Register business
service description
A business registration is always necessary when you start a permanent business operation. A permanent business operation means a business with a fixed place of business from or in which the business is carried out. This is the case if you:
- establish a new business,
- establish a new branch,
- establish a new dependent branch,
- take over an existing business, for example by purchasing or leasing,
- convert a sole proprietorship into another legal form,
- relocate a business from the area of one authority to the area of another authority (considered as closure of the business by one authority and as new establishment by the other authority).
You must register your business at the same time as you start operating it. You are only required to register if it is a commercial activity.
Exempt from business registration are:
- Primary production (cattle breeding, agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing)
- Freelance professions
- Management of own assets
Find out early on what personal, financial and professional requirements you have to meet in order to be able to work in these commercial sectors.
The purpose of registering a business is to enable the competent authorities to monitor the business activity and to conduct statistical surveys.
procedure
You can register your business in person, online, by post or fax.
- If the registration is made in person or in writing, you must fill out the "Trade Registration" form (GewA 1) and sign it personally.
- The competent authority will certify receipt of the business registration if the registration form has been completely filled out
- The responsible authority forwards the business registration to other authorities, such as the tax office, the professional association, the Chamber of Crafts, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and, if applicable, the registry court.
- The procedure can be handled via a single contact person. You have a legal right to electronic processing.
requirements
You want to run a business.
Business owners are
- natural persons or
- legal entities, for example stock corporations (AG), limited liability companies (GmbH), registered cooperatives (eG) or registered associations (e.V.), partnerships limited by shares (KG)
The following are subject to notification:
- in the case of sole proprietorships, the sole proprietor,
- in the case of partnerships (for example, general partnerships, general partnerships) the partners authorized to manage the company
- in the case of a limited partnership (KG), each personally liable partner, the limited partners of a KG only if they have management authority
- in the case of capital companies (e.g. GmbH, AG), the legal representative(s).
What documents are required?
- Proof of identity (e.g. identity card, passport or registration certificate)
- notarized partnership agreement or commercial register extract,
- Supplement for authorized representatives
What deadlines do I need to consider?
You must register your business immediately when you start operations. If you register late, you may be fined.
processing time
- In the event of a personal appointment: immediately
- In the case of written or electronic registration: within 3 days, provided that the business registration form has been filled out completely and correctly and the required documents have been submitted.
legal basis
What else should I know?
If you change your legal form, you must submit both a business deregistration (for closing down your business under the old legal form) and a business registration (for starting up your business under the new legal form).
Applications / Forms