Register of craftsmen with master craftsman's certificate
Description
If you have passed the master craftsman's examination for a craft subject to approval and want to become self-employed, you must register in a register (register of craftsmen) kept by your regional chamber of crafts before commencing your entrepreneurial activity.
In addition to the company owner (sole proprietor, partnership with legal capacity or legal entity), the register of craftsmen shows who takes over the management of the business.
If you yourself do not have a master craftsman's examination for the craft to be operated or a craft related to it, you can hire a person who is responsible for the technical management of the craft business and who has the necessary professional qualification to practice the craft subject to licensing. In this case, the application for registration must be submitted together with a manager's declaration and supporting documents.
Completed master craftsman's examination in
- the craft you want to practice or
- in a craft subject to approval related to this
- For sole proprietorships:
- Copy of identity card or comparable identification document
- Presentation of the master craftsman's certificate in copy
- Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later after entry in the register of craftsmen)
- For companies under civil law (GbR):
- Copies of the identity card or a comparable identification document of the partners or companies or authorised representatives
- Copy of the articles of association (unless informally concluded)
- Presentation of the master craftsman's certificate in copy
- Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later after entry in the register of craftsmen)
- In the case of commercial partnerships with legal capacity, i.e. the Of-fene Handelsgesellschaft (OHG), limited partnership (KG) and corresponding foreign company forms:
- Copies of the identity card or a comparable identification document of the partners or companies or authorised representatives
- for proof of entrepreneurial legal form:
- if the company is based in Germany:
- for companies entered in the commercial register: extract from the register, in the case of the OHG additionally a copy of the articles of association
- if no registration has been made: copy of the articles of association
- for foreign legal forms:
- Extract from the register of the competent foreign register for companies entered in registers, otherwise
- Copy of the articles of association
- if the company is based in Germany:
- Presentation of the master craftsman's certificate in copy
- Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later after entry in the register of craftsmen)
- For legal entities (limited liability company (GmbH), Unternehmergesellschaft (haftungsbeschränkt) or UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Aktiengesellschaft (AG), eingetragene Genossenschaft (eG)):
- Copies of the identity card or a comparable identification document of the authorised representatives
- for proof of entrepreneurial legal form:
- if the company is based in Germany:
- Extract from the commercial or cooperative register
- for foreign legal forms:
- Extract from the register of the competent foreign register
- if the company is based in Germany:
- Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later after entry in the register of craftsmen)
- Management details: see 5.
- When employing a manager, the following documents must also be submitted:
- Plant manager's declaration
- Proof of management activity (copy of employment contract)
- Proof of social security of the management
- Presentation of the master craftsman's certificate in copy
Hint: If you employ a second person as business manager – for example if you practice several crafts subject to approval – you must also submit the manager's declaration with further documents mentioned under 5. for them.
The specific fee can be found in the list of fees of the Chamber of Crafts, which is available on the Chamber's website.
You must register on the Register of Craftsmen before commencing your activity.
The processing time depends on the completeness of the submitted documents. If all documents are complete, registration in the Register of Craftsmen can be completed within a few days.
Please contact the Chamber of Crafts in whose district your commercial establishment is located.
The entry in the register of craftsmen takes place electronically via online service or in writing to your locally competent Chamber of Crafts.
Online application
- Go to the website of your local Chamber of Crafts or the service portal of your federal state and select the right online service.
- The online service guides you step by step through the application.
- You can submit the required documents digitally.
Written request
- Download the application form from the website of your local Chamber of Crafts.
- Alternatively, you can also have the necessary documents sent to you via the locally responsible Chamber of Crafts.
- Fill out the form and send it to your local Chamber of Crafts together with the required supporting documents.
- The competent Chamber of Trades checks the documents.
- If you meet the registration requirements, you will receive a written notification of the registration.
- Together with the registration decision, your business receives the so-called craft card (§ 10 Abs. 2 HwO).
The Senator for Economics, Labour and Europe of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
