Business Registration in Germany [Gewerbeanmeldung]

Key Takeaways

• Anyone who wants to start a business (Gewerbe) in Germany must register their business  (Gewerbeanmeldung) first.
• Freelancers (Freiberufler) and primary production businesses (Urproduktion zuzuordnen) are not required to do Gewerbeanmeldung.
• Non-EU founders must have a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) to start a business in Germany.
• Business registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) costs between €10 and €60, depending on the municipality where you register your business. 

This is how you do it

• Download the form from your local trade office (Gewerbeamt) website or apply online. Many German states offer the option to register your business online. 
• Fill out the form and submit it via post or in person to the trade office (Gewerbeamt). You can also clarify your doubts (if any) at the trade office.
• Ensure you submit all the relevant certificates and documents to avoid delays in business registration.
• You’ll receive your business registration confirmation or trade license (Gewerbeschein) within 1 to 6 weeks.
• You must also register with IHK or GWK, depending on your business. Lastly, complete the tax registration form to obtain your tax ID and VAT ID for your business. Your personal Tax ID is different from your business’s Tax ID. 

Table of Contents

What is Gewerbeanmeldung?

Registering your business in Germany is called Gewerbeanmeldung. You can register at your local trade office (Gewerbeamt), by mail, or via the official website. 

If you are establishing a partnership (Gesellschaft Bürgerlichen Rechts (GBR)) or corporation (Aktiengesellschaft (AG)), the respective shareholders must also be present during the business registration.

In your business registration form (Gewerbeanmeldung formular), you will include the following details:

• Your name
• Address
• Nationality
• Business address
• Legal form
• Contact details and
• Business purpose.

Many cities in Germany, like Berlin, Stuttgart, etc., are now offering online business registration. This is the easiest and fastest way to register your business in Germany.

Who must register their business in Germany?

Anyone who wants to start a business in Germany must register their business (Gewerbeanmeldung). Here is what is considered a business in Germany.

• You carry out the activity permanently, independently, and on your own account.
• You start the business with the intention to make a profit. 

The only exceptions are freelancers starting a business alone (Freiberufler) or in partnership (PartG).

According to Section 18 of the Income Tax Act, individuals in the following liberal professions are considered freelancers in Germany:

• Scientific, artistic, literary, teaching, or educational activities
• Doctors, dentists, veterinarians
• Lawyers, patent attorneys, notaries
• Engineers, surveyors
• Architects
• Auditors, tax consultants, consulting economists 
• Business economists, sworn accountants, and tax agents
• Journalists, photojournalists
• Interpreters, translators
• Alternative practitioners, physiotherapists, dentists
• Commercial chemist
• Pilots 

Furthermore, if you run a business classified as “primary production” (Urproduktion zuzuordnen), you are not required to register your business. These include:

• Horticulture (Gartenbau)
• Viticulture (Weinbau)
• Fish farming (Fischzucht)
• Forestry (Forstwirtschaft)

How do you do Gewerbeanmeldung?

Gewerbeanmeldung is straightforward.

• Fill out the form (online or PDF) and submit it (online or via mail).
• It takes between 1 and 6 weeks before you receive an answer.
• If successful, the trade office (Gewerbeamt) will send you a business registration confirmation (Gewerbeschein). You must keep it safe as it’s the proof that you registered your business in Germany.

The Gewerbeanmeldung PDF looks different from the online form. The online form shows the fields that are relevant to you. Hence, reducing complexity.

However, the fields you must fill out online or in the PDF form are the same. Let’s understand each field in detail.

We have also included examples of filled-out Gewerbeanmeldung forms at the end of this guide.

Fields 1: Company name with legal form (Name mit Rechtsform)

In field 1, write your company name with its legal form (Rechtsformen). The name you enter in this field must be the exact name you entered when registering in a commercial (Handelsregister), cooperative (Genossenschaftsregistereintrag), or any association register (Vereinsregister).

