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Starting a company in Germany

The foundation process in Germany

How does it work, and what steps need to be taken?

Find out more
Get a free quote
Find out more
Get a free quote

The formation of a company is very much still a formal and paperwork-intensive process in Germany, which means a lot of effort for the founder. INDIPA has optimized all the steps so that the effort for the expanding company is minimal.

Preparation

From the moment that you give us your mandate to support you in setting up your company, we need about two to three weeks to have the foundation completed. 

Of course we start of with some inevitable preparations to be done. We gather all necessary information to instruct our notary to draft the necessary formation documents accordingly, we liase with the IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer, Chamber of Industry and Commerce) to have the name and the subject description of your company approved, we arrange for an appointment at the bank to open an account on behalf of your German company and we will take care of all other administrative requirements that go along with these preparations. 

The foundation

For the foundation, we generally ask our customers to come to Düsseldorf for one day only, as their presence is necessary to sign the deed of foundation and to open a bank account in the name of the GmbH (in formation). In case a personal visit to Germany is not possible, we are able to manage the setup without personal presence of the founder, based upon a granted power of attorney. All the necessary paperwork will be taken care of by INDIPA.

As soon as the foundation documents are signed, you have founded a “GmbH i.Gr.”, also a “GmbH in Gründung” (meaning, a GmbH in formation).

Directly after signing the documents at the notary, we accompany you to the bank to open a bank account on behalf of your GmbH i.Gr. in order to pay in the due minimal capital.

As soon as the share capital has been paid in, we will inform the notary, who then instructs the court to have your GmbH i.Gr. registered at the German trade register. As soon as and first after your GmbH i.Gr. is registered at the trade register, your GmbH is formally founded. 

After foundation, we take care of various other registrations that need to be carried out (see Your company is founded – what comes next?).

In short…

In short, we offer the following services in close cooperation with you and our cooperation partners:

  • determination of the name of the GmbH – the name needs to be approved by the IHK, with whom we stay in close contact

  • arranging and accompanying our customers to the signing of the deed of foundation at the solicitor

  • arranging and accompanying our customers to the bank for the opening of a bank account

  • registration of the GmbH with the trade register, the city of its business office, the IHK, the UBO-register (Transparenzregister) and several other German authorities

  • support in the registration of the GmbH at the tax authority

INDIPA’s role

Please contact us here, in case you have any questions regarding the foundation process. Or just continue reading here, to see how INDIPA can support you in setting up your German company.

Are you interested? Please contact us!
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