Search facility access on the RBO Register only available to Designated Persons.

A Designated Person is defined by Section 25 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, as amended by the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Act 2018.

Information filed by a company on the RBO is no longer available to view after filing. If you have been asked for a copy of your beneficial owner’s report by a financial or credit institution, you are being asked for details of your internal beneficial ownership register.

Access to the RBO Register will be restored to Designated Persons pending receipt of the BEN3A1 Designated Persons Administration Declaration form (provided below).

The RBO will create a new master account to act as an administrator account, and access to your teams will be provided by sub accounts to that main account.  Access for your teams can be set up at the same time or at a later stage.

For the RBO to provide access to a master account you will need to:

  1. Appoint an authorised administrator on the BEN3A1 Admin Declaration Form, available here
  2. Administrator to complete and submit the subuser template, available here

 

Please complete and return the Admin Declaration Form (BEN3A1) and the sub user template, if required, by email to discrepancies@rbo.gov.ie and you will be notified when access to the RBO Reports has been granted.

 

If you have funds in your original RBO user account this can be transferred to your new “_DP” Admin Account.

Please email both your old and new AC account numbers to the discrepancies@rbo.gov.ie and put “Account Transfer Request” into the subject line to easily identify your request.

The Admin _DP access account issued is a brand new account created for the purpose of accessing the RBO Reports only.

This is different from the usual account and if you need to file beneficial ownership information you should use your original account.

How to search for data in the RBO Portal

Information on the beneficial ownership of an entity can only be accessed via the RBO Portal.

To view, you must first register and open an account in the RBO Portal.

Once registered, you can log into your RBO account, then search the relevant entity using the search facility at the top of the page.

Access to the beneficial ownership information is restricted in accordance with the recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Only Designated Persons can access the RBO Reports.

The general public can search for the entity and the number of beneficial owners filed.

A video on “How To” search and purchase beneficial ownership details is available here: Search for Beneficial Ownership Details

On searching for the relevant entity, you will be presented with the option to purchase.

Please check the Profile (right hand side of the page) for details of the company, including whether the entity has beneficial ownership details. If the Number of Beneficial Owners is zero, then no beneficial ownership details have been registered for this entity.

Please see the How to Search and Purchase Beneficial Ownership details video on the How-To page of this website.

Please check the number of beneficial owners in the company profile as you will still be charged for a report even where there are no beneficial owners registered for that company.

 

After searching for the relevant entity, you will be presented with the option to purchase.

Please check the Profile (right hand side of the page) for details of the company, including whether the entity has beneficial ownership details. If the Number of Beneficial Owners is zero, then no beneficial ownership details have been registered for this entity.

    • ● Click on the ‘Standard’ option under the Reports section
    • ● Click on the ‘Add to Cart’ button
    • ● To proceed to Checkout, click on the trolley icon at the top of the page, beside your profile
    • ● Click on the ‘Go to Checkout’ option

After check you have the correct entity(ies), confirm by clicking on the Continue button

  • ● Confirm your name and email address
  • ● Select the Credit Card option
  • ● Enter your debit/credit card details
  • ● Click on the ‘Pay Now’ button –

 

This may take a few moments, please do not refresh or click on the back arrow as you may be charged twice.

Please see the How to Search and Purchase Beneficial Ownership details video on the How-To page of this website.

Please check the number of beneficial owners in the company profile as you will still be charged for a report even where there are no beneficial owners registered for that company.

29th July 2022 – Payment by customer account will be available. Top ups can only be made using a credit/debit card.

Your purchased Beneficial Ownership reports will be available on your main dashboard or in the Orders on the left-hand menu. Click on the download button and select either to save or open.

The Registrar has determined in accordance with Regulation 27 of Statutory Instrument 110/2019 that the fee for access to the central register (ie to purchase a beneficial ownership report) is €2.50, payable only by debit/credit card.

Please check the number of beneficial owners in the company profile as you will still be charged for a report even where there are no beneficial owners registered for that company.

29th July 2022 – Payment by customer account will be available. Top ups can only be made using a credit/debit card.

Beneficial Ownership reports can only be purchased using a debit/credit card, or by topping up a customer account.

29th July 2022 – Payment by customer account will be available. Top ups can only be made using a credit/debit card.

Please check the number of beneficial owners in the company profile as you will still be charged for a report even where there are no beneficial owners registered for that company.