If you have a partnership (GbR), enter your partners’ details (name and address).

Skip this field if you register as a small business (Kleingewerbe).

Field 2: Place and number of commercial, cooperative, or association register (Ort und Nr. des Eintrags im Handels-, Genossenschafts, oder Vereinsregister)

If you are registered in the commercial (Handelsregister), cooperative (Genossenschaftsregistereintrag), or any association register (Vereinsregister), enter the following in field 2:

• Location of the register
• Your membership number

Skip this field if you register as a small business (Kleingewerbe).

Field 3: Name of the company if different from field 1 (Name des Geschäfts, wenn er vom eingetragenen Namen in Feld 1 abweicht)

It’s an optional field. You mention your company name in this field if it differs from the name written in field 1.

For example, Laura Hair Salon, Flora Graden, etc. You can also think of it as your brand name.

Skip this field if you register as a small business (Kleingewerbe).

Fields (4-11): Personal Information (Angaben zur Person) 

From fields 4 to 11, you must enter your personal information. This includes:

• Your name 
• Gender
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Nationality
• Residential address
• Phone number
• Email address

Field 12: Information about the partners (Zahl der geschäftsführenden Gesellschafter)

In field number 12, you must enter the number of: 

• managing partners (only for partnerships)
• legal representatives (only for legal entities)

Sole proprietors (Einzelunternehmen) can leave this field blank.

Field 13: Is the public sector involved? (Liegt eine Beteiligung der öffentlichen Hand vor?)

Public sector participation exists if the federal government, states, or municipalities

• hold capital shares directly or indirectly
• or have votes in the administrative/management body of the company.

Select

• Yes, if public sector participation exists. Else select no.
• “not known” (nicht bekannt) if you are unsure about public sector participation in your business.

Field 14: Information about the branch manager (Vertretungsberechtigte Person/Betriebsleiter)

In field 14, information about the authorized representative or manager of the following should be provided:

• Domestic stock corporations (Aktiengesellschaften)
• Subsidiaries (Zweigniederlassungen)
• Dependent branches (unselbstständigen Zweigstellen)

This field is for capital companies (Kapitalgesellschaften) with multiple branches and subsidiaries.

Skip this field if you register as a small business (Kleingewerbe).

Field 15: Address and contact details of the business premise (Betriebsstätte)

State the address of your business/office (Betriebsstätte). This can be the:

• Main company (Hauptniederlassung),
• Subsidiary (Zweigniederlassung), or 
• Dependent branch facility (unselbständige Zweigstelle). 

If you don’t have a business address, write your current residential address.

Field 16: Address and contact details of headquarters (Hauptniederlassung)

Mention your main office details in this field. Ignore this if you have mentioned your main establishment (Hauptniederlassung) in the previous field.

Field 17: Address and contact details of former business place (Frühere Betriebsstätte)

Here, write the information about your former establishment (Frühere Betriebsstätte). This field is relevant if you are

• changing your business address or 
• transferring your business from one municipality to another. 

If you don’t have any prior establishment, skip this field.

Field 18: Business activity (Angemeldete Tätigkeit)

In this field, you must describe your business activity (Angemeldete Tätigkeit).

You should write your business activities clearly and abstractly. If you write your business activities too specifically, you’ll end up re-registering your business whenever you add a new service. 

Example: Teresa and Jannik are starting their YouTube channels. Teresa wants to create videos on financial education, and Jannik is creating educational content for kids.

Here is how the business activity description of the two looks.

• Teresa: Create a YouTube channel “FinanceForFrau” to offer financial education.
• Jannik: Creating educational content in the written and video form. 

Teresa described her business activity too specifically. If she wishes to start a new YouTube channel, sell her video courses outside YouTube, or make any other change, she must re-register her business. This will cost her time and money.

On the other hand, Jannik’s business description is generic. This allows him to create educational content on any topic. Moreover, he can post the content anywhere (YouTube, his website, etc.).

