Register a business

A business registration is always necessary if you start a permanent business. A permanent business means a business with a fixed place of business from or in which the business is carried out. This is the case if you:

• set up a new business,
• establish a new branch office,
• establish a new dependent branch,
• take over an existing business, for example by purchase or lease,
• convert a sole proprietorship into another legal form,
• relocate a business from the area of one authority to the area of another authority (for one authority this is deemed to be a discontinuation of the business, for the other authority it is deemed to be a new establishment).

You must register your business at the same time as you start operating it. The obligation to register only applies if it is a commercial activity.

The following are exempt from business registration:

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

Find out at an early stage what personal, financial and professional requirements you need to fulfil in order to be able to work in these sectors.

The purpose of registering a trade is to enable the competent authorities to monitor the exercise of the trade and to carry out statistical surveys.

Incidentally, there is no distinction between trade and small business in trade law. The term small business comes from commercial law. The registration of a trade therefore also applies to small businesses.

• Trade Costs Ordinance - GewKostVO M-V
• § Section 14 of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO)
• Article 15 in conjunction with Article 36 of the Act on the Functional Reform of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• § Section 15 (1) of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO)
• § Section 11 of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO) (Data protection notice)
• Trade Notification Ordinance (GewAnzV)

• Proof of identity (e.g. identity card, passport or registration certificate)
• Notarised articles of association or extract from the commercial register,
• Supplement authorised representatives

You want to run a business.

Traders are

• natural persons or
• Legal entities, e.g. stock corporation (AG), limited liability company (GmbH), registered co-operative (eG) or registered association (e.V.), partnership limited by shares (KG)

The following must be reported:

• in the case of sole traders, the sole trader,
• in the case of partnerships (e.g. OHG, GbR), the partners authorised to manage the company
• in the case of a limited partnership (KG), each personally liable partner, the limited partners of a KG only if they have management authorisation
• in the case of corporations (e.g. GmbH, AG), the legal representative(s).

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

• If you register in person or in writing, you must complete the "Business Registration" form (GewA 1) and sign it personally.
• The competent authority certifies receipt of the business registration if the registration form has been completed in full
• The responsible office forwards the business 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.

• Business registration in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

  Display of performance in the source portal

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the competent authority is the trade licence office of the independent town, the large town belonging to the district, the office or the independent municipality in which the activity is to take place.

• Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK)
• Chambers of Crafts (HwK)
• Counties and independent cities
• Responsible local authority or administration of the independent municipality