Re-register trade

A trade re-registration is always necessary if you relocate an already registered self-employed business with a fixed place of business (in the so-called "standing trade") within Berlin or change your commercial activities. If you are a trader and your name has changed, you must also re-register your trade.
This is the case with:

  • Relocation within Berlin: If you move the headquarters of your company or a branch office or a dependent branch of your company to a new location within the municipality. The business transfer registration must then be submitted to the public order office in whose district your new business location is located.
  • Change of commercial activity: If you change the goods or services of your business. Example: The activity as a travel agency is discontinued and the business is continued as a newspaper business.
  • Extension of commercial activities: If you additionally offer goods or services that are not customary in your previously registered trade. Example: The activity as a travel agency is to be continued and expanded to include the sale of magazines.
  • Change of the trader's name: If your surname changes, for example due to marriage.
You can also voluntarily report other changes with the trade re-registration. For example, if you no longer carry out individual registered activities in your trade and wish to delete them from the trade register.

Information:
  • If you relocate the headquarters of your company or a branch office or a dependent branch of your company to a new location outside the municipality (relocation outside Berlin), the trade must be deregistered in Berlin and re-registered in the other federal state (at the new location) (see "More information").
  • When taking over an existing business, joining as a new managing partner or converting a company into a different legal form, a business registration is required (see "More information").

The competent authority also forwards the trade re-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 re-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 move your already registered business within Berlin, change your business activity or your name has changed.
    Traders are natural persons or legal entities (joint-stock company, limited liability company, registered cooperative or registered association, partnership limited by shares).
    The following persons or their authorised representatives must re-register:
    • 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 power of management.
    • Corporations (e.g. GmbH, AG): the legal representatives (managing directors, board of directors).
  • The re-registration of the trade must be carried out at the same time.
    The trade re-registration must be carried out at the same time as the transfer to another district (within Berlin), if the commercial activity of your trade changes or if the name of the trader changes.
  • For the online application for all other company legal forms: Registration/application via BundID or Mein Unternehmenskonto (MUK)
    You will need your electronic ID card, the EU citizen card (eID card), the electronic residence permit (eAT) or the Elster certificate.

Documents required

  • Trade re-registration
    Online possible; or you can use the form for business re-registration.
  • 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 please submit a current excerpt from the commercial register as proof of the power of representation.
  • Supplement for authorised representatives
    For trade re-registrations of legal entities with several authorised representatives

Forms

Fees

  • EUR 20.00 - per trade registration
  • EUR 15.00 - trade registration in the electronic procedure (online processing)

Legal basis

More information

Notes on responsibility

The public order office of the district in which your company's registered office is located.

Your point of contact

Please select a location to make an appointment

Do it online

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Further information about this

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