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Which place to enter?

The location is used to determine the responsible office for the selected administrative service. In most cases you can enter your place of residence to find the competent authority. However, there are also cases in which a different location must be specified. Here are some examples:

Birth certificateYou want to get married and need a birth certificate. You live in Hanover, but you were born in Celle. You must therefore state your place of birth, i.e. Celle.

Business registrationYou would like to register a business in Braunschweig. Your place of residence is Hanover. You must therefore state the location of your future business, i.e. Braunschweig.

Apply for a building permitYou would like to build a house in Wunstorf and therefore apply for a building permit. Her place of residence is currently Hanover. You must indicate the place where the house is to be built. In this case it is Wunstorf.

Apply for registration in the register of crafts without a licence or in the register of crafts-like trades


The register of the owners of a craft or a craft-like trade that is not subject to authorisation is a register in which all

  • natural and
  • legal entities, as well as
  • Partnerships with legal capacity

who operate a craft or craft-like trade that does not require a licence. The crafts that do not require a licence are listed in Section 1 of Appendix B to the Crafts Code.

These include, but are not limited to:

  • Watchmaker
  • goldsmiths and silversmiths,
  • wood sculptor,
  • Sailmaker
  • Schumacher
  • Miller
  • brewers and maltsters,
  • Textile cleaner,
  • Cleaner
  • Photographers
  • Bookbinder and
  • Luthier.

The crafts-like trades are listed in Section 2 of Appendix B to the Crafts Code. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Iron weavers,
  • Floor layers,
  • metal grinders and metal polishers,
  • Vehicle recyclers,
  • Pipe and sewer cleaners,
  • Ice cream producers,
  • Beauticians and
  • Piano tuner.

In order for the register to be kept correctly, there is a legal obligation to notify the Chamber of Crafts of the start or end of the independent operation of a craft or craft-like trade without a licence. The notification of the start of operations triggers a procedure for entry in the register.

Who should I contact?

Please contact your local Chamber of Crafts or the Point of Single Contact.

Requirements

  • You carry out a craft or craft-like trade without a licence independently.
  • As part of the registration, it is recorded who carries out the entrepreneurial activity in a craft or craft-like trade that does not require a licence. The obligation to notify and register applies to the owners, in the case of partnerships to the shareholders and in the case of corporations to the authorised representatives (e.g. managing director of a limited liability company) of the respective company.

Which documents are required?

The actual notification of the start of operations of a craft or craft-like trade without a licence can be made informally. The following documents must be submitted for the registration procedure to be carried out thereafter:

Sole proprietorship:

  • Copy of identity card or comparable identification document
  • Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later)

Partnerships under civil law (GbR):

  • Copies of the identity cards or comparable identification documents of the shareholders or persons authorised to represent them
  • Copy of the articles of association (unless informally concluded)
  • Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later)

Commercial partnerships with legal capacity of general partnerships (OHG), limited partnerships (KG) and corresponding foreign company forms:

  • Copies of the identity cards or comparable identification documents of the shareholders or persons authorised to represent them
  • for proof of entrepreneurial legal form
    • If the company is based in Germany:
      • in the case of companies registered in the commercial register: extract from the register, in the case of a general partnership, a copy of the articles of association
      • if no registration has been made: copy of the articles of association
    • in the case of foreign legal forms:
      • Extract from the register of the competent foreign register in the case of companies registered in registers, otherwise - copy of the articles of association
  • Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later)

Legal entities – limited liability company (GmbH), limited liability company (UG), stock corporation (AG), registered cooperative (eG):

  • Copies of the identity cards or comparable identification documents of the persons authorised to represent the company
  • for proof of entrepreneurial legal form:
    • if the company is based in Germany: Excerpt from the register of the commercial or cooperative register
    • in the case of foreign legal forms: extract from the register of the competent foreign register
  • Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later after entry in the register of craftsmen)

Process flow

You must apply online or in writing to the Chamber of Crafts and Crafts responsible for you to be entered in the register of owners of a business of a craft or craft that does not require a licence.

Online application:

  • Various administrative portals of the federal states offer online applications.
  • In addition, the Chambers of Crafts and Crafts offer online access to their administrative procedures

Written application:

  • Go to the website of your local Chamber of Crafts and download the application form. You are also welcome to contact your Chamber of Crafts directly and have the necessary documents sent to you.
  • Fill out the form completely and send it to your local Chamber of Crafts together with the required documents.

After checking your documents, you will receive a notification of the registration if the requirements are met.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

Indication of activity: Before starting.

Further information

Advice and contact details of the Chambers of Crafts and Crafts

https://www.handwerkskammer.de

List of all crafts and crafts-like trades that do not require a licence

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hwo/anlage_b.html

Appeal

In the context of the information on legal remedies, legal action applies in Lower Saxony, as there is no longer any provision for preliminary administrative proceedings.

Source: Serviceportal Niedersachsen (Portalverbund des Bundes und der Länder)