Business re-registration

Would you like to move your business to a new location, has your business name changed or do you want to offer additional goods or services in the future? In these and other cases, you must re-register your business.

If you wish to relocate the registered office of your company within the jurisdiction of the municipality that was previously responsible, you must re-register your business. The same applies if you change the location of your registered office or the location of a branch or dependent branch office. The local trade or public order office is responsible for this.

The following are exempt from business re-registration:

• Primary production (livestock farming, agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing)
• Liberal professions
• Management of own assets

If you change your business activity, you must also re-register your business. This is the case, for example, if in future you offer goods or services in your business exclusively or additionally that are not customary in relation to your registered trade.

You must also re-register your business if your name as a trader or the name of the legal entity as a trader changes.

In the event of a change of business activity, it is not only necessary to re-register a standing business, but also a traveling business.

The following persons or their authorized representatives must carry out the re-registration:

• in the case of sole traders, by the trader himself,
• in the case of legal entities, for example limited liability companies (GmbH), public limited companies (AG), by the legal representatives

In the case of partnerships, for example general partnerships (OHG), partnerships limited by shares (KG), partnerships under civil law (GbR), limited liability companies and limited partnerships (GmbH & Co. KG), all partners authorized to manage the business must register the business.

If you move your place of business to the jurisdiction of another municipality, you must first deregister the business at the previous location and then re-register it at the new location. This is not a re-registration.

Trade office or city or municipal administration at the location of the company headquarters.

You can also complete the procedure electronically via the Point of Single Contact

• Completed business re-registration form
• Proof of identity (e.g. identity card, passport or registration certificate)
• Copy of the extract from the commercial register if your company is entered in the commercial register (also: register of cooperatives, register of associations, register of foundations)

• You relocate the registered office, a branch or a dependent branch within the jurisdiction of a municipality, or
• You change or expand the goods and services offered so that the character of your business changes
• The name of the trader changes

You can re-register your business in person, online, by post or fax.

• If the re-registration is done in person or in writing, you must complete the form "Gewerbe-Ummeldung" - (GewA 2) and sign it personally.
• The "GewA 2" form is available at the office responsible for the re-registration or, depending on the service, can also be downloaded.
• The responsible office certifies receipt of the business re-registration if the re-registration form has been completed in full
• The responsible office forwards the business re-registration to other offices, such as the tax office, the employers' liability insurance association, the Chamber of Crafts, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and, if applicable, the registry court.
• The procedure can be handled by a single point of contact. You have a legal right to electronic processing.

You are obliged to re-register your business at the time of relocation or change. If you change or expand your business, you must also re-register at this time.

• If you come in person: immediately
• If you re-register in writing or electronically, you will receive a confirmation of receipt of your re-registration: within 3 days, provided the re-registration form has been filled out completely and correctly and the required documents have been submitted.

The costs are based on the respective administrative fee schedule of the state and the fee statutes of the authorities responsible under state law.

The specific amount is usually determined by the time required for administration.

Für die Anzeige der Ummeldung: Fee 28,00 EUR (Information on cost composition can be found here)

Für das Ausstellen einer Empfangsbestätigung gemäß Ziffer 2132: Fee 8,00 EUR (Information on cost composition can be found here)