Shielding your address at the Chamber of Commerce: what is possible
Written by Ilias Aarrass6 min read · Published on · Last reviewed on 
In short
An owner's residential address is shielded in the Trade Register by default, the business address is not; a sole trader can have that visiting address removed provided there is a public postal address.
- The postal address you provide is public and may not equal your residential or visiting address.
- Legal forms other than a sole proprietorship can only shield in a threat situation.
- Lawyers, notaries, bailiffs and government bodies retain access to the address with the right authorisation.
- On your invoices the entrepreneur's name and address remain mandatory, even after shielding.
You register with the Chamber of Commerce, and a week later your letterbox is full of offers for printing, insurance and websites. That makes sense: your details are in the Trade Register, and that register is partly public. If you work from home, your business address is the same as your home address, and that is exactly the address anyone can look up. This article explains which address is and is not visible, how to have it shielded, and where your address still shows up despite that shielding.
Two addresses, two rules
For a sole trader, the Trade Register holds two kinds of address: your residential address as the owner, and the business address (the visiting address) of the company. The residential address of owners and directors is not public; it is shielded from the general public by default. The business address is public. So anyone working from home usually releases their home address unintentionally through the back door: not as a residential address, but as a business address.
That distinction explains why people often think their address is already shielded while they find it in an extract without trouble. The Chamber shields the residential address itself; shielding your business address is something you have to request yourself.
| Item | Public? | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Owner's residential address | No | Shielded from the general public by default |
| Business address (visiting address) | Yes | As a sole trader you can request shielding yourself |
| Postal address | Yes | Must be public if you shield your visiting address |
| Trade name, Chamber number, activity code | Yes | Always retrievable |
| Telephone number | No | Not provided publicly |
How to have your business address shielded
If you have a sole proprietorship, you can have your visiting address removed from the public part of the register. You arrange that online in your Chamber account, and on a new registration you can indicate it right on the form. There is one hard condition: you must provide a postal address that is public, and that postal address may not be the same as your visiting address or your residential address.
With another legal form, such as a general partnership or a private limited company, shielding is only possible in a threat situation. Think of a police report or a profession with a demonstrably heightened risk. In those cases the request does not go through the ordinary form but through a separate application to the Chamber.
- Arrange a postal address first: a PO box, an address at a business centre, or the address of another company that gives you written permission.
- Submit that postal address in your Chamber account and tick the box to shield the visiting address.
- Then check an extract or the public company page yourself: if your old address is still there, the change has not been processed yet.
- Update your other listings: your website, quote template, social media profiles and your Google business profile.
Where your address still remains
Shielding is not an eraser. It removes your address from the public part of the register, but in a number of places it simply stays, and in some places it must stay.
- In your company's history: previously registered addresses remain stored in the register.
- With professions that have a statutory role. Lawyers, notaries, bailiffs, government bodies and institutions with a verification duty retain access with the right authorisation.
- On your invoices. The invoicing requirements ask for the name and address of the entrepreneur; that remains your actual address, even after shielding. See creating your first invoice.
- On your website. For a web shop or a site where you offer services, information obligations apply, and your business address is part of them.
- With banks, insurers and leasing companies. They almost always ask for your actual address when you apply, even if the register does not show it.
You can tackle advertising mail too
Part of the mail you get does not come from clever salespeople but from the address file the Chamber supplies. You can indicate that your details may not be used for advertising purposes; that is separate from shielding and you arrange it with the Chamber too. If you receive fake invoices or payment-slip-style offers, do not pay them and keep them: those are not business costs but fraud.
Alternatives and trade-offs
Shielding is not always the best choice. For a local service provider who depends on neighbourhood clients, a visible address is a trust signal, and Google weighs a consistent address in local search results. For a consultant who works at client sites, the address adds nothing and shielding only brings peace of mind.
Watch one thing: your business address must be a real visiting address, a place where your business is actually established. A PO box may therefore never be your business address, only your postal address. And the address of a virtual office you never visit can raise questions at the Chamber and at your bank. If you rent your home, check your lease as well: some landlords want to know you are establishing a business there, even if all you do is sit behind a laptop. That is separate from the deduction for a workspace at home, which has its own strict conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Does shielding my address cost money?
The shielding itself does not. What does cost money is the postal address you are required to provide: a PO box or an address at a business centre. Expect a few tens of euros a month.
Can I use a PO box as my business address?
No. Your business address must be a visiting address where your business is actually established. A PO box may only serve as a postal address, and that postal address is precisely the public one.
I have a partnership or a private limited company. Can I shield my address too?
Only in a threat situation, for example if you have filed a police report or if your profession brings a demonstrable risk. The free choice to shield the visiting address applies to sole proprietorships.
Does my address also disappear from old extracts and search engines?
No. Extracts already issued continue to exist and the address remains in your company's history. Websites that copied your details earlier have to be approached by you with a removal request.
Does my address have to be on my invoices?
Yes, the entrepreneur's name and address belong on a full invoice. Shielding in the Trade Register changes nothing about that. You may, however, use your postal address on your website and in your communications.
Sources
- Shielding your visiting address: what is possibleKVK · kvk.nl
- FAQ on privacy and the Trade RegisterKVK · kvk.nl
Sources checked on
This article provides general information based on the rules known for 2026 and does not replace personal tax advice. For your specific situation, we're happy to take a look with you.
