Gewerbe anmelden

A business registration is always necessary when you start a standing business. This is the case when

• Setting up a new business,
• setting up a new branch office,
• setting up a dependent branch office,
• Takeover of an existing business, e.g. by purchase or lease,
• conversion of a sole proprietorship into another legal form,
• relocation of a business from the area of one authority to the area of another authority (counts as a discontinuation for one authority and as a new establishment for the other authority).

The business registration must be made at the same time as the start of operations.

• The obligation to notify only applies if the activity is a commercial activity. The activities listed in Section 6 (1) sentence 1 GewO are exempt from the obligation to notify.
  The following are exempt, among others
• Primary production (livestock farming, agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing)
• Liberal professions (including lawyers, notaries, tax consultants, auditors, doctors, scientific, artistic and literary activities)
• Education of children for remuneration
• Teaching

The purpose of registering a trade is to enable the competent authority to monitor the exercise of the trade and to carry out statistical surveys.

• Completed business registration form
• Proof of identity (e.g. identity card or passport)
• In the case of electronic business registration, other means of identification are also possible (e.g. electronic ID card, De-Mail, PIN/TAN procedure).
• Notarized articles of association or extract from the commercial register, consent of the shareholders (for legal entities or partnerships)
• Declaration of consent by shareholders
• Supplement for authorized representatives

You want to run a business. Traders are natural or legal persons (public limited company, limited liability company, registered cooperative or registered association, partnership limited by shares). The following are subject to notification:

• Sole traders are sole traders,
• partnerships (e.g. OHG, GbR) the managing partners,
• KG each personally liable partner, the limited partners of a KG only if they have management authority
• corporations (e.g. GmbH, AG) the legal representative

You must register the start of a permanent business with the competent authority. The same applies to the operation of a branch office or a dependent branch.

Some commercial activities require a permit. Others are subject to supervision. Additional requirements apply to them.

Find out at an early stage what personal, financial and professional requirements you need to meet in order to be able to operate in these business areas.

You can register your business in person, in writing or electronically. Use the business registration form (GewA 1) for this purpose.

If you are not registering the business yourself as a trader, but as a managing partner or legal representative, you will need a written power of attorney.

If you register your business in writing or electronically, you will receive confirmation of your business registration (the so-called trade license) within 3 days, provided you have completed the registration form fully and correctly. If you come in person, you will receive the confirmation directly when you register.

The responsible office will forward the business registration to other offices such as the tax office, the Chamber of Crafts or the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the registration court and the employers' liability insurance association.

If an additional permit is required for your business (e.g. security business, operation of a restaurant) and this is not available, the competent authority can prohibit the continuation of the business.

The procedure can be handled by a single point of contact.

If you change your legal form, you must submit both a business deregistration (to cease operating under the old legal form) and a business registration (to start operating under the new legal form).

What is a trade:

A trade is any activity that is not socially unvaluable, is intended to make a profit, is intended to be permanent and is carried out independently in its own name and for its own account. It does not matter whether a profit is actually made.

In particular, activities of no social value (e.g. clairvoyance), liberal professions (such as doctors, lawyers or tax consultants) or other activities that require a university degree are not considered a trade. Primary production (e.g. agriculture and forestry), scientific management consultancy or the management of one's own assets (e.g. a block of flats) as well as generally prohibited or socially unworthy activities (e.g. illegal gambling) are also not a trade.

A business registration is always necessary when you start a standing business. This is the case when

• Setting up a new business,
• setting up a new branch office,
• setting up a dependent branch office,
• Takeover of an existing business, e.g. by purchase or lease,
• conversion of a sole proprietorship into another legal form,
• relocation of a business from the area of one authority to the area of another authority (counts as a discontinuation for one authority and as a new establishment for the other authority).

The business registration must be made at the same time as the start of operations.

Chambers of industry and commerce, chambers of skilled crafts, districts, independent cities, the responsible local authorities or administrations of the independent municipalities will support you in registering your business. The procedure can be handled via the Single Point of Contact network.