11 steps to incorporating a company in Germany

Since 2003, Healy Consultants Group assists multi-national Clients’ with German company registration, without travel by shareholders and directors and bank signatory. This web page helps our Clients’ visualize the company incorporation process:

• Pre-incorporation steps

  1. Our Client i) settles our firm’s engagement fee ii) signs our engagement letter and iii) submits the necessary due diligence documents;
  2. Healy Consultants Group prepares a detailed engagement plan, including a detailed company incorporation process strategy that lays out company incorporation steps and timelines, thereby enhancing transparency and setting Client expectations;
  3. Our German Incorporation Team works with our Client to determine i) the optimum business entity is required ii) cash flow considerations for the new business iii) visa requirements for the entrepreneur(s) and iv) the corporate structure;

• Incorporation steps

  1. Healy Consultants Group checks availability and reserves our Client’s preferred company name with i) the Chamber of Industry Commerce and ii) prepares the articles of association for the new company;
  2. Our German Incorporation Team submits the Memorandum and Articles of Association for notarization at the Civil Law Notary and settles applicable Notary fees;
  3. Healy Consultants Group assists our Client to open a capital account with a local bank. Thereafter, our Client to i) deposit the required paid-up capital of €25,000 into the capital account and ii) supply Healy Consultants Group with a certificate of deposit and bank statement;
  4. Our Incorporation Team then files the Articles of Association with the notary public and prepares an application for company registration with the Commercial Register. Applications for entry in the Commercial Register are made through a notary. A GmbH, especially, does not exist until it has been entered in the Commercial Register. All going well, the German company is incorporated, and our Client is appointed as director and shareholder;

• Post-incorporation steps

  1. Healy Consultants Group helps our Client complete business banking in Germany and secure internet banking access. Some German banks may require our Client to travel to a local branch for a face-to-face interview. In this case, we will immediately action this travel policy;
  2. Simultaneously, Healy Consultants Group registers our Client’s company for tax and secures a trade license. The Tax registration in Germany is time-consuming, taking a minimum of four weeks to complete. If the Tax Office (Finanzamt) does not send you documentation once you register your business, we must apply for a tax ID number (Steuernummer) within one month after our Client begin operations; and
  3. Legal entities must enter their beneficial owners in the Transparency Register. Furthermore, we must report your business to the local trade office (Gewerbeamt); and
  4. If you will have employees, you must also apply to the local Labour Office (Arbeitsamt) for an employer number (Betriebsnummer) for social security purposes. You will further have to register with the employers’ liability insurance association (Berufsgenossenschaft) that applies to your business. Employees must be registered with the appropriate public health insurance funds (Krankenkassen).

• Conclusion

  Following engagement completion, Healy Consultants Group couriers a full company kit to our Client, including original Germany corporate documents, unopened bank correspondence and a Client feedback survey.