The Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) [HWK]

Key Takeaway

• If you start a crafts or crafts-related business, you must join the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer (HWK)). You become a member automatically when you register your business (Gewerbeanmeldung).
• There are three types of craft trades: licensed trades, non-licensed trades, and craft-like trades.
• Every member pays the HWK membership fee. The fee consists of basic (Grundbeiträge) and additional (Zusatzbeiträge) fees.
• Licensed trades require a master craftsman certificate (Meisterbrief) on top of HWK membership.

Table of Contents

What is the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) in Germany?

The Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer (HWK)) is an independent public corporation. It supports startups in the crafts domain and represents their interests.

HWK maintains the “crafts register” (Handwerksrolle). In this register, all craft businesses that require a license are entered.

HWK also issues a “craft card” (Handwerkskarte). A craft card is a certificate you get after your business is registered in the “craft register”. It serves as proof of registration and contains information about your business.

There are 53 Chambers of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) in Germany.

How do you become an HWK member?

After registering your business (Gewerbeanmeldung) at the trade office (Gewerbeamt), you automatically become a member of your region-specific chamber of crafts (HWK).

What does HWK do?

HWK assists businesses in their startup journey by offering:

• Services in the technical and financial aspects of the organisation.
• Legal advice to startups. 
• In the event of problems with customers, authorities, or supervisory authorities, the HWK acts as a mediator and arbitrator.
• Vocational courses and examinations.
• Supports start-ups and entrepreneurs in hiring apprentices.
• Master craftsman certificates (Meisterbrief) that demonstrate professional qualifications.
• Registration in the Crafts register (Handwerksrolle) and issuing Craft cards (Handwerkskarte) that allow businesses to start their craft trade.
• Develops suggestions and proposals for the promotion of the craft sector.
• Regularly reports on the situation in the craft sector and prepares expert opinions.

The Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) also oversees crafts guilds (Handwerksinnungen). Craft Guilds are grassroots organizations of individual craft professions in a specific district. For example, craft guilds of bakers, butchers, weavers, etc., in a particular district.

Who is a member of the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) in Germany?

Every craft-related business must be a Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) member regardless of its legal form. This includes:

• Craft trade (Handwerk)
• Craft-like trade (Handwerksähnliche Tätigkeiten)
• Experienced journeymen and women (Gesellinnen)
• Workers who completed vocational training
• Apprentices of the above

What is the membership fee of the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer)?

Every member of the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) pays a

• basic fee (Grundbeiträge) and
• an additional fee (Zusatzbeiträge).

Each regional “Chamber of Crafts” (HWK) levies a different fee. Moreover, every HWK revises its fee each year. Here is how much you pay.

Basic fee (Grundbeiträge)

Basic fee depends on your business’s

• location,
• legal form, and 
• income

Here is how much you pay for the HWK basic fee in

• Berlin: 135€ to 365€ (as of 2025) [1]
• Trier: 355€ to 705€ (as of 2025) [2]

Additional fee (Zusatzbeiträge)

The additional fee is a percentage of your business’s trade income/profit. HWK distinguishes between income from crafts/trade activities and commercial activities. 

Only income from trade/crafts activities is considered when calculating the HWK membership fee. Here is how much you pay for the HWK additional fee in

• Berlin: 8.7% of the trade income/profit after deducting the 5,112.92€ allowance. [1]
• Trier: 1.2% of the trade income/profit. 24,500€ is deducted from the trade income for sole proprietors (Einzelunternehmer) [2]

Do startups pay the HWK membership fee?

According to Code(§ 113 Abs. 2 S. 4 HwO), newly established businesses get allowances or are exempt from paying the HWK membership fee.

Here is how much you pay as a new founder.

• 1st year: No HWK membership fee. 
• 2nd and 3rd year: Pay half of the basic fee (Grundbeiträge).
• 4th year: Pay the entire basic fee (Grundbeiträge)
• 5th year and onwards: The Entire basic fee plus the additional fee.

You don’t pay any additional fee in the first four years of your business operations.

NOTE: The above exemption applies if your business’s trade income/profit doesn’t exceed 25,000€ (as of 2025) in the assessment year.

Aside from first-time business owners, companies with an income or profit of less than 5200€ (as of 2025) don’t pay the HWK membership fee.

What is a Master Craftsman Certificate (Meisterbrief)?

The Master craftsman certificate (Meisterbrief) is a seal of quality. It assures customers of your skill in your domain. 

HWK issues this certificate after you ace the master craftsman examination (Meisterprüfung). The exam consists of four parts:

• Part I: Specialist practice (Fachpraxis)
• Part II: Technical theory (Fachtheorie)
• Part III: Business Administration and Law (Betriebswirtschaft und Recht )
• Part IV: Vocational and Work Education (Berufs- und Arbeitspädagogik )

In addition to registering with HWK, you may also need a master craftsman certificate to start your business. Here are the businesses for which a certification is required.

• Licensed craft trades (zulassungspflichtige Handwerke): Professions listed in Annex A of the Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung).

Here are the businesses for which a certification is NOT required.

• Unlicensed craft trades (Zulassungsfreie Handwerke): Craft occupations that come under Annex B1 of the Crafts Code.
• Craft-like trades (Handwerksähnliche Tätigkeiten): Professions that come under Annex B2 of the Crafts Code.

Alternatives to the master craftsman certificate (Meisterbrief)

You are excused from taking a master craftsman examination (Meisterprüfung) if you:

• Acquire a diploma equivalent to a master craftsman certificate (Meisterbrief) from a German university, state-recognised technical school, or from any other educational institution in the EU.
• According to Section 8 of the Craft Code (Handwerksordnung), apply for an exemption permit (Ausnahmebewilligung) if you cannot take the exam.
• Hire an operations manager with the master craftsman (Meisterbrief) title.
• Apply for a license to practice (Ausübungsberechtigung) by passing the journeyman examination (Gesellenprüfung).

Note: According to Section 7 of the Craft Code (Handwerksordnung), to take an journeyman examination (Gesellenprüfung), you must have worked six years in the trade, with four of the years being in a managerial position.

Do you have to be a member of HWK and IHK at the same time?

When you register your business, you either become a member of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer) or the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer), depending on your business.

However, if your company has a non-craft division along with the craft one, you must also register with the IHK. Such companies are called mixed businesses (Mischbetriebe).

Example: Sheila is an author (craft). She writes books and publishes them through the publishing house she owns. (commercial). Hence, she is a member of the IHK and HWK.

The membership in both IHK and HWK is compulsory for mixed businesses (Mischbetriebe). However, according to Section 3 of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Act (IHKG), businesses are required to pay IHK contributions only if:

• The business structure is commercial, i.e., registered in the commercial register (Handelsregister).
• The turnover of the non-crafts part of the business is over €130,000.

When calculating the IHK contribution, only the earnings of the non-crafts part of the business are considered. HWK determines the craft and non-craft share of the business.

Resources

• https://gruenderplattform.de/behoerdenwegweiser#handwerkskammer
• https://www.fuer-gruender.de/wissen/unternehmen-gruenden/unternehmen-anmelden/handwerkskammer
• https://www.hwk-stuttgart.de/artikel/was-macht-die-handwerkskammer-eigentlich-67,0,2058.html