How to register a company in Germany (GmbH or UG): step by step
To register a GmbH or UG in Germany, check the name, choose the standard model protocol or your own articles, sign them in front of a notary (in person or by video), pay in the capital, and let the notary file with the commercial register. Then register the trade, send the tax questionnaire through ELSTER and report your beneficial owners. Expect about two to six weeks and roughly €600 to €750 in fees with the model protocol.
Registering a German limited company is mostly paperwork in the right order, with one appointment in the middle: the notary. Here is the order that works for a GmbH or the lower-capital UG, with typical costs. Figures checked on 06/11/2026; confirm them with a German tax adviser (Steuerberater) before you commit.
1. Check the name
The name must end in GmbH or UG (haftungsbeschränkt) and must not clash with a company already registered nearby. Search the Handelsregister and, if in doubt, ask the local chamber of commerce (IHK).
2. Choose the articles
The Musterprotokoll is a standard set of articles for up to three shareholders and one managing director with cash contributions. It is the cheapest route. If you need more - investors, several directors, special rules - you need your own articles, which cost more at the notary.
3. Sign in front of a notary
Book a notary. Since 2022 you can sign by video through the federal notary chamber’s system, so you do not need to be in Germany; each shareholder needs an ID with the online function switched on.
4. Pay in the capital
Open a business bank account and pay in the capital. A GmbH needs €25,000, at least €12,500 of it paid in before registration. A UG can start with €1, but must keep a quarter of each year’s profit until it reaches €25,000.
5. Let the notary register the company
The notary files the application with the register court. The company legally exists once it is entered in the Handelsregister, usually one to four weeks later.
6. Register the trade, the tax and the owners
- Trade office (Gewerbeamt): register the trade; the fee depends on the town, often around €20 to €60.
- Tax office: send the tax registration questionnaire (Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung) through ELSTER. The tax number often takes four to eight weeks.
- Transparency register: report who ultimately owns the company.
Typical costs
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Notary, model protocol, one founder | About €270 |
| Notary, model protocol, two or three founders | About €410 |
| Commercial register entry and publication | About €300 |
| Trade registration | About €20 to €60 |
With the model protocol, expect roughly €600 to €750 in total. Own articles or a lawyer cost more.
Let Corey prepare it
Corey is a free AI co-founder for solopreneurs and startups, inside Claude, with a researched rule book for Germany. Use the Set up the business prompt with “Germany” as your country: it helps you choose between a GmbH, a UG or starting on your own name, prepares the details for the notary and the tax questionnaire, and keeps the deadlines afterwards. You sign and submit. Get Corey free.