LEI lookup by company name or 20-character code
Find any company's Legal Entity Identifier, see whether it is still current and when it must be renewed, and which issuer manages it. Results come straight from GLEIF, the foundation that runs the global LEI system, updated daily.
Type at least 2 characters of a legal name, or paste a 20-character LEI.
Results
Search above to see records.
Each record shows the legal name, where the company is registered, whether the LEI is current, the next renewal date and the issuer that manages it.
What an LEI number is
A 20-character code that names exactly one legal entity, everywhere in the world, so that a bank in Frankfurt and a regulator in Singapore mean the same company when they write it down.
The Legal Entity Identifier follows the ISO 17442 standard. GLEIF, a not-for-profit foundation in Basel, oversees the system; the codes themselves come from accredited issuers, called Local Operating Units or LOUs. Our search reaches 41 of them through GLEIF's public API.
Companies, funds, branches and public bodies hold them. A private individual trading in their own name is identified differently: under MiFIR, the broker reports a national identifier for the person instead.
The code itself never changes. If the company moves to another issuer, merges or lapses, the same 20 characters stay attached to it, with a new status.
NATURAL_PERSONS for a company owned by individuals.One code, one entity, no expiry on the code itself. What expires is the yearly confirmation that the data behind it is current.
Who needs an LEI
Nobody needs one to exist as a company. You need one the moment a regulated firm has to report something your company does.
Trading shares, bonds or ETFs
Under MiFIR, an EU investment firm can't execute a trade that it must report for a client that is eligible for an LEI and doesn't have one. The rule is Article 13(2) of Delegated Regulation 2017/590, in force since 3 January 2018, and known as "no LEI, no trade".
Derivatives and FX forwards
EU derivative reports under EMIR name both sides of the contract by LEI. If your company hedges currency or rates with a bank, the bank will ask for one before the first deal.
Banks and brokers onboarding you
Brokers in the UK apply the same rule under UK MiFIR; the FCA says firms cannot trade for an eligible client without one. A bank that reports your trades will ask for the code when it onboards the company.
Where your company's broker sits decides whether the "no LEI, no trade" rule bites.
If your company will hold a brokerage account in the EU or the UK, get the LEI before you fund it, or the first order will be refused.
Reading a result: status and renewal date
Every record carries two statuses. One is about the company, the other about the LEI registration. They often disagree, and the difference matters.
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| ISSUED | The registration is current: the issuer has confirmed the data within the last year. | Nothing. Note the renewal date. |
| LAPSED | The renewal date passed without a renewal. The code still belongs to the company, but nobody has confirmed the data since. | Renew with the managing issuer or move to another one; the same code comes back to ISSUED. |
| PENDING_TRANSFER | The company is moving the LEI to a different issuer. | Wait for the new issuer to take it over; the code doesn't change. |
| RETIRED | The registration is closed, typically because the company was dissolved or stopped operating. | If the company still exists, contact the issuer about the record. |
| MERGED | The company merged into another entity, which carries on under its own LEI. | Use the successor's code for new trades. |
| ANNULLED DUPLICATE | Issued in error, or a second code for an entity that already had one. | Use the surviving LEI; this one should not appear on new reports. |
| ACTIVE INACTIVE | The entity status: whether the company itself still exists in law, whatever the LEI status says. | An ACTIVE company with a LAPSED LEI is the common case to fix. |
The renewal date is the one to watch. Each result above shows how many days are left, worked out on your device from the next renewal date in the record. Issuers usually send reminders, but the deadline is yours.
Under UK rules the FCA has said there is no requirement under Article 13(3) for firms to make sure a client's LEI has been renewed. Your broker's own terms may still ask you to keep it current, and a lapsed record is the first thing a compliance team notices.
ISSUED and ACTIVE together is what a counterparty wants to see. A lapsed LEI is a renewal away from good again; you never need a new code.
How to get an LEI number, renew it, and what it costs
You apply to one issuer, prove the company exists and pay. KVK in the Netherlands, for one, issues on the same business day when the application is right.
- Pick an issuer that covers your jurisdictionGLEIF lists every accredited issuer and the places it serves on its find an issuer page. Prices differ, the code is the same quality wherever it comes from.
- Send the company's documentsThe issuer matches your application against the business register: name, number, registered address, and the parent or the reason there isn't one.
- Pay for one or more yearsSome issuers sell multi-year terms that renew automatically each year inside the period.
