Data Sources
All company data is sourced from the official Liechtenstein Handelsregister (Trade Register), operated by the Amt fuer Justiz (Office of Justice). The system uses two tiers of data extraction depending on the requested data point.Onboarding Profile (lightweight)
- Handelsregister Company Details Page (handelsregister.li) — The public company details page of the official trade register. Provides basic company information: legal name, legal form, registered city, status, and company purpose (Zweck). No legal representatives, shareholders, or detailed address data.
Company Profile (comprehensive)
- Handelsregister Trade Register Extract (Handelsregisterauszug) — A paid PDF document purchased automatically from the Handelsregister. The document is delivered by email (from
info.hr.aju@llv.li) and processed using AI parsing for structured data extraction. This is the primary source for comprehensive company data: legal name, legal form, status, capital, registered address, legal representatives, shareholders, and company purpose.
Document Purchase Flow: The trade register extract is purchased automatically via credit card payment. The document is sent by email (typically within 1-5 minutes) and retrieved automatically. Documents are cached for 24 hours to avoid duplicate purchases.
How does the automated document purchase work?
How does the automated document purchase work?
The system follows a multi-step automated flow:
- Search & Navigate — Navigate to the company page via the Handelsregister
- Order Form — Submit the order for “Registerauszug unbeglaubigt aktuelle Informationen”
- Payment — Complete automated credit card payment
- Email Delivery — Wait for email from
info.hr.aju@llv.licontaining the register extract PDF and invoice PDF - AI Parsing — Extract text from the PDF, then run AI parsers to produce company data, legal representatives, and shareholders
Company Identifiers
Query Identifiers
| Company Type | Source | Format | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All companies | Handelsregister | FL-XXXX.XXX.XXX-X | FL-0002.658.754-1 | FL-Nummer with checksum digit |
Identifiers in API Response
Once you retrieve company data, theidentifiers object contains:
| Identifier Type | Format | Example | Found In |
|---|---|---|---|
registrationNumber | FL-XXXX.XXX.XXX-X | FL-0002.658.754-1 | All companies |
flNumber | FL-XXXX.XXX.XXX-X | FL-0002.658.754-1 | All companies (alias) |
Search Capabilities
| Search Type | Pattern | Example | Match Type | Expected Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| By FL-Nummer | FL-XXXX.XXX.XXX-X | FL-0002.658.754-1 | Exact | Single company (1 result) |
| By Name | Text string (2-100 chars) | "Fürstentum Automobile" | Fuzzy | Multiple results |
Search includes deleted companies. Name searches include deleted (geloescht) companies in results by default.
Quirks & Gotchas
| Quirk | Details |
|---|---|
| Document purchase required for full profile | Company profile data requires purchasing the trade register extract (~10 CHF). The document is automatically purchased and delivered via email. Documents are cached for 24 hours. |
| Processing time ~2-5 minutes | Company profile retrieval is slower than most countries due to the automated purchase, email delivery (1-5 min), and AI parsing pipeline. |
| All activity codes are AI-inferred | The Handelsregister provides only a free-text purpose (Zweck). NACE and ISIC codes are always AI-inferred. isAIInferred is always true. |
| Legal representatives are AI-parsed | Extracted from the trade register extract PDF via AI. Only available in companyProfile, not in onboardingProfile. |
| Shareholders depend on legal form | GmbH companies typically disclose all Gesellschafter with capital contributions. AG, Anstalt, Stiftung, and Trust entities generally do not publish shareholder information. |
| Currency is CHF | Liechtenstein uses the Swiss Franc (CHF). Capital amounts and document prices are denominated in CHF. |
| German-only documents | All official trade register documents are in German. Company names and legal form names are in German. |
| Limited ISO 20275 coverage | The ISO 20275 mapping covers the most common forms (GmbH, AG). Less common forms (Anstalt, Stiftung, Trust, Einzelunternehmen) may not have ISO 20275 codes. |
