When you start a business and list it in the German Trade Register (Handelsregister), you get a Handelsregisternummer.
Some businesses have no Handelsregisternummer, because they are not in the Handelsregister.
What does the Registernummer look like?
The Handelsregisternummer has the format HRA 12345 or HRB 12345:
- HRA is for a sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen), and HRB is for an incorporated company (Kapitalgesellschaft).1
- 12345 is the unique number of this business.
- There is sometimes an extra letter. For example, HRB 247469 B.
Handelsregisternummer examples:
- N26 bank: HRB 247469 B
- Coup: HRB 178881 B
- SAP: HRA 350654
Who needs a Handelsregister entry?
Most companies must be listed in the Handelsregister and get a Handelsregisternummer, but there are exceptions.
You must have a Handelsregister entry if…2
- You are not a freelancer (Freiberufler)
- and you are not a sole proprietor (Einzelunternehmer)
- and you are not a company constituted under civil law (GbR)
- and you are not a Kleingewerbe
A Kleingewerbe is a small-scale sole proprietorship. For example, a business with a single address, few employees, few clients, and simple bookkeeping.3 There is no precise definition.4 If your sole proprietorship is a large commercial business, you need a Handelsregister entry.
You must have a Handelsregister entry to form a GmbH, UG, AG, e. K., oHG, KG, or GmbH & Co. KG.6
A Handelsregister entry has some benefits, but it mostly means more effort and more paperwork. Avoid it if you can.5
How do I get a Handelsregisternummer?
You must list your business in the Handelsregister. You can ask for this when you fill the Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung in ELSTER.
Where do I find a company’s Registernummer?
- On the imprint (Impressum) page of their website. All commercial websites in Germany have this page. There is usually a link to the Impressum at the bottom of every page.
- By searching for it in an online registry.
Need help?
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Sources and footnotes
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selbststaendig-machen.net, Suat Göydeniz (December 2023) ⤴