Entry in the Register of Craftsmen as a displaced person or ethnic German resettler

    Are you a recognized displaced person, a late repatriate, do you have a foreign professional qualification and would you like to work independently in a craft subject to registration in Germany? Then you must first be registered in the register of skilled crafts.

    You can apply for entry in the Register of Craftsmen at the Chamber of Crafts responsible for you.

    Information for Lower Saxony: Handwerksrolle Eintragung von Vertriebenen und Spätaussiedlern mit einer der Meisterprüfung gleichwertigen bestandenen Prüfung im Ausland

    You can apply for entry in the Register of Craftsmen at the Chamber of Crafts responsible for you.

    Description

    With the recognized status as a displaced person or as a late repatriate and a professional qualification from abroad equivalent to the master craftsman's examination, you can exercise a craft subject to licensing as a standing trade in Germany. You must be registered in the register of skilled crafts before setting up in Germany.

    The Handwerksrolle is a register kept by your local Chamber of Crafts.

    Among other things, the Handicrafts Register lists

    • natural persons,
    • partnerships with legal capacity or
    • legal entities and
    • the name and qualification of the company management.

    Registration in the Handicrafts Register is obligatory if you

    • want to practice a craft that is subject to licensing,
    • want to exercise the craft only in parts and
    • want to perform essential activities of several crafts, then for each of these crafts.

    In order to be entered in the register of skilled crafts, you or the company management must prove that you have successfully completed a master craftsman's examination for the craft to be practiced or an equivalent professional qualification.

    The following are eligible as company management:

    • owners of the craft enterprise or
    • employed persons of the craft enterprise

    You will find a complete list of the crafts requiring approval in Annex A to the Crafts Code (HwO).

    The responsible Chambers of Crafts provide further information on this service. Please contact the responsible Chamber of Crafts for more information.

    In the Register of Craftsmen, the owners of establishments of crafts subject to approval in their district are entered with the crafts operated in accordance with Annex D, Section I to the Crafts Code. Registration with a craft subject to licensing requires the existence of the registration requirements according to §§ 7, 1 HwO.

    Information for Lower Saxony: Handwerksrolle Eintragung von Vertriebenen und Spätaussiedlern mit einer der Meisterprüfung gleichwertigen bestandenen Prüfung im Ausland

    In the Register of Craftsmen, the owners of establishments of crafts subject to approval in their district are entered with the crafts operated in accordance with Annex D, Section I to the Crafts Code. Registration with a craft subject to licensing requires the existence of the registration requirements according to §§ 7, 1 HwO.

    Online services

    Eintragung in die Handwerksrolle als Vertriebene oder Vertriebener, Spätaussiedlerin oder Spätaussiedler

    ID: L100040_690539624

    Use this service online

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    You need an account with password to use this online service (trust level: low).

    further information on the level of trust for online services

    Version

    Technisch erstellt on 09.02.2026
    Technisch geändert on 09.02.2026

    Language

    Deutsch

    Sprache: de
    Technisch erstellt on 07.06.2017
    Technisch geändert on 14.05.2025

    Entry in the register of craftsmen

    ID: L100040_475635730

    Use this service online

    Trust level

    You need an account with password to use this online service (trust level: low).

    further information on the level of trust for online services

    Version

    Technisch erstellt on 17.10.2022
    Technisch geändert on 22.10.2024

    Language

    Deutsch

    Sprache: de
    Technisch erstellt on 07.06.2017
    Technisch geändert on 14.05.2025

    Englisch

    Sprache: en
    Sprachbezeichnung nativ: English
    Technisch erstellt on 07.07.2021
    Technisch geändert on 23.10.2024

    Online portal of the Chambers of Crafts

    ID: L100040_537956738

    Description

    Would you like to set up a craft business? Then you've come to the right place! Whether you want to open or take over a business as a baker, hairdresser, roofer or with another trade: It's easy with handwerk:digital. handwerk:digital is an online portal of the chambers of crafts and trades. Here you can find out which formalities you need for your start-up project and complete them directly online.

