How to find the directors and shareholders of a Cyprus company
Every Cyprus limited company must tell the Registrar of Companies who its directors, secretary and shareholders are, and file every change. Those filings are public records. This guide shows where each piece of information sits and how to get it.
Step 1: find the company and its registration number
Cyprus limited companies have a registration number starting with ΗΕ (often written HE), for example ΗΕ 123456. Search by the company name in Greek or English, or by the number. A free search confirms the exact registered name, the number, the company's status and any former names. Check the number before you rely on anything else, because several companies can have very similar names.
Step 2: know where each detail is recorded
The officers and shareholders appear in two places: the Registrar's company report, which summarises the current position, and the scanned forms the company filed over the years, which show the history.
| What you need | Where it appears |
|---|---|
| Current directors and secretary | Registry company report; form HE3 (first directors and secretary) and HE4 (every later change) |
| Former directors and secretaries | Registry company report (previous officers); the HE4 filings, which show who resigned or was appointed and when |
| Shareholders and their shareholdings | Registry company report; each HE32 annual return, which lists the members at its date |
| How shares were issued | HE12 returns of allotment; HE14 for increases in authorised capital |
| How shares changed hands | HE57 share transfer forms |
| Registered office | Registry company report; form HE2 |
Searching is free and needs no account. A complete company file costs €20 (the Registrar's €10 fee + €10 to ESearchCy) — and your first credit is free.
Step 3: trace changes over time
A current list is often not enough. For due diligence or a dispute you may need to know who ran or owned the company at a particular date. Read the forms in date order:
- Line up the HE32 annual returns year by year. Each one is a snapshot of the directors, secretary and members on its date.
- Use the HE4 filings to date each appointment and resignation between those snapshots.
- Use the HE12 allotments and HE57 transfers to see when someone acquired or gave up shares.
Filings are scanned as they were submitted, mostly in Greek. Names of people and foreign companies usually appear in Latin characters as well.
Registered shareholders are not always the real owners
The company file shows the legal shareholders, the names on the register of members. In Cyprus these are sometimes nominee companies or trustees holding shares for someone else. The people who ultimately own or control a company are recorded separately, in the Register of Beneficial Owners. Since a ruling of the EU Court of Justice in November 2022, public access to that register has been restricted. If you are an obliged entity for anti-money-laundering purposes, use the access route that applies to you, and ask the company for its ownership chain.
Doing it yourself, or ordering the file
At the Registrar, the documents are available through a paid file study (μελέτη φακέλου), ordered online with a CyLogin account for a €10 fee. You then open and save each document yourself.
ESearchCy carries out the same file study for you, with no CyLogin needed. You pay the Registrar's €10 fee yourself on JCC's secure page, plus €10 to ESearchCy. You receive every scanned document as a named, dated PDF, with the registry company report in Greek and English, usually within minutes. Your first credit is free.
Frequently asked questions
Is the shareholder list of a Cyprus company public?
Yes. The legal shareholders shown in the annual returns (HE32) and in share filings are part of the public record kept by the Registrar of Companies. Beneficial ownership information is held in a separate register, with restricted access.
Which form shows a change of directors in Cyprus?
Form HE4 records changes of directors or secretary and changes to their details. The first directors and secretary are on form HE3.
Can I see who the directors were in a past year?
Yes. The HE32 annual return for that year lists the directors and secretary at its date, and the HE4 filings show the exact dates of appointments and resignations.
Do I need a CyLogin to get this information?
Not with ESearchCy. We carry out the file study through our own registry access. You only need an ESearchCy account and a card to pay the Registrar's €10 fee.
Searching is free and needs no account. A complete company file costs €20 (the Registrar's €10 fee + €10 to ESearchCy) — and your first credit is free.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Registry records can be incomplete or out of date — see our Disclaimer.