This gives Jannik more flexibility and avoids re-registration if he expands or changes his business activity in the future.

Field 19: Registering a small business as a side business (Wird die Tätigkeit (vorerst) im Nebenerwerb betrieben?)

When registering your business, mention whether you are working on it part-time or full-time. You qualify as a part-time self-employed individual if you fulfill the following criteria.

• You work fewer than 18 hours a week on your business.
• Your income from self-employment doesn’t exceed the income from employment.

Note: If you employ staff, the trade office generally assumes you are full-time self-employed.

Working part-time as a self-employed person doesn’t require additional social security contributions. This is because your primary employment already covers it.

However, you should inform your health insurance provider about part-time employment if the income from your primary employment is below the contribution assessment limit (i.e., 5,512.5 € per month (as of 2025)).

The reason is that the health insurance provider will also consider the income from part-time self-employment when calculating your monthly premiums.

Field 20: Date of business commencement (Datum des Beginns der angemeldeten Tätigkeit)

Specify the date when you started the business operations. 

Normally, you register before starting the business. However, it can happen that you started something as a hobby and now want to pursue it as a business. In this case, you must enter the date when you intend to start making money with it.

NOTE: Your local trade office (Gewerbeamt) may ask for an explanation for registering the business late. It’s up to them to accept that explanation. The trade office (Gewerbeamt) reserves the right to levy a fine on late registration. 

Field 21: Type of registered business (Art des angemeldeten Betriebs)

In this field, you indicate your business type. You must tick

• Industry (Industrie): If you manufacture products in a factory.
• Commerce (Handel): If you sell products that others produce.
• Crafts (Handwerk): If you
  • make your product by hand or  
  • are in a regulated or non-regulated craft according to the Regulation of Crafts (Handwerksordnung).
• Other (Sonstiges): If you cannot specify your business or are unsure.

Field 22: Number of employees (Zahl der bei Geschäftsaufnahme tätigen Personen)

Enter the number of people employed by your business, excluding yourself. You must enter the number of full-time and part-time employees separately. 

If your business doesn’t employ anyone, check “none (Keine)”.

Field (23-24): Type of establishment (Die Anmeldung wird erstattet für)

Here, you mention for which establishment you are filling this form for:

• Main office (Hauptniederlassung): The parent company that manages all the main operations of the business.
• Subsidiary (Zweigniederlassung): A company that the parent company wholly or partially owns. 
• Dependent branch office (unselbständige Zweigstelle): The extension of the physical company that oversees different operations in different locations. It is economically dependent on the main company.
• Field 24 Mobile office (Reisegewerbe): If you don’t have a fixed location. According to the Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung), a mobile business offers
  • goods and services for sale. (e.g., food trucks, salespersons, repairmen, etc.)
  • Entertainment (e.g., circus, exhibitions, etc.)

Note: When registering as a mobilebusiness, along with other documents you will require: the traveling trade card (Reisegewerbekarte).

Field 25: Why are you registering your business? (Grund der Neuerrichtung/Übernahme)

Here, you specify the reason behind your registration:

• Are you establishing a new business (Gewerbe)? (Neugründung)
• Are you reopening after relocating from a different region? (Wiedereröffnung nach Verlegung aus
  einem anderen Meldebezirk)
• Are you changing the legal form? (Wechsel der Rechtsform)
• Are you merging or dividing the establishment under the Transformation Act (Umwandlungsgesetz)? (Übergang nach dem Umwandlungsgesetz)
• Are you adding a new partner? (Gesellschaftereintritt)
• Are you inheriting, purchasing, or leasing this business? (Übernahme)

Field 26: Details of the former company (Name des früheren Gewerbetreibenden oder früherer Firmenname)

Write the name of the previous owner and/or company if you are:

• Taking over an existing establishment.
• Changing the legal form of your company.

New businesses can skip this field.

Field 27: Except for new companies (Außer bei Neugründung)

New businesses can skip this field.

