Company creation made fast and simple

Starting a new business in Germany? Find expert guidance every step of the way.

Sole Trader (Einzelunternehmer) registration

Register as a Sole Trader (Einzelunternehmer) quickly, easily and with help in English.

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€250 cashback for your new business *

Self-registration

€0 


We’ll get all the paperwork ready for you. You complete your business registration yourself with the trade office (Gewerbeamt).

Choose self-registration


Registration with the trade office (Gewerbeamt)

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We help you draft your business registration form, with electronic signature

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We identify the relevant trade office

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We provide the completed form as a PDF

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You submit the PDF to the trade office

Registration with the tax office (Finanzamt)

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Apply for a tax number online

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Complete a simple form with help and explanations in English

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We submit your registration directly to the tax office

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No ELSTER account needed

Qonto business account

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Test free for 1 month with no obligation to buy

Assisted registration

€59 

 (excl. VAT)

+ local city fees

We’ll handle the whole business registration process for you, including all communications with the trade office (Gewerbeamt).

Choose assisted registration


Registration with the trade office (Gewerbeamt)

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We help you draft your business registration form, with electronic signature

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We identify the relevant trade office

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We review, submit and follow up with the trade office

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You sit back and save up to 8 hours of paperwork

Registration with the tax office (Finanzamt)

Checkmark

Apply for a tax number online

Checkmark

Complete a simple form with help and explanations in English

Checkmark

We submit your registration directly to the tax office

Checkmark

No ELSTER accountneeded

Qonto business account

Checkmark

Test free for 1 month with no obligation to buy

4 steps to registering as a Sole Trader in Germany

You can follow the status of your company creation process at any time, directly in the Qonto platform.

Choose your Qonto price plan

Select the business account plan that best suits your needs and start with a 1-month free trial with no obligation to buy. 

Register with the trade office

For the Gewerbeamt: Fill out our simple online form – we'll prepare your electronically signed registration form and submit it to the trade office for you. 

Register with the tax office

For the Finanzamt: Apply for your tax number via our free, simple, online form with explanations in plain English. You won’t even need an ELSTER account. 

Discover your business account

Your Qonto business account is ready to use – you can test it for free for 1 month while the tax and trade offices process your documents.

Start your business now

Business registration, made easy

Start your business now
All-in-one package

All-in-one package

Get your trade registration, tax number, and business account – all in one place. Becoming a Sole Trader has never been easier!

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100% online

100% online

The entire process is digital, with clear explanations in plain English. No trips to government offices, no ELSTER account, no over-complicated forms.

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Personal support

Personal support

If you have any questions, our experts are here for you at every step, from registering your business online to sending your first invoice.

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A business account built for Sole Traders

Discover Qonto's business accounts
Invoice management
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Create and send professional invoices directly from the app – including legally compliant e-invoices.

Discover invoice management
All your accounts in one
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Bring together all external bank accounts into your Qonto account to monitor all your cash flow at any time.

Consolidate accounts
Pay invoices by scan
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Capture incoming invoices with your smartphone, let the app scan them automatically, and pay them directly.

Automate invoices
Cash flow management
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Track payment flows, analyze inflows and outflows, and forecast future VAT amounts.

Discover cash flow insights
Receipt management
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Digitize paper receipts by taking a photo and assign them to the appropriate transactions in a few taps of your finger.

Manage receipts digitally
POS payment card reader
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Accept card payments via the Qonto POS – with transparent, competitive fees.

Discover Qonto POS

What our customers say about Qonto

1 of 5

“I was surprised at how straightforward registering my self-employment with Qonto was. The entire process was digital, each step was clearly explained, and I didn't have to deal with bureaucracy.”

Carlos Ruhwiem

Founder 

See more customer stories
2 of 5

“I would recommend Qonto to anyone looking for a simple, modern financial solution. With Qonto, it's easy and clear. It's my hassle-free business account.”

Madeleine von Hohenthal

Co-founder of Tatzenstreu

View customer story
3 of 5

“With Qonto, everything is super easy and fast. From online account opening to real-time transfers and excellent customer service.”

Charlotte Piller

Co-founder of Lotta Ludwigson

View customer story
4 of 5
WEB Logo Black Meine Erde

“With Qonto, we simply spend less time on lengthy processes that add no value. And just by using digital receipt management at the end of the month, we save a lot of time.”

Max Huesch

Founder of Meine Erde

View customer story
5 of 5

“With Qonto, I recommend a solution that offers entrepreneurs clear and organized financial management from the start, and thanks to integrations like DATEV, it significantly simplifies communication with the tax advisor an...”

Daniel Nitschke

Managing Director @ dn-steuerberatung

WEB Photo Testimonial Carlos Eduardo Rührwiem
WEB Photo Testimonial Madeleine von Hohenthal
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Ready to start your new business?

Start your Sole Trader business quickly, easily and online.

Start your business now

*Cashback offer Terms & Conditions

FAQ

With Qonto, you can complete your business registration fully digitally and much quicker than by taking the traditional route. Here's how we help:



We make the process fast and convenient

  • We bring together your business registration, tax number, and business account – everything you need in one place
  • Our simple online form replaces complicated paper applications and provides support in English
  • You don't need to visit any government offices – we handle everything digitally for you


We give you security and support

  • Our automatic data verification helps you avoid errors and follow-up questions
  • We automatically identify the relevant trade registration office for you
  • Your digital signature is legally valid and secure
  • Our experts are here to support you with any questions

Self-registration

You answer all questions in our simplified online form. When you've finished, we'll send you the completed registration form as a PDF via email. With this, you can submit your trade registration to the trade office (Gewerbeamt) – in person, by mail, or online if your local office offers an online registration service. 


Assisted registration


After answering all questions in our simplified online form, we'll submit your registration directly to the trade office (Gewerbeamt) for you – completely digitally or by mail, depending on your trade office's requirements. Processing is handled by the trade office and usually takes only a few days; in some cities, delivery of the business license by mail can take up to four weeks.

With Qonto's self-registration process, you can complete your online business registration for free. Simply enter your information and we'll provide you with the completed registration PDF, which you can then submit to the relevant trade office (Gewerbeamt). We'll handle the application for your tax number at the same time.


With our all-inclusive, assisted registration service costing €59, we'll handle the submission of your business registration to the trade office (Gewerbeamt) for you, so you can focus entirely on launching your business.

Please note that you must pay a fee to the trade office for the registration. This will be added to the €59 for our all-inclusive service.


Below you'll find some trade offices and their fees for business registration:


  • Berlin (Pankow District Office) – €15
  • Munich – €60
  • Hamburg-Nord – €20
  • Cologne – €26
  • Düsseldorf – €26
  • Stuttgart – €60

Currently, we only offer online trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) for Sole Traders (Einzelunternehmer).

Yes, all Qonto plans include a one-month free trial period for our business account, giving you the freedom to explore our features without commitment.