German commercial register search in English: free, step by step

You can search the German commercial register yourself for free on the official register portal handelsregister.de, without an account and without waiting. The portal can be switched to English at the top of the page; the documents themselves are only available in German. Since 1 August 2022, all retrievals are free of charge. This guide walks you through each step.

One thing first, because it is part of how we work: Registerpilot earns money by retrieving exactly these documents. Still, here is the complete free guide. If you can and want to do it yourself, do so. If you would rather hand it over, order from us for 8.90 € per document.

Step by step

Which documents are available for free?

What the extract says, section by section, is explained in How to read a German commercial register extract. The list of shareholders and the articles of association (behind "DK") are covered in List of shareholders and articles of association.

What still costs money?

The electronic retrieval is free. The certified extract (amtlich beglaubigter Ausdruck) still costs a fee: it is issued by the register court for 20 euros on paper or 10 euros in electronic form (German court fee schedule GNotKG, nos. 17001 and 17003). You only need it if the recipient explicitly asks for a certified copy, as some notaries and foreign authorities do.

Where people get stuck

• Mix-ups: many company names exist several times, sometimes at different courts. Check the registration number and court.
• German-only documents: the portal speaks English, the extract does not. Our reading guide translates the key terms.
• The wrong document: in the document view (DK) there are often several versions with cryptic names. The current list of shareholders is not always the first one.

Frequently asked questions