You must fill this field if you already have a business and are changing something about it, such as its name, legal form, etc.

You must enter the name and membership number of your former statutory accident insurance provider (Angabe des bisherigen gesetzlichen Unfallversicherungsträgers, Angabe des bisherigen Mitgliedsnummer).

This information facilitates faster assignment of the business registration to the responsible accident insurance provider. If you don’t have this information, check the “not known (nicht bekannt)” to avoid business registration delays. 

Field (28-29): Permits and licenses

Some businesses require permits and licenses.

• Field 28: Select “yes” if you have a permit for your business (Liegt eine Erlaubnis vor?).  Otherwise, select “no.”
• Field 29: Select “yes” if you have a trades and crafts licence (Liegt eine Handwerkskarte vor?). Otherwise, select “no.”

If you selected “yes”, mention the permit issue data and issuing authority.

Field (30-31): For foreign founders

Non-EU entrepreneurs must have a valid residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) to start a business in Germany. If you have the permit, write the date it was issued and the authority that issued it in field 30.

In field 31, mention if your residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) imposes any conditions or restrictions. You can find this information on your “Zusatzblatt.” 

Suppose nothing is mentioned on your “Zusatzblatt.” In this case, write “keine Beschränkung.” This means “no restrictions.”

Field (32-33): Date and signature

In field 32, write the date when you are filling the form. And in the last field, sign.

Example: Filled Gewerbeanmeldung form

To understand how to fill out a business registration form (Gewerbeanmeldung), here is an example:

Maria is a foreign national eager to start a business in Germany alone. She wants to sell charms and jewellery. Here is how Maria’s Gewerbeanmeldung form will look.

You can download the filled PDF for free here.

Documents required for registering a business in Germany (Gewerbeanmeldung)

Before registering a business in Germany (Gewerbeanmeldung), ensure you have all the relevant documents. Everyone needs the following documents:

• Valid ID card or passport.
• Commercial register extract (Handelsregisterauszug) for corporations (Kapitalgesellschaften) or general partnerships (oHG).
• Residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) without any restrictive conditions for running a business for non-EU founders.

You may also need other documents based on your industry. You should contact IHK or HWK to inquire about what documents you need to register your business. 

Here is a non-exhaustive list of documents that different professions require.

Profession	Other necessary documents for the trade office
– Buying and selling (An- und Verkauf) – Providing information (Auskunfterteilung)  – Loan brokers (Darlehensvermittler)	– Police clearance certificate (polizeiliches Führungszeugnis) – Extract from the Central Commercial Register (Gewerbezentralregister)
– Security industry (Bewachungsgewerbe) – Real estate agent (Immobilienmakler) – Arcades (Spielhallen) – Insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler)	Proof of personal, factual, and professional reliability
Pharmacies (Apotheken)	Permission according to Section 1, Paragraph 1, Pharmacy Act (Apothekengesetz)  from the locally responsible regional council
Driving school (Fahrschule)	– Completed driving instructor training (Fahrlehrerausbildung) – At least two years of professional experience as a driving instructor – Submission of (construction) plans of the classrooms
Gastronomy (Gastronomie)	– Health certificate (Gesundheitszeugnis) from the health department – Police clearance certificate – Valid rental, purchase, or lease agreement for the shop – Liquor license (Ausschankgenehmigung) for alcoholic beverages (if required)
Crafts (Handwerk)	– Crafts card (Handwerkskarte) from the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) or authorization to practice.  – Altgesellenregelung permits experienced professionals to pursue their business without requiring the master craftsman certificate (Meisterbrief).
Craft-like professions (Handwerksähnliche Berufe)	Trade card (Gewerbekarte) from the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer).
Passenger transport (Personenbeförderung)	Permission according to Section 2 of the Passenger Transport Act (Personenbeförderungsgesetz)
Nursing services (Pflegedienste)	– Completed nursing training – At least two years of professional experience – Further training as a nursing manager, or completed studies in nursing management – Registration with the nursing insurance funds (Zulassung bei den Pflegekassen)
– Mobile business (Reisegewerbe) – Locksmith services (Schlüsseldienste)	– Traveling trade license (Reisegewerbekarte) from the public order or trade office (Gewerbeamt) – Police clearance certificate  – Extract from the central trade register (Gewerbezentralregister)
Taxi company (Taxiunternehmen)	– Taxi license (Taxikonzession) – Certificate of professional competence for taxi drivers (Fachkundebescheinigung für Taxifahrer) from the State Office for Civil and Regulatory Affairs