Tier One: Unrestricted access includes access to the following RBO data in respect of each beneficial owner (including senior managing officials):

  • ● Forename and Surname.
  • ● Date of birth.
  • ● Nationality.
  • ● Residential address.
  • ● a statement of the nature and extent of the interest held by each beneficial owner, or the nature and extent of control exercised by, each such beneficial owner.
  • ● the date on which each natural person was entered in the relevant entity’s own register as a beneficial owner and the date on which each person ceased to be a beneficial owner of the entity,
  • ● Details of the presenter making the entry in the RBO on behalf of the company i.e. forename and surname, address, phone number, e-mail address and capacity in which they are filing.

 

Tier Two: Restricted access includes access to the following RBO data:

  • ● Forename and Surname.
  • ● Month and Year of birth.
  • ● Nationality.
  • ● Country of residence.
  • ● A statement of the nature and extent of the beneficial interest held or control exercised.

 

Parties entitled to “restricted access” cannot see the day of birth or address of the beneficial owner.

The Register of Beneficial Owners has been set up under anti-money laundering legislation and as such is legally separate from the Register of Companies. Therefore, a CRO Customer Account cannot be used to purchase data from the RBO. Payment for data on the RBO is via debit/credit card only.

For Payment by Customer Account please see the section below on how to top up a customer account.

29th July 2022 – Payment by customer account will be available. Top ups can only be made using a credit/debit card.

Please check the number of beneficial owners in the company profile as you will still be charged for a report even where there are no beneficial owners registered for that company.

Please see the section below – Customer Account Top Up for more details.


29th July 2022 – Payment by customer account will be available. Top ups can only be made using a credit/debit card.

Please check the number of beneficial owners in the company profile as you will still be charged for a report even where there are no beneficial owners registered for that company.

Designated persons can access RBO data through an on-line portal on the RBO website –www.rbo.gov.ie.

In the portal there is a facility to search for a company or society and purchase a “RBO Report of Beneficial Owners/Controllers”.

The Report will include a list of the current beneficial owners of the company/society and the following data in respect of each one:

  • ● Forename and Surname.
  • ● Month and Year of birth.
  • ● Nationality.
  • ● Country of residence.
  • ● A statement of the nature and extent of the beneficial interest held or control exercised.

 

An RBO Report of Beneficial Owners/Controllers costs €2.50 to buy and payment can only be made by credit/debit card.

The blue banner at the top of the application has the facility to search for a company, either by name or by company number.

Access to information

Regulations 24 and 25 of SI 110/ 2019 provides for two types of access to beneficial ownership information in the central register – “unrestricted access” and “restricted access”.

Consequently, there are two tiers of access to data in the RBO.

Tier One: unrestricted access to RBO data will be provided to authorized officers of the following organisations:

 

and

 

The Garda Síochána, Revenue Commissioners, competent authorities and CAB may disclose the information in the central register to any corresponding competent authority of another Member State (Regulation 24(9), SI 110/2019).

 

Tier Two: Restricted access to RBO data is available to:

  • ● designated persons required by Part 4 of the 2010 Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act to conduct customer due diligence tests (e.g. financial institutions, accountants, auditors, tax advisers, legal professionals and dealers in expensive goods such as houses, cars, jewelry, etc.)

 

Public Access:

  • ● in accordance with the recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union only the entity profile is available, but will show the number of beneficial owners filed.

Yes, where the beneficial owner is a MINOR (ie under 18 years of age), Regulation 25(5) of SI 110/2019 requires that their beneficial ownership details be exempt from direct access by designated persons and members of the public, unless a designated person or member of the public provides, in writing, to the Registrar a summary of the grounds on which he/she considers it is in the public interest that that information be disclosed to him or her.

Authorised officers in the Garda Síochána, FIU, CAB, Revenue and competent authorities have unrestricted access to all RBO data including data related to minors (Regulation 24 refers).

The beneficial ownership details of minors is automatically withheld from access by the public and designated persons until they reach the age of 18. Apart from minors, there are no other exemptions.

A designated person or a member of the public may, under Regulation 25(5) of SI 110/2019, apply in writing to the Registrar to have access to information which relates to a minor who is a beneficial owner.

The requester must provide to the Registrar a summary of the grounds on which he/she considers it is in the public interest that that information be disclosed to him or her.

Such request can be emailed to: enquiries@rbo.gov.ie

No, the PPSN is only used to verify data as it is entered in the RBO – it is not recorded in the RBO and is not be shared with any third party.