- Renew every yearThe code stays valid only while the data is confirmed annually. Miss the date and the status turns LAPSED until you renew.
Two issuers' published prices
| Issuer | New | Yearly renewal |
|---|---|---|
| KVK, Netherlands | EUR 80.00 | EUR 49.20 |
| KDPW, Poland | PLN 261 net | PLN 261 net |
KVK issues only to organisations in the Dutch Business Register, with no VAT on the invoice. KDPW adds 23% VAT, sells 2 to 5 year terms (5 years: PLN 1,055 net), and includes GLEIF's fee of PLN 41 net in the fourth quarter of 2026. Behind every LEI sits a fee of USD 11 a year that GLEIF charges the issuer.
Keeping one LEI for five years
Five single years at PLN 261 net cost PLN 1,305; the five-year term costs PLN 1,055, a saving of PLN 250 before VAT. At KVK the same five years come to EUR 276.80: EUR 80 to start and four renewals of EUR 49.20.
Both issuers above charge under EUR 100 for a first year. Buying several years at once is cheaper and removes the risk of lapsing.
LEI vs company registration number
They point at the same company for different audiences. A registry number proves the company exists in one country; an LEI lets the financial system recognise it in all of them.
| Point | LEI | Registration number |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | An issuer accredited by GLEIF, chosen by you | The registry where the company was formed |
| Format | Always 20 characters, ISO 17442, with check digits | Whatever the registry uses: digits, letters, prefixes |
| Unique where | Worldwide | Within that one registry |
| Kept alive by | Yearly renewal with the issuer | Annual fees and returns in the home jurisdiction |
| Who can see it | Anyone, free, in the global index | Depends on the registry; some offshore registers are private |
| Used for | Trade and derivative reporting, onboarding, payments data | Legal existence, filings, contracts, bank KYC |
An LEI puts your company in a public index
This matters if you chose a jurisdiction for its private register. Once the company holds an LEI, its legal name, registered address and registry number are searchable by anyone, here included. The individuals who own it are not listed as parents.
- Legal name: public
- Registered address: public
- Registry and number: public
- Corporate parent: public, or a reason code
- Individual owners: not published
You need both if your company trades through a regulated broker. Just know that the LEI half is public by design.
Holding investments through a company?
The usual moment people search for an LEI: a new holding company is formed, the broker account is half open, and the onboarding form asks for 20 characters.
Form the company first: the issuer has to find it in the business register before it can issue the code.
LEI questions
The short answers people look for after a search.
How do I look up an LEI number?
Type the company's legal name or its 20-character code into the search box. The lookup queries the Global LEI Index published by GLEIF and returns the legal name, address, registration status, next renewal date and managing issuer for each match.
Is LEI search free?
Yes. GLEIF publishes the whole Global LEI Index free of charge, with no account needed, and this page searches it through GLEIF's public API.
How much does an LEI cost?
It depends on the issuer. KVK in the Netherlands charges EUR 80 for a new LEI and EUR 49.20 a year to renew. KDPW in Poland charges PLN 261 net a year, or PLN 1,055 net for five years. Each price includes the USD 11 a year that GLEIF charges issuers per LEI.
How long is an LEI valid?
The code never expires, but its registration must be renewed every year. If the renewal date passes, the status changes to LAPSED until the company renews, and the same code then returns to ISSUED.
What happens if my LEI lapses?
The record shows LAPSED and anyone searching can see the data has not been confirmed for over a year. EU and UK brokers need an LEI to trade for a company; the FCA has said UK firms are not required to confirm it was renewed, but many brokers still ask you to keep it current.
Does a holding company need an LEI?
Only when it does something a regulated firm must report. If the holding company will buy shares, bonds or funds through a broker in the EU or the UK, the broker cannot execute its trades without an LEI.
Is an LEI the same as a company registration number?
No. The registration number comes from the registry where the company was formed and is unique only there. The LEI comes from a GLEIF-accredited issuer, is unique worldwide, and records that registration number as part of its data.
Does an LEI make my company's details public?
Yes, for the company: its legal name, registered address and registry number are searchable by anyone in the Global LEI Index. Individuals who own the company are not published as parents.
The company comes first. The LEI is the easy part.
A holding company in the right jurisdiction, a bank account opened with you, and then a 20-character code that lets any broker in Europe say yes to your first order.