In short, the FN is the unique identification number of a company registered in the Austrian Commercial Register. It enables a company to be uniquely assigned within the Austrian Commercial Register and generally remains unchanged throughout the company’s existence.
In more detail, every company entered in the Austrian Commercial Register is assigned a commercial register number (FN) by the competent commercial register court. It serves to uniquely identify the company and enables quick assignment in the register – regardless of changes to, for example, the company name, business address or management. The commercial register number consists of a sequential number and a check letter, for example FN 123456a.
Practical relevance: The commercial register number is one of the most important identifiers of an Austrian company.
It is used, among other things, for:
- research in the Commercial Register,
- contracts and legal documents,
- administrative proceedings,
- creditworthiness and company assessments,
- due diligence processes, and
- the unambiguous identification of a company in business transactions.
While a company name or management may change, the commercial register number generally remains the same and therefore enables consistent identification.
Commercial register number in the FinAPU Firmenbuch
The FinAPU Firmenbuch displays the commercial register number in a structured format together with other decision-relevant company information.
This includes, among other things:
- company status
- EUID
- LEI
- management and representation rights
- proceedings status
- available annual financial statements
- historical company names
Combining this information makes it easier to identify companies quickly and track changes over time.
