Registering, changing or deregistering a business (Gewerbe)
You register a business (Gewerbe) at the trade office (Gewerbemeldestelle) of the city where it is located, at the same time as you start the activity. In Köln, Düsseldorf, Essen, Dortmund and Duisburg registration costs 26 euros for an individual; deregistration is free in Köln and Essen. We file the notification for 23 euros plus the fee.
Business registration: the essentials
- Deadline
- at the same time as the activity starts (§ 14 GewO)As of: 26.10.2026 · § 14 GewO
- Official fee
- €26 for individuals · €33 for legal entities (five NRW cities)As of: 26.10.2026 · Stadt Düsseldorf
- How to apply
- online, in writing or in personAs of: 26.10.2026 · Stadt Köln
- Confirmation
- confirmation of receipt within three days (§ 15 GewO)As of: 26.10.2026 · § 15 GewO
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- Side business
- also as a side business and regardless of profit
- Deregistration
- free of charge in Köln and Essen
- Fine
- up to €1,000 for a missing or late notification (§ 146 GewO)
- Tax office
- tax registration details within one month (§ 138 AO)
- Behördenfix fixed price
- €23 plus the city's fee: €26 individual, €33 GmbH or UG, €13 per additional authorised representative
Please note
- • You sign the form yourself
Fee and online route in five cities
| City | Fee (individual) | Online route |
|---|---|---|
| Köln | €26 | own procedure or state portal |
| Düsseldorf | €26 | «Einfach Gründen» or state portal |
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| Essen | €26 | own procedure or state portal |
|---|---|---|
| Dortmund | €26 | state portal |
| Duisburg | €26 | state portal |
How we register your business
- 1Give your detailsActivity, start date, business address.
- 2Pay the fixed price23 euros, plus the city's fee.
- 3SignBusiness notification and power of attorney.
- 4We file itAt the trade office of your city.
Registering the business yourself
The way without us, step by step
You can file the business notification without us. This is how the five cities describe the process:
- Online, all of NRW uses the Wirtschafts-Service-Portal.NRW. You need a user account: BundID as an individual, the company account (Unternehmenskonto) as a company. You receive the business licence (Gewerbeschein) straight away as a PDF.
- Köln and Essen also have their own online procedure. In Düsseldorf, sole traders use «Einfach Gründen» to handle business registration and tax registration in one digital process.
- On paper, you fill in the form, sign it and send it with a copy of your ID to the trade office. Essen says no personal visit is needed. Essen and Duisburg do not accept notifications by email; Dortmund gives gewerbe@stadtdo.de for this. In person, Essen and Duisburg require an appointment.
- If you need a permit, for example for a bar serving alcohol, a security business or as an estate agent, Duisburg says you must get it before registering.
- Costs compared: in all five cities registration costs 26 euros for an individual, 33 euros for a legal entity and 13 euros for each additional authorised representative. With us you pay 23 euros for filling in and filing the notification; the city's fee is added and depends on the legal form as above.
- We are not an authority. Whether your activity is a trade or needs a permit is decided by the trade office.
The details and documents you need
- ID card or passport; for citizens of non-EU countries, Dortmund also requires a residence permit or a residence title without restriction.
- Exact description of the activity, start date and address of the business premises.
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- For crafts: entry in the register of crafts (Handwerksrolle) or a certificate from the chamber of crafts.
- For a trade requiring a permit: copy of the permit.
- For a GmbH, UG and other legal entities: current commercial register extract.
- If we file for you: your written power of attorney and a copy of your ID.
After registration
The trade office confirms receipt of your notification within three days under § 15 of the Trade Code. This confirmation of receipt is the so-called business licence (Gewerbeschein). If you register online via the Wirtschafts-Service-Portal, Köln says you get it immediately as a PDF.
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The authority then informs other bodies itself. Essen lists, among others, the tax office, the chamber of commerce (IHK), the chamber of crafts, the statutory accident insurance with the employers' liability insurance associations and the main customs office. Whatever these bodies then need from you, you handle yourself.
Under § 138 of the Fiscal Code, the tax office expects further tax registration details within one month, usually electronically. Essen speaks of the tax registration questionnaire within four weeks. You provide these details yourself; we do not fill in the questionnaire.
