Commercial Register Entry

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).