As soon as the data filed with the RBO has been verified, the PPSN is immediately “hashed” using an irreversible computer algorithm and stored securely. Thereafter, it is not accessible by RBO staff or by any third party.

The reason for retaining a hashed version of the PPSN is to allow RBO to match future filings to existing individuals on the register with certainty and avoid duplication.

Regulation 24(9) of SI 110/2019 states as follows:

“Each of the following:

  1. 1. the Garda Síochána;
  2. 2. the Revenue Commissioners;
  3. 3. a competent authority;
  4. 4. the Criminal Assets Bureau,

 

 may disclose the information in the central register to any corresponding competent authority of another EU Member State”.

Any designated person or member of the public may, under Regulation 25(5) of SI 110/2019, apply in writing to the Registrar for access relating to the beneficial ownership details of a minor. Requests for access can be emailed to: enquiries@rbo.gov.ie

The requester must provide a summary of why they consider it is in the public interest for the requested information to be disclosed.

Restricted (“Tier Two”) access to RBO data is available to:

  • ● designated persons required by Part 4 of the 2010 Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act to conduct customer due diligence tests.

 

Restricted access includes access to the following RBO data:

    • ● Forename and Surname
    • ● Month and Year of birth
    • ● Nationality
    • ● Country of residence
    • ● A statement of the nature and extent of the beneficial interest held, or control exercised

 

Parties entitled to “restricted access” do not see the day of birth or address of the beneficial owner.

The following safeguards are in place:

  1. 1. The filing of beneficial ownership details can only be made via the RBO Online Portal – www.rbo.gov.ie – by a “Presenter” who has first registered as a user with the RBO.
  2. 2. Every submission is recorded along with information about who made the submission (the Presenter) and with the capacity in which the Presenter is acting.
  3. 3. In order to register, update or delete a beneficial owner, the Presenter must submit details including the beneficial owner’s Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), date of birth, name and address. The RBO validates these details by comparing them electronically with data held on the PPSN database of the Department of Social Protection (DSP).
  4. 4. If the details entered in the RBO do not match with DSP’s records, the submission is rejected and the intended beneficial owner is sent a letter notifying them that someone has attempted to file their personal information with the RBO.
  5. 5. Each relevant entity has a duty to ensure that the information entered in the RBO in respect of their company or society is accurate and current. The relevant entity has an obligation to amend the Register if the information on the Register is incorrect.
  6. 6. The RBO is a restricted register. Only Competent Authorities have full access and Designated Persons have restricted access to the beneficial ownership infromation held on the register. Members of the general public do not have access and can only view basic entity details and the number of beneficial owners filed.
  7. 7. If it comes to the attention of a relevant entity that a person has been added improperly as a beneficial owner of their company or society, the relevant entity can report this to the Registrar of Beneficial Ownership at discrepancies@rbo.gov.ie and, if the entity has reason to believe that the filing has been made maliciously or with ill-intent, to the Garda Síochána (Irish Police).
  8. 8. There is a multitude of state and non-state competent authorities and designated persons who are now legally obliged to inspect the RBO as part of their “customer due diligence”. These include, for example, accountants, auditors, solicitors, financial institutions and insurance undertakings.
  9. 9. The competent authorities and designated persons are legally obliged to report to the Registrar any discrepancy they see between the details in the RBO and the beneficial ownership information that is available to them. FAQ Number 15 sets out how to file a Discrepancy Notice with the Registrar.
  10. 10. Offences are prescribed in Statutory Instrument 110/2019 for filing false information, for failure of a relevant entity to file and maintain correct information on the Register and for failure of a designated person to report a discrepancy. The specific penalties for filing false information with the Register are as follows :
    1. 1. on summary conviction, a Class A fine or imprisonment for up to 12 months or both;
    2. 2. on indictment, a fine not exceeding €500,000 or imprisonment for up to 12 months or both.

Customer Account Top Up

  1. 1. Click on the Payments icon on the left-hand side of the RBO Portal.
  2. 2. Click on the Account Top Up button
  3. 3. Enter the amount, then click on Top Up
  4. 4. Confirm your ‘billing address’ details and click on the Continue to payments button on the bottom
  5. 5. Enter Credit/Debit Card details and click on Pay Now
  6. 6. If required for your records, click on Download Receipt


Please Note: 

The onus is on the person topping up to ensure the top up amount is correct as refunds are not available.

