Address Updates And Confirmation Of Beneficial Owners – What Businesses Must Know In 2025

In September 2025, the Department of the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property (the "DRCIP") issued two important announcements outlining new obligations for companies and partnerships in Cyprus. These obligations concern:

1. Updating registered office and workplace addresses in the Register of Business Entities.
2. Confirming Beneficial Owners (the "UBOs") in the electronic Beneficial Ownership Register (the "BOR") and where applicable, updating information on Senior Management Officials (the "SMOs") and conducting due diligence

1. LEGAL FRAMEWORK

The requirement to confirm BOs stems from the amendment to Cyprus' anti‑money laundering (the "AML") regime, transposing the European Union's 5^th Anti-Money Laundering Directive 2018/843.

Under Companies Law, Cap. 113, the General and Limited Partnerships and Business Names Law, Law 188(1)/2007, and related regulations, all companies incorporated or registered in Cyprus, all European Public Limited Companies, and all partnerships must:

• Confirm their beneficial ownership information annually in the BOR;
• Keep the registered office and workplace addresses up to date in the Register of Business Entities.

These obligations apply to all organisations regardless of size, sector or activity.

2. CONFIRMATION PERIOD AND REQUIREMENTS

Confirmation Period

From 1 October 2025 to 31 December 2025, all relevant entities must:

• Log in to the electronic BOR (https://ubo.meci.gov.cy/).
• Confirm the accuracy of information already submitted.
• Update the details of BOs where necessary.
• Where applicable, confirm information regarding SMOs and complete due diligence.

Important Notes

• If changes occur during this period (e.g., a new beneficial owner, change of address, or change in senior management) such changes must be submitted before confirmation.
• Only one confirmation is required during this period. Further changes after confirmation do not require another confirmation until the next cycle.

3. ADDRESS UPDATES

The DRCIP has reported that many official communications are not being received due to outdated addresses in the Register of Business Entities.

To remedy this, all organisations must:

• Check their registered office address and workplace address in the Register.
• Update them using the appropriate official form before the confirmation period.

4. PENALTIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE

Failure to complete the confirmation process by 31 December 2025 carries serious consequences, including:

• Automatic Fines:
  • €100 for the first day of non-compliance.
  • €50 for each subsequent day.
  • Maximum fine: €5,000.

• Potential deregistration of the company or partnership under:
  • Article 61A(10)(h) of Law 188(I)/2007 (by analogy with Article 327 of the Companies Law).
  • Article 57(5) of the General and Limited Partnerships and Business Names Law

These penalties apply irrespective of any criminal liability and highlight the seriousness of compliance.

5. CONCLUSION

The 2025 updates to the BOR and the obligation to update addresses are part of Cyprus' commitment to transparency and AML compliance.

Businesses must take proactive steps to meet these obligations before the 31 December 2025 deadline to avoid financial penalties, potential deregistration, and reputational risk.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.