    Use this service online

    Trust level

    You need an account with password to use this online service (trust level: low).

    further information on the level of trust for online services

    Version

    Technisch erstellt on 14.02.2024
    Technisch geändert on 23.10.2024

    Language

    Deutsch

    Sprache: de
    Technisch erstellt on 07.06.2017
    Technisch geändert on 14.05.2025

    Englisch

    Sprache: en
    Sprachbezeichnung nativ: English
    Technisch erstellt on 07.07.2021
    Technisch geändert on 23.10.2024

    Competent office

    Local Chamber of Crafts

    Contact point

    Local Chamber of Crafts

    Information for Lower Saxony: Handwerksrolle Eintragung von Vertriebenen und Spätaussiedlern mit einer der Meisterprüfung gleichwertigen bestandenen Prüfung im Ausland

    Local Chamber of Crafts

    Contact person

    Handwerkskammer Oldenburg

    Address

    address

    Theaterwall 32
    26122 Oldenburg (Oldenburg)

    Save contact

    Contact

    Version

    Technisch erstellt on 15.12.2009
    Technisch geändert on 10.03.2026

    Language version

    Deutsch

    Sprache: de
    Technisch erstellt on 07.06.2017
    Technisch geändert on 14.05.2025

    Required documents

    In case of sole proprietorship:

    • Identity card or comparable identification document (copy)
    • Notification of status as displaced person or ethnic German resettler (copy)
    • Proof of an examination passed abroad
    • Business registration (copy): Can be submitted after registration in the register of trades.

    For civil law partnerships (GbR):

    • Identity cards or a comparable identification document of the partners or persons authorized to represent the company (copy)
    • Articles of association, if not informally concluded (copy)
    • Notification of status as displaced person or late repatriate (copy)
    • Proof of an examination passed abroad
    • Business registration (copy): Can be submitted after registration in the register of trades.

    In the case of legally capable commercial partnerships

    • are meant:
      • General partnership (OHG),
      • limited partnership (KG) and
      • corresponding foreign company forms
    • Identity card or a comparable identification document of the shareholder or the persons authorized to represent the company
      • for proof of the entrepreneurial legal form in the case of the company's registered office in Germany:
      • Extract from the register of the company entered in the commercial register. In the case of general partnerships, also the articles of association (copy) if no entry has been made in the register.
      • for foreign legal forms:
        • Extract from the register of the competent foreign register in the case of companies entered in registers, otherwise
        • Articles of association (copy)
    • Notification of status as displaced person or late repatriate (copy)
    • Proof of an examination passed abroad
    • Business registration (copy): Can be submitted after registration in the register of trades and crafts

    For legal entities

    • Meant are:
      • Limited liability company (GmbH), entrepreneurial company (haftungsbeschränkt),
      • stock corporation (AG),
      • registered cooperative (eG)
    • identity card or a comparable identification document of the persons authorized to represent the company
      • for proof of entrepreneurial legal form: if the company is domiciled in Germany: register extract from the commercial or cooperative register for foreign legal forms: Register extract of the competent foreign register
    • Business registration (copy): Can be submitted after registration in the register of skilled crafts.
      • Information on company management
    • If a company manager is employed, the following documents must also be submitted:
      • Company manager declaration
      • Proof of employment as a plant manager: employment contract (copy)
      • Proof of social insurance of the plant manager
      • Notification of status as displaced person or late repatriate (copy)
      • Proof of an examination passed abroad

    Completed form "Declaration of Technical Management".

    Information for Lower Saxony: Handwerksrolle Eintragung von Vertriebenen und Spätaussiedlern mit einer der Meisterprüfung gleichwertigen bestandenen Prüfung im Ausland

    Completed form "Declaration of Technical Management".

    Forms

    Advice from your Chamber of Skilled Crafts - Contact details of the Chambers of Skilled Crafts
    https://www.handwerkskammer.de

    List of all crafts subject to registration
    https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hwo/anlage_a.html

    Prerequisites

    • You must provide proof of a recognized status as a displaced person or as a late repatriate.
    • Their professional qualification acquired abroad must be equivalent to the German master craftsman's examination for the craft requiring admission that they wish to practice or to a craft related to it.