Partial refunds are also not possible.

  1. 1. Search for the required entity in the top search bar
  2. 2. Please check the number of beneficial owners filed for the entity as refunds are not available if you go ahead and purchase an RBO report where no beneficial ownership information has been filed
  3. 3. Click on Standard, which will open the Add to Cart option. Click to add to cart
  4. 4. When ready to purchase, click on the Cart icon at the top and the Shopping Cart will slide in from the right hand side of the screen – click on Checkout
  5. 5. On the Checkout screen, click on Continue
  6. 6. Confirm your details and click on Confirm and Continue
  7. 7. If paying by account please ensure the Account option is ticked, otherwise tick on the Credit Card option – Click on Pay by Account button at the bottom

To create a list of all RBO Reports purchased:

  1. 1. go to the Payments Section (icon on left hand side of the RBO Portal)
  2. 2. enter Start date (date from)
  3. 3. enter End date (date to)
  4. 4. select Type
  5. 5. click on download as a .csv file button at the bottom.

The information on the RBO Portal is held indefinitely.

Problems Purchasing RBO Reports

If you experience problems at the payments stage, please try the following

  • ● Clear your cache and browser history to reset your connection to the RBO Portal and clear old information
  • ● Clear your Cart and add a new Cart
  • ● Check you have allowed 3rd party cookies
  • ● Check you have not used an “&” or “()” in the name or address
  • ● Check that your Country Code is in line with your phone number
  • ● If your country is England, Wales, Scotland or Guernsey you should use the United Kingdom as the Country

If you still continue to experience difficulties, please email enquiries@rbo.gov.ie with a screenshot of the error.

Payments For Reports And Use Of Customer Accounts – Terms & Conditions of Use

  • Information on the beneficial ownership of an entity can only be accessed via the RBO Portal and is only available to Designated Persons.
  • Access to beneficial ownership information is restricted following the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (C37/20).
  • To view, you must first register and open an account in the RBO Portal.
  • Once registered, you can log into your RBO account, then search the relevant entity using the search facility at the top of the page.
  • The general public can search for the entity and the number of beneficial owners filed.

  • The Registrar has determined in accordance with Regulation 27 of Statutory Instrument 110/2019 that the fee for access to the central register (ie to purchase a beneficial ownership report) is €2.50, payable only by debit/credit card.
  • Please check the number of beneficial owners in the company profile as you will still be charged for a report even where there are no beneficial owners registered for that company.

  • Beneficial Ownership reports can only be purchased using a debit/credit card, or by topping up a customer account.
  • Details and how-to’s for making a payment or topping up is available in the Access section on the main website.
  • Please check the number of beneficial owners in the company profile as you will still be charged for a report even where there are no beneficial owners registered for that company.

  • A Customer account is now available for Designated Persons for the purchase of RBO reports for their financial due diligence and anti-money laundering compliance.
  • The customer account can be topped up by debit/credit card only.
  • Details and how-to’s for making a payment or topping up is available in the Access section on the main website.
  • Please check the number of beneficial owners in the company profile as you will still be charged for a report even where there are no beneficial owners registered for that company.

  • The Register of Beneficial Owners has been set up under anti-money laundering legislation and as such is legally separate from the Register of Companies.
  • Therefore, a CRO Customer Account cannot be used to purchase data from the RBO.
  • Payment for data on the RBO is via debit/credit card only.

  • As the number of beneficial owners filed for an entity is available on the main profile screen prior to the decision to purchase a Report, including if no beneficial ownership information has been filed, no refunds are available.
  • The onus is on the presenter/customer/purchaser to check this information prior to the decision to purchase a Report, even if the report contains no beneficial ownership information.
  • The onus is on the person topping up to ensure the top up amount is correct as refunds are not available.
  • It is not possible to provide partial refunds if a customer account has been incorrectly topped up.
  • However, in the event of an issue on the RBO Portal where duplicate payments are taken, the RBO will then refund upon receipt of a statement of same.
  • Please note: this does not include duplicate or multiple payments where the reports are for different entities.
  • A general access RBO user account for the purposes of filing beneficial ownership information should not have the facility to purchase an RBO report, however refund is available if you have topped up a customer account but you are not a Designated Persons.
  • Alternatively, if you have topped up the general access account, this can be transferred to the Designated Persons Access Account for the purchase of RBO Reports.