| No UBO data | Liechtenstein has a UBO register, but it is not publicly accessible. |
| Deleted companies cannot be purchased | The available documents workflow returns empty results for deleted (Geloescht) companies because documents cannot be purchased for them. |
| Registry web application | The Handelsregister uses a web application that requires automated web interaction for search and document ordering due to dynamic page behavior. |
| In Liquidation detected from company name | Companies with “in Liquidation” in their legal name are classified as closed, even if no explicit deletion indicator exists on the page. |
| Email delivery can take up to 30 minutes | While the document email typically arrives within 1-5 minutes, the system polls for up to 30 minutes (60 attempts, 30-second intervals) before timing out. |
Company Status
Company status is determined differently depending on the data point requested.Onboarding Profile (from company details page)
Status is derived from keyword matching on the Handelsregister company details page:| Local Status | English | Standardized Status | Detection Logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aktiv | Active | Active | Registry indicates active status |
| Geloescht | Deleted | Closed | Registry indicates company has been deleted |
| In Liquidation | In Liquidation | Closed | Company legal name contains “in Liquidation” |
Company Profile (AI-parsed from trade register extract)
Status is extracted from the trade register extract PDF using AI parsing. The AI analyzes the document text and produces a standardized status.| Local Status | English | Standardized Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Active | Active | AI-parsed from document text |
| Aktiv | Active | Active | German variant from document |
| Geloescht | Deleted | Closed | Company has been deleted from register |
| In Liquidation | In Liquidation | Closed | Company is being liquidated |
For the onboarding profile, status classification is deterministic (keyword matching). For the company profile, status is AI-parsed from the trade register extract document, which may use either German or English terminology.
Legal Forms
Liechtenstein has a distinctive set of legal forms, including entity types unique to the principality (Anstalt, Trust). Legal form names come from the Handelsregister and are enriched via theenrichLegalForm AI parser for standardized names and ISO 20275 codes.
Key Business Forms
| German Name | Abbreviation | English Translation | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aktiengesellschaft | AG | Stock Corporation | Corporation | 5ZJC |
| Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung | GmbH | Limited Liability Company | Limited Liability Company | Y8LH |
| Kommanditgesellschaft | KG | Limited Partnership | Partnership | — |
| Kollektivgesellschaft | — | General Partnership | Partnership | — |
Unique Liechtenstein Entity Types
| German Name | English Translation | Standardized | ISO 20275 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anstalt | Establishment | Other | — | Unique to Liechtenstein; hybrid between company and foundation |
| Stiftung | Foundation | Foundation | — | Private or public purpose foundation |
| Trust | Trust | Trust | — | Anglo-Saxon trust structure recognized under Liechtenstein law |
| Treuhänderschaft | Trusteeship | Trust | — | Alternative German term for trust |
Sole Entrepreneurs & Cooperatives
| German Name | English Translation | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Einzelfirma | Sole Proprietorship | Sole Proprietorship | — |
| Einzelunternehmen | Sole Proprietorship | Sole Proprietorship | — |
| Genossenschaft | Cooperative | Cooperative | — |
Non-Profits
| German Name | English Translation | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verein | Association | Nonprofit Organization | — |
Legal form standardization and ISO 20275 assignment are AI-enriched. The local German legal form name from the Handelsregister is always preserved verbatim. ISO 20275 codes are only reliably available for the most common forms (AG, GmbH).
Legal Representatives
Legal representatives are extracted from the trade register extract (Handelsregisterauszug) PDF using AI parsing. This data is only available in the fullcompanyProfile, not in onboardingProfile.