A small business is not the same as a «Kleinunternehmer»
You register a small business or side business just like any other trade. «Kleinunternehmer» (small entrepreneur), by contrast, is a term from the VAT Act: § 19 UStG names 25,000 euros turnover in the previous year and 100,000 euros in the current year. You clarify this with the tax office; we do not advise on it.
When does help with business registration make sense?
You do not need it if you have a BundID and can manage the Wirtschafts-Service-Portal. Then you only pay the 26 euro fee and get the business licence immediately.
It can help if you do not want to create a user account, if German forms are hard for you to understand or if you are changing or deregistering your business. You can also order if you speak little German: we enter your details in the German form, you sign, we file.
What we do not do: we do not check whether your activity needs a permit, and we do not apply for a permit under § 34c of the Trade Code or other rules. We do not advise on taxes, legal form or chamber fees.
Questions about business registration
How do I register a small business (Kleingewerbe)?
Just like any other trade, with the same business notification at the trade office of your city. Essen states explicitly that the amount of profit does not matter. Whether you use the small business VAT rule is a separate question that you clarify with the tax office. The fee in Köln, Düsseldorf, Essen, Dortmund and Duisburg is 26 euros.
Do I have to register a side business?
Yes. According to Duisburg, anyone who carries out an independent activity for profit and on a lasting basis, full-time or part-time, is a trader; Essen says the same. Liberal professions such as doctor, architect or tax adviser are excluded. Under § 14 of the Trade Code, the notification must be made when you start, even alongside a job.
How much does business registration cost?
In Köln, Düsseldorf, Essen, Dortmund and Duisburg 26 euros for an individual and per partner of a GbR, 33 euros for a GmbH or UG and 13 euros for each additional authorised representative. In Köln, Düsseldorf, Essen and Dortmund a change of registration costs the same. With us you pay 23 euros plus the city's fee: 49 euros in total for an individual, 56 euros for a GmbH or UG.
Can I register my business online?
Yes. Throughout North Rhine-Westphalia via the Wirtschafts-Service-Portal.NRW, as an individual with a BundID. You then get the business licence immediately as a PDF. Köln and Essen also have their own online procedure. In Düsseldorf, «Einfach Gründen» combines business registration with tax registration at the tax office, so far only for sole traders.
How much does it cost to deregister a business?
In Köln and Essen deregistration is free of charge. Report the closure at the same time as the business ends, as § 14 of the Trade Code requires. If you move the business to another city, you only register it there; the new trade office passes the deregistration on to the old one.
Can someone else register my business with a power of attorney?
Yes. Düsseldorf requires a written power of attorney, and Dortmund also a copy of the ID of the person granting it and a completed registration form. This is exactly how we work: you sign the business notification and the power of attorney, and we file both with the ID copy at the trade office of your city.
Official sources
- § 14 GewO – Anzeigepflicht, read on 26.10.2026
- § 15 GewO – Empfangsbescheinigung, read on 26.10.2026
- § 146 GewO – Verletzung sonstiger Vorschriften, read on 26.10.2026
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- § 138 AO – Anzeigen über die Erwerbstätigkeit, read on 26.10.2026
- Stadt Köln – Gewerbemeldestelle, read on 26.10.2026
- Stadt Düsseldorf – Gewerbemeldung, read on 26.10.2026
- Stadt Essen – Gewerbeanmeldung, Gewerbeabmeldung, Gewerbeummeldung, read on 26.10.2026
- Stadt Dortmund – Gewerbeanmeldung, read on 26.10.2026
- Stadt Duisburg – Gewerbeanmeldung, read on 26.10.2026
- § 19 UStG – Besteuerung der Kleinunternehmer, read on 26.10.2026
Reviewed by M. Gabal on 27.10.2026
Provided by Behördenfix (M. Gabal). Behördenfix fills in the business notification with your details; you sign it and the power of attorney, and we file it at the competent trade office. We do not use online accounts such as BundID. We are not an authority, give no legal advice and do not assess your individual case.
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What we do and what we don't
- We fill in applications based on your details, file them and follow them up.
- We give no legal or tax advice and do not assess chances of success.
- We are a private service, not a public authority.