What Is REGON?
Author: Domeny.ForSale editorial team Published
At a glance: REGON is Poland’s central register of national economy entities, maintained by the President of GUS, Poland’s central statistical office. The term also commonly means the identification number assigned to an entity in that register. It helps identify businesses and other organisations, but it is not a tax number, business licence or guarantee of reliability.
What REGON records
REGON covers more than commercial companies. Its scope includes legal persons, organisational units without legal personality, and individuals conducting business activity, along with local units covered by the register’s rules.
The register provides a structured record of entities for official statistical and administrative purposes. Depending on the entity, its record can include its name, address, legal form, ownership information, activity classification and relevant registration dates.
An activity classification describes the type of work an entity declares it carries out. It should not be treated as proof that the entity has every permit or professional qualification needed for that work.
In everyday conversation, someone asking for “your REGON” usually wants the identification number rather than information about the register itself.
What a REGON number looks like
A REGON number normally has nine digits for the main entity. A local unit, such as a separately recorded establishment or branch, has a 14-digit number linked to its parent entity.
For a 14-digit identifier, the first nine digits correspond to the parent entity’s REGON number. The remaining digits identify the local unit and include a check digit. Check digits help detect some typing errors; they do not establish that a business is active or trustworthy.
Keep the number as text when entering it into a spreadsheet or customer database. Otherwise, software may remove a leading zero and leave you with an incorrect identifier. When a form requests REGON, also check whether it needs the main entity’s number or a particular local unit’s number.
REGON, NIP and KRS serve different purposes
These identifiers can appear together in business records, but they are not interchangeable.
| Identifier | Main purpose | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| REGON | Identifies an entity in the statistical register | Can also identify a registered local unit |
| NIP | Identifies a taxpayer for tax administration | Does not by itself confirm VAT registration status |
| KRS | Identifies an entry in the National Court Register | Not every business is registered in KRS |
For example, a Polish sole trader generally appears in CEIDG, the business register for individual entrepreneurs, rather than KRS. That trader can still have both NIP and REGON numbers.
If a supplier gives you a REGON number, you can use it to cross-check identity details. If your question concerns VAT status, authorised company representatives or permission to conduct regulated work, you need the relevant tax register, business register or licensing source instead.
How to find and check a REGON number
Use the official REGON search service provided by GUS. Check the current search options and instructions on the official service, since the interface and available functions can change.
A practical verification process is:
- Obtain the identifier from the entity’s registration details or business documents.
- Search the official register using REGON or another supported identifier, such as NIP.
- Compare the registered name and address with the details supplied to you.
- Check whether you are viewing the main entity or a local unit.
- Investigate discrepancies before relying on the record for a contract or payment.
For example, if a supplier’s trading name differs from its registered name, ask which legal entity will sign the contract and issue invoices. A matching REGON record helps establish identity, but it does not verify bank-account ownership or financial health.
When you need to obtain or update REGON
For many businesses, REGON registration is connected to registration through CEIDG or KRS, rather than a separate standalone application. Other entities and particular changes may require direct contact with GUS.
This is general information about Poland’s registration system, not personalised legal or tax advice. Before filing, check the current official guidance for your entity type, including required forms, deadlines and how changes are transmitted between registers.
If you are completing a form today, first retrieve the official record and confirm that the number belongs to the exact entity or local unit requested.
See also: Fake Spotify email: how to spot it and what to do
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