Germany Business Licence: Trade Registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) vs. Special Permits

The two tracks: registration vs. licence

The table below contrasts the two tracks so you can see, at a glance, which one applies to you and what it involves.

	Trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung)	Special licence/permit (Erlaubnis)
Legal basis	§14 GewO	Activity-specific statute (§34c/d/f/i, §34a GewO, GastG, HwO)
Nature	Notification	Permission
Who	Nearly all commercial operators	Operators of regulated activities only
Authority	Gewerbeamt / Ordnungsamt	Gewerbeamt plus IHK / HWK / district authority
Cost	€15–65	Activity-specific, higher
Exempt	Freiberufler (§18 EStG)	None

Trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung, §14 GewO)

The trade registration is the baseline duty. "Wer den selbständigen Betrieb eines stehenden Gewerbes … anfängt, muss dies der zuständigen Behörde gleichzeitig anzeigen": anyone who starts the independent operation of a standing trade must notify the competent authority (the Gewerbeamt or Ordnungsamt) simultaneously with starting (§14 GewO).

What it is and what it isn't

The Gewerbeanmeldung is a notification, granted to nearly everyone who files it; it is not a permission. Critically, it does not by itself authorise a regulated activity. If your activity needs a special Erlaubnis, registering the trade does not substitute for the permit; you still have to obtain it (see below).

Cost (€15–65, municipal)

The fee is set by each municipality and typically falls in the €15–65 range. As examples (dated 2026-06-10): Berlin is around €26, Hamburg around €20, Munich around €47, and Stuttgart up to around €60. Add-ons can increase the cost: for instance a certificate of good conduct (Führungszeugnis) or a register extract at around €13 each where these are required for your activity.

When you re-notify (relocation / change / closure)

The §14 GewO duty is not a one-off. The same notification duty applies when you relocate the business, change the activity you carry on, or close the business. Keep the trade office updated as the business evolves.

Which activities need a special licence?

Only specifically regulated activities need a true Erlaubnis. The table below lists the main ones with their legal basis, the issuing authority and a note on what is checked. This is not exhaustive, but it covers the activities foreign founders most often ask about.

Activity	Legal basis	Issuing authority	Notes
Real estate / loan brokerage, property developer (Bauträger), residential / condominium property management	§34c GewO	Competent authority	Erlaubnis required before operating
Insurance intermediation	§34d GewO	Competent IHK	Reliability, qualification, professional-liability and exam checks
Financial-investment brokerage (Finanzanlagenvermittler)	§34f GewO	IHK	IHK administers the competency exam
Residential-property loan brokerage (Immobiliardarlehensvermittler)	§34i GewO	Competent authority	Erlaubnis required
Security / guarding (Bewachungsgewerbe)	§34a GewO	Competent authority / IHK	Reliability + IHK Sachkunde exam + liability insurance
Gastronomy (restaurant / bar)	GastG (§4 refusal grounds)	District authority	State-dependent; see the 2026 flag below
Regulated crafts	HwO Anlage A	Chamber of Crafts (HWK)	Entry in the Handwerksrolle, generally requires a Meister

Licence-required activities need BOTH. Obtaining the special Erlaubnis does not replace the trade registration. You still file the §14 GewO Gewerbeanmeldung and hold the permit; the trade office normally asks to see the permit when you register.

Freelancers (Freiberufler) are exempt (§18 EStG)

Not everyone files a Gewerbeanmeldung. Members of the "free professions" (Freiberufler) are exempt from the trade registration entirely. This is a meaningful carve-out, and it changes both how you register and how you are taxed.

The catalogue professions

The exemption covers the catalogue professions listed in §18(1) Nr. 1 EStG (among them doctors, lawyers, tax advisers, engineers, architects, journalists and translators) together with similar professions and independent scientific, artistic, literary, teaching or educational activities. If your work fits the catalogue (or is genuinely similar), you are a Freiberufler rather than a trader.

The Finanzamt-only route

Instead of registering a trade, a Freiberufler registers only with the tax office (Finanzamt) to obtain a tax number, and pays no trade tax (Gewerbesteuer). There is no visit to the Gewerbeamt.

Borderline classification risk (trade tax)

The freelancer-versus-trade line is not always obvious, and it is decided case-by-case by the Finanzamt. Getting it wrong has real trade-tax consequences: a misclassified "freelancer" who is actually carrying on a trade can face back-dated Gewerbesteuer. If your activity sits on the border, have the classification checked before you rely on the exemption.

Skilled crafts: Anlage A (53, regulated) vs Anlage B (41, licence-free)

The skilled crafts have their own regime under the Crafts Code (HwO). A zulassungspflichtiges Handwerk, a regulated craft listed in HwO Anlage A (53 trades), requires entry in the Handwerksrolle at the Chamber of Crafts (HWK), and that generally presupposes a master craftsman's certificate (Meister) or an equivalent qualification (§1 HwO). By contrast, Anlage B crafts (41 in section B1, plus craft-like trades) are licence-free and do not require a Meister. So the first question for a crafts business is which annex the trade falls in.

Supervised trades (§38 GewO)

Some trades need no licence but are still monitored. These überwachungsbedürftige Gewerbe (supervised trades) include used-vehicle dealing, travel agencies, locksmiths, high-value second-hand and precious-metals dealing, and marriage brokerage. They do not require a permit, but the authority must check the operator's reliability after registration (§38 GewO) and may, for example, ask for a certificate of good conduct.

Foreign nationals: EU vs non-EU residence gate (§21 AufenthG)

Your nationality affects whether you can register at all. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens enjoy freedom of establishment and register a trade just like local founders. Third-country (non-EU) nationals must first hold a residence permit that allows self-employment before they may file the Gewerbeanmeldung, typically a permit under §21 AufenthG, which looks at factors such as an economic interest or regional demand, the expected positive economic effect, and secured financing. The residence permit comes first; the trade registration follows. See non-EU company formation in Germany for the residence side.

Costs and timeline

Putting the numbers together: the trade registration itself is municipal and typically €15–65 (dated 2026-06-10). Licence costs are different in kind and higher: exam fees, mandatory professional-liability insurance and certificates are activity-specific, so there is no single figure for a "permit." Budget per activity, not by a flat rate, and treat any quoted number as a starting range rather than a fixed price.

Crypto and financial services: a separate BaFin/MiCAR regime

Banking and financial-services activity is out of scope of the GewO licence system. Banking and financial services need a BaFin authorisation (§32 KWG), and crypto-asset services require MiCAR authorisation (mandatory since 30 December 2024). These are a separate regime with their own supervisor, not a trade permit you obtain at the Gewerbeamt; do not conflate them. If your business is in this space, see crypto and financial-services activity needs a separate BaFin / MiCAR authorisation, not a trade licence.