Register a trade

A business registration is always necessary if you start an independent business with a fixed place of business (in the so-called "standing trade").
This is the case for
  1. New establishment of a business/head office,
  2. New establishment of a branch office,
  3. New establishment of a dependent branch office,
  4. Takeover of an existing business, e.g. through purchase, inheritance or lease,
  5. Joining an existing partnership as a new managing partner, e.g. in a GbR, KG or OHG,
  6. Conversion of a company into a different legal form (if the legal form changes, the business deregistration under the old legal form and the business registration under the new legal form must be submitted),
  7. relocation of a business from another federal state to Berlin (in the event of relocation, a business deregistration must be submitted to the trade authority of the previous municipality and a business registration must be submitted to the public order office in Berlin).

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 commercial.

What is a trade?
A trade is any activity that is not socially unacceptable, 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.

The activities listed in Section 6 (1) sentence 1 GewO are exempt from the notification requirement. (see "Further information"). The following are exempt, among others:
  • Primary production (agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing)
  • Liberal professions (including lawyers, notaries, tax consultants, auditors, doctors, scientific, artistic and literary activities)
  • Education of children for remuneration
  • teaching
  • Management of own assets (e.g. a block of flats)
  • as well as generally prohibited or socially unworthy activities (e.g. illegal gambling)
Some commercial activities also require a licence. Others are subject to supervision. Additional requirements then apply to them (see "Further information").

The competent authority also forwards the business registration to other bodies such as the tax office, the Chamber of Crafts or the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the registry court and the employers' liability insurance association. 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.

You can also access this service online

Online processing

Prerequisites

  • You want to run a business.
    Traders are natural persons or legal entities (joint-stock company, limited liability company, registered cooperative or registered association, partnership limited by shares).
    The following must be notified:
    • Sole traders: the sole trader,
    • 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 representatives (managing directors, board of directors).
  • The business registration must be done at the same time as the start of the business.
    The obligation to notify exists only if it is a commercial activity.

Documents required

  • Trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung)
    Possible online; or you can use the business registration form.
  • Identity document
    Identity card or other official identification document with photo (not required for electronic application). Residence permit if the applicant is not a national of an EU country.
  • Up-to-date excerpt from the Trade Register
    Registered companies are required to submit an up to date excerpt from the Trade Register.
    Legal entities that are in the process of being established (GmbH, AG, UG) are required to submit a notarised copy of their partnership agreement or statutes as well as statements of approval by their associates.
  • Declaration of consent of the shareholders
    Only for business notifications of legal entities in the process of formation
  • Supplement for authorised representatives
    In the case of business registrations for legal entities with multiple representatives

Forms

Fees

  • EUR 26.00 - per single person company, per associate for business partnerships
  • EUR 31.00 - legal entity with one legal representative
  • EUR 13.00 - for each additional representative of a legal entity
  • EUR 15.00 - business registration via electronic process (online processing)

Legal basis

More information

Notes on responsibility

The competent Public Order Office for the district in which the company’s premises are located.

Your point of contact

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Further information about this

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