List of businesses that require a permit in Germany

Some businesses require permits to prove that you possess the necessary professional qualifications. To get the appropriate permits, you should know which occupations require one.

According to the Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung), the following activities need a permit:

• Private hospitals
• Care for older people
• Security services 
• Auctioneering business
• Exhibitions, fairs, wholesale market, weekly market, hiking camps
• Gaming equipment, casinos, lotteries, arcades
• Real estate agents, loan brokers, property developers, construction supervisors, and residential property managers
• Insurance brokers and advisors     
• Financial investment brokers and advisors

For some professions, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer) issues permits. Depending on the type of business, a competency examination or training is required to ensure the essential qualifications. 

Aside from the professions mentioned in the Trade Regulation Act, the following professions also require a permit:

• Banking and financial services (Kreditwesengesetz)
• Driving school (Fahrlehrergesetz)
• Restaurant business – Serving of alcoholic beverages (Gaststättengesetz)
• Handling explosives (Sprengstoffgesetz)
• Weapons manufacture and trade (Waffengesetz)
• Trade, keeping, and breeding of animals (Tierschutzgesetz)
• Aviation companies (Luftverkehrsgesetz)
• Passenger transport, including taxi companies (Personenbeförderungsgesetz)

How much does business registration cost in Germany?

Here are the costs of registering a business in Germany.

• Gewerbeanmeldung fee: You must pay a fee to the trade office (Gewerbeamt) every time you register, change, or deregister a business. The fee depends on where you live or want to register your business.
  • Berlin: €15
  • Stuttgart: €42
  • Munich: €50
• The IHK membership fee consists of two parts: a basic fee and a contribution based on business earnings. The fee depends on your legal form and business location. Small business (Kleingewerbe) owners pay a “basic fee” of €30 to €75 per annum, depending on their location. On top of that, you pay a percentage of your business earnings to IHK. This is 0.17% in IHK Frankfurt. New businesses not registered in the commercial register (Handelsregister) are exempt from the basic contribution for the first two years.
• HWK membership: The HWK membership fee includes a basic fee and a contribution based on the annual income of your business in the past three years. The basic contribution for all companies is between €95 and €120. The additional contribution is calculated based on the trade income in the assessment year. The assessment year is the previous third year. HWK considers the last third year as every business owner has filed the tax return and has income statements available by this time. HWK offers an allowance of  €24,500 when calculating the additional contribution.  Like IHK, first-time business owners are fully or partially exempt from the HWK contributions for the first four years.
• Permits: As mentioned before, some businesses require permits and certifications. Acquiring these costs extra. 

What are the consequences of not registering your business in Germany?

Entrepreneurs need to register their businesses before commencing operations. According to the Gewerbeordnung, failing to do so will result in penalties.

You’ll receive a letter from the local trade office (Gewerbeamt) asking you to pay a late registration fine. You can object to the fine by explaining the reason for late registration. However, it’s up to the trade office (Gewerbeamt) to accept it.

What happens once you register the business (Gewerbeanmelung)?

After registering your business (Gewerbe), your information is sent to the following offices: 

Tax office (Finanzamt)

After obtaining a business registration confirmation (Gewerbeschein), you must submit the tax registration questionnaire (Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung) to your local tax office. You must do so within four weeks of establishing your business.

