EGRUL Company Search Guide — How to Verify Russian Entities

If you are conducting due diligence or KYC on a Russian counterparty, your first stop must be the EGRUL (ЕГРЮЛ) registry. This official state database provides critical insights into ownership, registration status, and corporate history. This guide explains how to effectively query the EGRUL database.

What is EGRUL?

The Unified State Register of Legal Entities (EGRUL) is the official corporate registry of the Russian Federation, maintained by the Federal Tax Service (FNS). Any legal entity operating in Russia must be registered within this system.

EGRUL contains essential data about a company, including:

• Full and abbreviated company names
• Registration date and status (active, in liquidation, bankrupt)
• Authorized capital
• Registered legal address
• Executive bodies (General Director, CEO)
• Founders and shareholders (for LLCs)
• Historical changes to corporate structure

How to Search EGRUL

The primary method for pulling an EGRUL extract is through the official FNS portal (egrul.nalog.ru), though access can occasionally be restricted for foreign IP addresses. To perform an accurate search, you need one of the following identifiers:

1. Search by INN (Taxpayer Identification Number)

The INN (ИНН) is a 10-digit number for legal entities. This is the most reliable way to search, as the INN is unique to the specific company and does not change even if the company is reorganized or renamed.

2. Search by OGRN (Primary State Registration Number)

The OGRN (ОГРН) is a 13-digit number assigned upon registration. Searching by OGRN is equally precise as searching by INN.

3. Search by Company Name

Searching by name is notoriously difficult in Russia. There might be 500 active companies named "StroyInvest" (СтройИнвест). If you must search by name, try to combine it with the region of registration to narrow down the results.

Reading the EGRUL Extract

Once you locate the company, you can download a verified PDF extract. While the document is exclusively in Russian, several key sections are crucial for compliance analysts:

• Сведения о состоянии (Status Data): Look for "Действующее" (Active). Warning signs include "В процессе ликвидации" (In liquidation) or "Исключение из ЕГРЮЛ" (Pending removal from registry, often due to inactivity or false address).
• Сведения об учредителях (Founders): This section reveals the direct shareholders for Russian LLCs (ООО). Joint Stock Companies (АО) often do not list their shareholders in EGRUL.
• Сведения о лице, имеющем право без доверенности действовать от имени юридического лица (Executive): Details about the General Director. Cross-reference this individual across other entities to identify "mass directors" (nominees).

Limitations of EGRUL

While EGRUL is foundational, it has critical limitations for enhanced due diligence (EDD):

• Hidden UBOs: If a firm is owned by a Cyprus or UAE entity, EGRUL stops at the offshore holding. Identifying the true Ultimate Beneficial Owner requires further OSINT.
• Joint Stock Companies: As mentioned, JSC shareholders are managed by independent registrars, not the FNS, making them opaque in public extracts.
• Nominee Directors: EGRUL will not flag a "mass director" (a proxy controlling hundreds of shell companies) directly, though an experienced analyst will spot the pattern.