Single window
Online service mandatory since 2023 to register, amend or close a business with the business register.
Definition
The single window is the online service through which business formalities have been filed since 1 January 2023. It replaces the separate windows that existed depending on the activity, and it serves as the entry point for creations, modifications and cessations.
The principle is simple. The formality is entered once, together with its supporting documents, then it is processed and transmitted to the organisations concerned. The registries receive what falls under the register for which they have jurisdiction, and the registration that results from it gives rise to publication in the BODACC.
The single window does not do everything. It does not keep the accounts, does not calculate taxes and does not replace social security declarations, which retain their own channels and their own schedules. It covers the administrative life of the company at the register.
Its use is mandatory for the formalities concerned. A company that must register an establishment, change a director or close its activity goes through this service, on pain of having its formality rejected or delayed. Professionals, lawyers, chartered accountants and notaries, access it on behalf of their clients.
What happens after a formality
Review and supporting documents
A complete file is processed faster than one that needs to be completed. The most frequent rejections are due to an illegible document, an unsigned deed, or a forgotten legal notice when the deed must be published. Each round trip adds delay.
Transmission and registration
Once the formality is accepted, the information is transmitted to the recipient organizations. Registration in the register follows, with an effective date. Companies then receive their identifiers, including the national identification number assigned to the business.
Publication in the BODACC
The registration is taken up by the Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information within a timeframe that varies depending on the nature of the formality. It is at this point that the event becomes public within the meaning of the official bulletin, even if the company had known about it for several weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Does the single window replace the registry?
No. It replaces the filing counters, not the registries. The registries remain competent for commercial registrations and for keeping the corresponding register. The single window is the channel through which files reach them.
Can a formality still be filed at the registry?
The normal route is the online service. Fallback routes existed to absorb the teething problems, and filings remain possible in certain specific cases. In practice, professionals and companies go through the single window.
How long before publication in the BODACC?
The timeframe depends on the nature of the formality and the workload of the bodies concerned. Generally, a few days to a few weeks elapse between the declaration and publication. A complete file and a legal notice published at the right time reduce the wait.