can I include Address in the Search?
Yes. However, to search using address, the name parameter must also be used. This refines the search to a particular area.
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Is there anything I should be aware of when searching by Company Number?
Yes - You can search for a company or business name using Company Number. Companies with numbers greater than 900000 are
external companies - Companies incorporated abroad but which have registered a Branch or Place of Business in Ireland.
Please note, that when searching by Company Number, we must insist on you answering a security question to prevent any automatic
screen scraping robots from capturing all of the CRO data.
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What type of documents can I purchase using the Search website?
You may purchase Company Printouts and any documents that we have stored electronically for a company. Almost all documents in the CRO
are scanned soon after they are received, and these may be purchased by you.
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What are the file types in which I can order Documents?
Company printouts are only available as PDF files. To open a PDF, you will need to download Adobe Reader from the Adobe website.
All other documents can be ordered as either PDF or TIF. A TIF may be opened using an Image Viewer such
as Microsoft Picture and Fax Viewer, Microsoft Document Imaging, or any similar application. Most PCs will have an application installed
which will allow you to view TIF files.
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What are the charges for the various types of documents?
Charges for documents are currently as follows:
Company Printout - €3.50
Submission Documents - €2.50
Duplicate Certificates - Free. These are intended for public sector use only. Please refer to Web Duplicate Certificate help.
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What is the reference required when entering my email address?
The reference entered can be used to identify your purchase if you need to contact the CRO and
retrieve a document you did not receive. It will also be used as in Subject for the email you will receive after making a purchase.
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How long should I wait to receive documents?
Electronic documents are usually delivered by email within 1 hour of ordering.
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Is it possible to order free Web Duplicate Certificates?
Yes. You may order free Web Duplicate Certificates from the Web Duplicate Certificate screen. These are for public sector use only.
To order the Web Duplicate Certificate, you must know the Company Number or Business Name number. You will then be asked to verify the
Company/Business Name, and enter your email address.
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I would like to open a CRO Account. How should I do this?
To open a CRO Account for the purpose of purchasing documents or online filing, please refer to theinstructions on opening a deposit account.Form a/c1 must be completed and sent into the CRO with payment.
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What should I do if I forget my Account Login details?
If you know your Customer Number, but you cannot remember your PIN, you can arrange to have your Login details emailed to you.
Enter your Customer Number and the Email Address associated with your account on the Forgot Login page.
Your details will be emailed to you within 10 minutes.
If you cannot remember your Customer Number or the Email Address that you normally use with your account, you will need to
contact the Information Unit in the CRO by telephone at 00353 (0)1 8045200 or Lo Call 1890 220 226. (Please note that call rates
may vary among service providers when calling 1890 numbers)
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Why am I sometimes logged out of the CRO website after a few minutes of inactivity?
As a security measure to protect your account, you will be logged out of the Search Site after a period of
more than 5 minutes. Any items which may be in your Basket will also be cleared out if no action is taken within
5 minutes.
What Credit cards are accepted by the CRO?
The CRO accepts Visa, MasterCard and Laser.
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