You must fill out the tax questionnaire (Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung) online on ELSTER. In this form, you will fill in the details about your:

• Business operations
• Expected income
• Working capital
• Type of profit assessment (E.g., simple or double bookkeeping)

This will get you your tax number (Steuernummer), which you’ll use when issuing invoices and paying trade tax (Gewerbesteuer). 

When filing the tax registration form, you can also apply for a VAT number (Umsatzsteuer nummer). However, you don’t need one if you fall under the small business regulation (Kleingewerberegelung).

As per the small business regulation (Kleinunternehmerregelung), you don’t have to charge your customers VAT if your revenue is

• less than 25,000€ (as of 2025) in the previous financial year and
• won’t exceed 100,000€ (as of 2025) in the current year.

New founders should take advantage of this regulation. It reduces the bureaucracy and your product prices.

NOTE: You’ll need a VAT number if you offer services across the EU, regardless of whether you fall under small business regulation or not.

The Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or Chamber of Crafts (HWK)

Every business must be registered in the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer) or Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer). These organizations represent the interests of businesses and inform them when there are changes or updates in the

• tax laws
• commercial laws
• environmental rules, etc.

They also inform you of funding opportunities and grant programmes for your business. 

IHK represents the interests of businesses in the industrial manufacturing, trade, and service sectors. The Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) deals with careers in the crafts industry.

The institution for statutory accident insurance and prevention (Berufsgenossenschaften (BG))

Depending on your industry, you will be assigned to a specific professional association (Berufsgenossenschaften). These associations provide statutory accident insurance (Unfallversicherung) to cover work-related accidents. 

If you are a small business (Kleingewerbe), you don’t have to join professional associations (Berufsgenossenschaften) unless you plan on hiring in the future.

Who can help you register your business (Gewerbeanmeldung) in Germany?

You can consult a tax advisor if you have any questions or doubts. A tax advisor can also register the business on your behalf.

However, tax advisors are expensive in Germany and may charge between 300€ and 500€ for their service. 

Deregistration and registration of business in Germany

Besides registering for a new business, business owners must inform the trade office  (Gewerbeamt) of any changes. These include:

• Transferring to a different city or municipality
• Transferring to a different address within the same municipality
• Changing the legal form of your company (E.g, from sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen) to GmbH)
• Opening new branches
• Changing your name or company name
• Shifting from commercial to freelance activity

If you are changing your business location from one location to another, you must

• De-register your business in the current location with a de-registration form (Formular für die Abmeldung) and
• Re-register at the local trade office (Gewerbeamt) in the new location.

If you change any details about your business, such as business activity, legal form, etc., you must inform the tax office using the Gewerbeummeldung form.

References

• https://gruenderplattform.de/unternehmen-gruenden/gewerbe-anmelden#fazit
• https://gruenderplattform.de/unternehmen-gruenden/gewerbe-anmelden
• https://service.wirtschaft.nrw/unternehmensgruendung/gewerbe-anmelden-online/
• https://www.fuer-gruender.de/fileadmin/mediapool/Vorlagen_Checkliste/Ausfuellhilfe-Gewerbeanmeldung-Kleingewerbe-Final.pdf
• https://www.fuer-gruender.de/wissen/unternehmen-gruenden/unternehmen-anmelden/handelsregister/
• https://www.fuer-gruender.de/fileadmin/mediapool/Vorlagen_Checkliste/Ausfuellhilfe-Gewerbeanmeldung-Kleingewerbe-Final.pdf
• https://www.firma.de/firmengruendung/gewerbe-formular-richtig-ausfuellen/
• https://dgd-direkt.de/gewerbeanmeldung-formular-ausfuellhilfe-schritt-fuer-schritt-anleitung/
• https://www.allianz.de/business/berufshaftpflichtversicherung/
• https://www.ihk-muenchen.de/de/Service/Recht-und-Steuern/Gewerberecht/