Professional & Legal Services

Starting a funeral services business (Bestattungsunternehmen) in Germany requires a trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) and membership in the regional Chamber of Skilled Crafts (Handwerkskammer), as it is classified as a craft-like trade. No master craftsman qualification or formal professional exam is required, though completing the three-year training as a funeral specialist (Bestattungsfachkraft) is recommended.If you plan to operate a body cooling facility on your premises, you need a separate permit from the local health authority (Gesundheitsamt). Each federal state has its own burial law (Bestattungsgesetz) setting additional rules on transport, storage, and documentation of the deceased. These state laws may include further registration or notification requirements.

Issued by: Trade Office / Public Health Authority

If you commercially operate as a real estate agent, loan broker, property developer, or construction supervisor, you need a license under Section 34c of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO). This also covers residential property managers since a 2018 amendment.You apply at the local trade office (Gewerbeamt) or, in some states, at the Chamber of Commerce (IHK). The authority checks your personal reliability through a certificate of conduct and trade register extract, and verifies that you have orderly financial circumstances via a credit report. Costs are typically in the low three-figure range. Once granted, the license is valid nationwide. Licensed agents must comply with record-keeping and accounting obligations under the Makler- und Bauträgerverordnung (MaBV).

Issued by: Trade Office / IHK

Since 2018, anyone commercially managing residential properties for third parties requires a license under Section 34c of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO). This covers property managers of residential condominiums (WEG-Verwalter) and rental property managers (Mietverwalter) who manage on behalf of property owners.You apply at the local trade authority or IHK. The authority checks your personal reliability and orderly financial circumstances through a certificate of conduct, trade register extract, and credit report. No formal qualification exam is required for the license itself, but all licensed managers and their directly involved employees must complete 20 hours of continuing professional development every three years. Failure to meet the training obligation is an administrative offense. The license is valid nationwide once granted.

Issued by: Trade Office / IHK

Any business that supplies temporary workers to other companies (Zeitarbeit or Leiharbeit) needs a temporary employment agency license (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungserlaubnis) under the Temporary Employment Act (AÜG). Operating without this license is illegal and can result in fines and the workers being treated as direct employees of the client company.The license is issued by one of three designated employment agencies (Agentur für Arbeit) in Düsseldorf, Kiel, or Nürnberg. You must demonstrate financial reliability with liquid funds of at least 15,000 euros (or 3,000 euros per planned temporary worker), submit a police clearance certificate, and provide a trade register excerpt. The license is initially granted for one year and can be renewed. After three consecutive annual renewals, you may apply for an unlimited license.

Issued by: Federal Employment Agency

Tour operators and arrangers of linked travel arrangements must demonstrate insolvency protection before selling package holidays. This protects travelers' payments if the operator goes insolvent. The requirement stems from the EU Package Travel Directive, implemented in German law through the Travel Services Act.Operators with annual package travel revenue over 10 million EUR must obtain insolvency protection through the German Travel Insurance Fund (Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds, DRSF). Smaller operators can alternatively secure coverage through a private insolvency insurance policy. You must register with the DRSF or your insurer and provide a security certificate (Sicherungsschein) to customers with each booking. Operating without proper insolvency protection is a criminal offense.

Issued by: German Travel Insurance Fund (DRSF)

Businesses that commercially operate public telecommunications networks or offer publicly accessible telecommunications services (such as internet access, VoIP, or mobile MVNO services) must notify the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur, BNetzA) before starting operations. This requirement is set out in Section 5 of the Telecommunications Act (TKG).You submit the notification using the prescribed form, available online through the federal portal or by email. The notification must include your company details and a description of the planned services. Number-independent interpersonal services (such as email or messenger apps) have been exempt since December 2021. Through this registration, the BNetzA maintains an overview of the telecommunications market. The notification itself is free of charge.

Issued by: Federal Network Agency

Merchants (e.K.), partnerships (OHG, KG), and corporations (GmbH, UG, AG) must register in the commercial register (Handelsregister) before starting business. The register is a public directory maintained by local courts (Amtsgerichte) that records key legal and financial information about registered businesses.Registration requires notarized documents, which your notary submits electronically to the registry court. Costs depend on your legal form: roughly 150-300 EUR in court fees plus notary fees. Sole traders with small operations below certain revenue thresholds are not required to register but may do so voluntarily. A commercial register entry does not replace the separate trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung).

Issued by: Local Court (Registry Court)