Extraction Details
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Source | Trade register extract (Handelsregisterauszug) PDF |
| Method | AI parsing of document text |
| Availability | companyProfile only (not onboardingProfile) |
| AI-inferred | Yes — extraction and role classification from PDF is AI-based |
| Role enrichment | Roles are enriched via enrichRole parser using the company’s ELF code |
Complete Role Nomenclature
Executive & Management Roles
Executive & Management Roles
| German Role | English Translation | Typical Legal Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Geschaeftsfuehrer | Managing Director | GmbH |
| Direktor | Director | AG, Anstalt |
| Praesident | President | AG, Stiftung |
| Vizepraesident | Vice President | AG |
Board & Supervisory Roles
Board & Supervisory Roles
| German Role | English Translation | Typical Legal Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Verwaltungsrat | Board Member | AG, Anstalt |
| Verwaltungsratspraesident | Chairman of the Board | AG |
| Stiftungsrat | Foundation Board Member | Stiftung |
| Stiftungsratspraesident | Chairman of the Foundation Board | Stiftung |
Signatory & Authority Roles
Signatory & Authority Roles
Special Roles
Special Roles
| German Role | English Translation | Typical Legal Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Liquidator | Liquidator | All (during liquidation) |
| Revisor | Auditor | AG, GmbH |
| Revisionsstelle | Audit Body | AG, GmbH |
| Treuhänder | Trustee | Trust |
The classification of each role as legal representative or other key person is AI-determined and depends on the company’s legal form context. For example, a “Verwaltungsrat” is typically a legal representative for an AG but might be classified as an other key person depending on the specific context. Signing authority details (Einzelzeichnung, Kollektivzeichnung zu zweien) are captured when available in the trade register extract.
Other Key Persons
Other key persons follow the same extraction logic as legal representatives (AI-parsed from the trade register extract). The AI determines whether a person listed in the register extract is a legal representative or an other key person based on their role and the company’s legal form. Common other key person roles include:| German Role | English Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Revisor | Auditor | Statutory auditor |
| Revisionsstelle | Audit Body | Corporate audit entity |
| Prokurist | Authorized Officer | May be classified as other key person depending on context |
Shareholders
Shareholders are extracted from the trade register extract (Handelsregisterauszug) PDF using AI parsing. This data is only available in the fullcompanyProfile.
Extraction Logic
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Source | Trade register extract (Handelsregisterauszug) PDF |
| Method | AI parsing of document text |
| AI-inferred | Yes — extraction from PDF is AI-based |
Availability by Legal Form
| Legal Form | Shareholders Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GmbH | Yes | All Gesellschafter (partners) listed with capital contributions (Stammkapital) |
| AG | No | Shareholders (Aktionaere) are not publicly disclosed in the trade register |
| Anstalt | No | Founder/beneficiary information is not public |
| Stiftung | No | Foundation structure does not have shareholders |
| Trust | No | Beneficiary information is not public |
| KG | Partial | Komplementaer (general partner) is listed; Kommanditisten may be listed |
| Einzelfirma | No | Sole proprietorship has no shareholders |
| Genossenschaft | No | Cooperative members are not listed individually |
Ownership Fields
| Field | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
sharePercentage | Ownership percentage | Calculated from capital contributions (AI-parsed) |
numberOfShares | Number of shares held | Extracted from document when available |
type | Individual or Company | Determined from document context |
nominalCapitalHeld | Capital contribution amount and currency | Extracted from Stammkapital/Aktienkapital data |
Key Terminology
| German Term | English | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gesellschafter | Shareholder/Partner | GmbH shareholders |
| Aktionaer | Shareholder | AG shareholders (not publicly disclosed) |
| Stammkapital | Share capital | GmbH share capital (in CHF) |
| Aktienkapital | Share capital | AG share capital (in CHF) |
| Anteil | Share/Stake | Ownership share |
| Stammeinlage | Capital contribution | Individual partner’s contribution to GmbH |
Shareholder data availability depends on the legal form. GmbH companies typically list all Gesellschafter with capital contributions in the trade register extract. AG (Aktiengesellschaft) companies and entities like Anstalt, Stiftung, and Trust generally do not disclose shareholders publicly.
