Germany’s Handelsregister — practical reference
Reference pages about Germany’s Handelsregister, registration steps, identifiers, and where records are published.
What this site covers
Handels-Direct.com is a reference site about Germany’s commercial register (Handelsregister) and closely related records used in cross‑border business checks.
- Handelsregister structure (HRB/HRA), register courts (Registergericht), and register numbers
- Common entity forms (GmbH, UG, AG, KG, OHG, e.K.) and what is typically recorded
- Registration lifecycle: incorporation, changes, filings, and publication
- Related registers and publications (e.g., beneficial ownership register and official gazettes)
- Identifier context: German tax numbers and VAT ID (USt-IdNr) basics
Quick navigation
- Start with the Handelsregister overview: handelsregister.html
- Understand HRB vs HRA: hrb-vs-hra.html
- Entity types in Germany: company-forms-de.html
- Registration steps and documents: registration-process.html
- Official extract (Handelsregisterauszug): handelsregisterauszug.html
- Beneficial ownership (Transparenzregister): transparenzregister-ubo.html
- Tax identifiers overview: tax-numbers.html and vat-id-guide.html
Important notes
This site does not provide government services, registrations, filings, or paid access. It explains what registers contain, how records are typically structured, and where official information is published.
Core concepts at a glance
| Topic | What it is | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Handelsregister | Public register of merchants and companies maintained by register courts | Basic company existence and registered facts |
| HRB | Section for companies (e.g., GmbH, AG, UG) | Check legal form, managing directors, share capital notes |
| HRA | Section for merchants and partnerships (e.g., e.K., OHG, KG) | Check partners, representation rules, business name |
| Handelsregisternummer | Register number (e.g., HRB 12345) with a court/location | Locate the record at the responsible court |
| Transparenzregister | Beneficial ownership register for legal entities and certain arrangements | UBO context checks where legally relevant |