    Fulfilment of the conditions for registration

    Information for Lower Saxony: Handwerksrolle Eintragung von Vertriebenen und Spätaussiedlern mit einer der Meisterprüfung gleichwertigen bestandenen Prüfung im Ausland

    Fulfilment of the conditions for registration

    • Legal action may be taken against a rejection of the application.
    • Depending on the federal state in which the application was filed, a preliminary procedure may have to be carried out first.
    • Information on the existing legal remedies can be found in the instructions on legal remedies in the notices.

    Legal action may be taken against a rejection of the application. Depending on the federal state in which the application was filed, a preliminary procedure must first be carried out. Information on the existing legal remedies can be found in the information on legal remedies in the notices.

    Procedure

    You can submit your application in writing or, in some cases, online to your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.

    Please inform yourself about the procedure at the responsible Chamber of Skilled Crafts. You can also have the required documents sent to you.

    • The Chamber of Skilled Crafts uses the certificate to check whether the focus of the degree corresponds to the craft you want to practice.
    • In cases of doubt, you can submit evidence of individual achievements (such as seminar papers or diploma theses) during training as well as framework curricula, training regulations for the examination.
    • If you meet the requirements for registration, you will receive a written notification of registration.
    • Together with the notification of registration, the company will receive the so-called craft card.

    You apply for entry in the Register of Craftsmen at the Chamber of Crafts responsible for you, enclosing the necessary documents.

    Information for Lower Saxony: Handwerksrolle Eintragung von Vertriebenen und Spätaussiedlern mit einer der Meisterprüfung gleichwertigen bestandenen Prüfung im Ausland

    You apply for entry in the Register of Craftsmen at the Chamber of Crafts responsible for you, enclosing the necessary documents.

    Deadlines

    You must be registered in the register of craftsmen before starting the activity.

    None

    Information for Lower Saxony: Handwerksrolle Eintragung von Vertriebenen und Spätaussiedlern mit einer der Meisterprüfung gleichwertigen bestandenen Prüfung im Ausland

    None

    Processing time

    3 months (Provided that all documents are complete and no further procedure is necessary, the Chamber of Skilled Crafts shall make the entry in the Register of Skilled Crafts within 3 months, otherwise the entry shall be deemed to have been made after the expiry of this period.)

    Costs

    The amount of the fees can be found in the fee schedule of the responsible Chamber of Crafts.

    For entry in the Register of Craftsmen, fees are charged according to the schedule of fees of the respective Chamber of Crafts.

    Information for Lower Saxony: Handwerksrolle Eintragung von Vertriebenen und Spätaussiedlern mit einer der Meisterprüfung gleichwertigen bestandenen Prüfung im Ausland

    For entry in the Register of Craftsmen, fees are charged according to the schedule of fees of the respective Chamber of Crafts.

    Notes (specifics)

    There are no clues or specifics.

    Further Information

    Bemerkungen

    nicht angegeben

    Unterstützende Institutionen

    not specified

    Welche Dokumente resultieren aus dieser Leistung?

    not specified

    Area of validity

    Lower Saxony

    Official approval

    Officially approved by The Senator for Economics, Labour and Europe of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen on 08.09.2022

    Version

    Technisch erstellt on 20.10.2021
    Technisch geändert on 27.03.2026

    Keywords

    Craftsmen directory, Craft requiring a license, Registration as a craftsman, Craft roll registration, Entry in the register of craftsmen, Craft business, Operations manager, Resettlers, Registration of a craft business, Immigrants of German descent, Displaced persons, Resettlers, Chamber of Crafts, Related crafts, Authorization of self-employed craftsmen

    Language version

    Deutsch

    Sprache: de
    Technisch erstellt on 07.06.2017
    Technisch geändert on 14.05.2025

    Englisch

    Sprache: en
    Sprachbezeichnung nativ: English
    Technisch erstellt on 07.07.2021
    Technisch geändert on 23.10.2024