Activity Code Mapping
Liechtenstein does not use a national activity code classification in the Handelsregister. Activity codes are always AI-inferred from the company’sZweck (purpose) field, which is a free-text description extracted from the trade register extract or the company details page.
| Classification | Source | Example | AI Inferred? |
|---|---|---|---|
| NACE | Derived from company purpose via AI | 45.1 | Yes (always) |
| ISIC | Derived from company purpose via AI | 4510 | Yes (always) |
Both NACE and ISIC codes are always AI-inferred for Liechtenstein companies because the trade register provides only a free-text purpose description (Zweck), not structured activity codes. The
isAIInferred flag is always true. For the onboarding profile, activity codes are enriched via the enrichActivities parser using the activityDescription field.Data Availability Matrix
| Data Type | Onboarding Profile | Company Profile | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company Profile | Yes (fast) | Yes (async, ~2-5 min) | Onboarding: basic data from details page. Company: AI-parsed from trade register extract |
| Legal Representatives | No | Yes (AI-parsed) | From trade register extract only |
| Other Key Persons | No | Yes (AI-parsed) | From trade register extract only |
| Shareholders | No | Conditional | GmbH: typically available; AG/Anstalt/Stiftung/Trust: not available |
| Ultimate Beneficial Owners | No | No | Not publicly accessible in Liechtenstein |
| Establishments | No | No | Not available from Handelsregister |
| Activity Codes | Yes (AI-inferred) | Yes (AI-inferred) | Always AI-inferred from Zweck (company purpose) |
| Documents | — | Yes | Trade register extract (paid) |
Documents by Company Type
All companies (active only)
| Document Type | API Category | Format | SKU | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Register Extract (uncertified) | tradeRegisterExtract | LIE_REGISTER_EXTRACT | Yes (active companies only) | Official Handelsregisterauszug. Automatically purchased, delivered via email, cached 24h. |
Document Naming: The register extract PDF is named
AuszugAktuelleInformationenUnbeglaubigt.pdf (uncertified extract with current information). The invoice PDF is named Bestellung_HR_Auszug_V2_0.pdf.Data Source Priority & Routing
Liechtenstein uses a single data source (the Handelsregister) with two access methods depending on the requested data point:| Data Point | Source | Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search | Handelsregister | Direct lookup (FL-Nummer) / Automated retrieval (name) | Free |
| Onboarding Profile | Handelsregister company details page | Automated retrieval from registry | Lightweight, no document purchase |
| Company Profile | Trade register extract (Handelsregisterauszug) | Automated purchase + AI parsing | Requires paid document |
| Available Documents | Handelsregister | Automated retrieval (validates company exists & is active) | Free |
| Document (Register Extract) | Handelsregister | Automated purchase and email delivery | Paid (~10 CHF) |
Pricing
| Data Point | SKU | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search | FREE | Free | — |
| Onboarding Profile | LIE_ONBOARDING_PROFILE | — | Fast, lightweight data |
| Company Profile | LIE_COMPANY_DATA + LIE_REGISTER_EXTRACT | — | Includes trade register extract purchase |
| Register Extract | LIE_REGISTER_EXTRACT | — | PDF document (~10 CHF cost) |
Company Profile includes the trade register extract — you are not charged twice if requesting both. The company profile workflow fetches the trade register extract as an intermediate step and uses it for AI parsing.
Example API Responses
All examples use placeholder data. Query:POST /company with { "id": "<id>", "countryCode": "LI", "dataPoints": ["companyProfile"] }
Active GmbH (Company Profile) -- with shareholders
Active GmbH (Company Profile) -- with shareholders
Active AG (Company Profile) -- no shareholders
Active AG (Company Profile) -- no shareholders
Deleted Company (Onboarding Profile)
Deleted Company (Onboarding Profile)
active: false and status Geloescht. Full company profile (with legal representatives and shareholders) is not available for deleted companies because the trade register extract cannot be purchased.Anstalt (Company Profile) -- unique Liechtenstein entity
Anstalt (Company Profile) -- unique Liechtenstein entity
Available Documents (company example)
Available Documents (company example)
Documents are returned when
Note: Only the uncertified register extract is currently available. Certified register extracts (
"dataPoints": ["documents"] is requested.| API Category | Document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
tradeRegisterExtract | Official Handelsregisterauszug PDF | Active companies only (paid, ~10 CHF) |
certifiedTradeRegisterExtract) are defined as a document type but not yet implemented.