An insider's view on doing business in Germany
Notes from the field, legal updates and process guides.
Setting Up a Company in Germany
-
Setting Up a Company in Germany as a Canadian Founder (2026)
For a Canadian founder the German formation is routine — and the immigration route is favourable: visa-free entry and applying for the §21 permit from inside Germany, with no cross-border tax issues. A Hamburg guide.
Read more → -
Setting Up a Company in Germany as an Indian Founder (2026)
Forming a German company is the easy part. The real question for an Indian founder is the residence permit (§21) — the visa route, not just the paperwork. A Hamburg guide.
Read more → -
Setting Up a Company in Germany as a US Founder (2026)
For a US founder the German formation is routine — the real differences are a privileged visa-free immigration route (§41/§21) and US tax obligations like GILTI. A Hamburg guide.
Read more → -
How Much Does It Cost to Form a GmbH in Germany? (2026)
A line-by-line breakdown of what forming a GmbH actually costs in 2026 — notary, Steuerberater, trade register, bank — for the foreign founder. The €25,000 capital is not a cost.
Read more → -
How Long Does It Take to Register a GmbH in Germany? (2026)
A realistic step-by-step timeline for registering a GmbH in Germany in 2026 — notary, capital, trade register, tax number — and what slows foreign founders down.
Read more → -
The Transparency Register in Germany: What Foreign-Owned GmbHs Need to Know
Every German GmbH must register its beneficial owner in the Transparenzregister — a filing separate from the Handelsregister. For a company owned from abroad, tracing that owner is the hard part.
Read more → -
AI and Company Formation in Germany: Where It Helps, Where It Falls Short
Where does AI genuinely help when you form a company in Germany, and where does it quietly steer you wrong? Field notes on a tool's strengths and its limits.
Read more → -
Setting Up a GmbH in Germany: The Complete Guide for Foreign Founders (2026)
GmbH, costs, notary, bank, trade register, residence permit and the first six months — the complete formation guide for the foreign business owner expanding into Germany.
Read more →
Warehousing & Commercial Property
-
What Is a Zolllager (Customs Warehouse)? A Plain Guide for Foreign Companies
What a Zolllager or bonded warehouse is, what it does, and who it suits. The mechanism for deferring customs duty and import VAT in Germany — a plain guide for foreign companies.
Read more → -
In-House Warehouse or 3PL / Fulfilment Service? A Decision Guide for Germany
Run your own warehouse in Germany or buy a 3PL / fulfilment service? A neutral decision guide on volume, cost, control and customs — for foreign companies.
Read more → -
Hamburg: Germany's Logistics Gateway for Foreign Companies
Why Hamburg is Germany's logistics gateway: port scale, the bonded-warehouse (Zolllager) legacy, Europe's largest rail port, and what it means for warehousing setup.
Read more →
Buying & Acquiring a Company in Germany
-
Acquisition Risk in Germany: Asset Deal or Share Deal?
Can you leave the risk behind when you buy a German company? The difference between an asset deal and a share deal, the §613a staff trap, and where protection actually comes from.
Read more → -
Buying a Company in Germany: The 2026 Investor Reality
Around 190,000 German companies need a new owner by 2030 and there aren't enough buyers. For a foreign investor, acquiring an existing Mittelstand company is the stronger market entry. The six structural dimensions.
Read more → -
What Is a German Company Worth? The Multiplier Method
You've found a German company to acquire — what is it worth? The multiplier method, EV/EBIT vs P/E, the net-debt bridge, EBIT normalization, and the SME discounts that the textbook leaves out.
Read more → -
What Is a GmbH & Co. KG? The Risk When Buying in Germany
What a GmbH & Co. KG is, why it's the favorite structure of German family businesses, and where the biggest danger hides when you buy one — mistaking it for an ordinary limited company.
Read more → -
Why German Family Firms Sell — Understanding the Seller
What does the owner of a German family company actually care about when they sell? Reading the seller's psychology is often a stronger advantage for a foreign buyer than offering the highest price.
Read more →