Legal Basis for Registration
The German Partnership Register (Gesellschaftsregister) is the equivalent of the Commercial Register for civil-law partnerships (Gesellschaften bürgerlichen Rechts, GbR). It is maintained by the local courts (Amtsgerichte) and can be accessed by anyone free of charge through the Joint Register Portal of the German Federal States.
The legal basis for registration is Section 707 of the German Civil Code (BGB). Under this provision, the partners can apply to register their GbR—there is no general obligation to do so. Instead, German law uses an indirect mechanism known as the prior registration requirement (Voreintragungserfordernis): certain rights can only be acquired or held by a registered GbR. These include, in particular, real estate and rights equivalent to real property, shares in a GmbH, as well as registered trademarks and other registered rights. Existing GbRs that already hold such rights must also register as soon as they want to dispose of them—for example, when selling a property.
Upon registration, the partnership adopts the suffix “eGbR” and becomes subject to the obligation to report its beneficial owners to the German Transparency Register (Transparenzregister). Another important point is that once an eGbR has been registered, it cannot simply leave the register at will. This generally requires liquidation or a change of legal status.
New: Beglaubigt.de offers comprehensive process support: formation and registration of an eGbR with Beglaubigt.de.
How Does Registration in the German Partnership Register Work?
In practice, registration takes place in five steps. From preparation to final registration, the process usually takes between one and three weeks:
- Clarify the partnership agreement and key details: Before registration, the name (including the suffix “eGbR”), registered office, partners, and representation rules should be determined. A written partnership agreement is not mandatory for registration, but it is strongly recommended. Our article Liability in a GbR: What Partners Really Risk explains why.
- Arrange a notary appointment: All partners must participate in the registration process. The appointment can take place traditionally at a notary’s office or by video communication through the online procedure of the German Federal Chamber of Notaries (Bundesnotarkammer).
- Have the application certified: The notary drafts the application, verifies the identity of the partners, and certifies their signatures or qualified electronic signatures.
- Submission to the registry court: The notary electronically submits the application to the competent German local court. The court reviews the information and registers the partnership. If the documents are complete, this often takes only a few days.
- Transparency Register notification: After registration, the eGbR reports its beneficial owners to the German Transparency Register. This step is often forgotten and failure to comply can result in fines.
The registration application itself contains the key information about the partnership, typically in the following form:
- Court fees: Mustermann Immobilien eGbR
- Registered office: Munich
- Partners: [Name, date of birth, place of residence of all partners]
- Representation: Each partner is individually authorized to represent the partnership.
Can eGbR Registration Be Completed Online in Germany?
Yes. Since the expansion of online notarial procedures in Germany, the partners no longer necessarily have to appear in person for certification of the register application. Identification takes place by video communication through the system of the German Federal Chamber of Notaries, and documents are signed using a qualified electronic signature. An identification document with the online identification function activated and a smartphone are required.
Through beglaubigt.de, you can initiate the registration of your eGbR directly online—including appointment scheduling, a business account, official registrations, and the preparation of all documents.
Can the Registration Be Reversed?
Not easily. Unlike registration, deregistration is not simply a matter of choice. An eGbR remains registered until it is liquidated or changes to another legal form.
Anyone who only intended to hold a property temporarily and then wants to “downgrade” the partnership afterward may therefore be disappointed. German law is intended to prevent partnerships from switching between public registration and anonymity depending on their interests.
For this reason, the decision to register should be made deliberately and with the partnership’s long-term plans in mind.
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How Much Does It Cost to Register an eGbR in Germany?
Registration is not particularly expensive, but it is useful to understand where the individual costs come from. Some costs are fixed, while others depend on the number of partners:
- Notary fees: Fees for drafting and certifying the application are charged under the German Court and Notary Costs Act (GNotKG). For a typical GbR with two or three partners, these are generally between €60 and €150, plus expenses and VAT.
- Court fees: The registry court charges approximately €100 for the initial registration.
- Transparency Register: Maintaining the entry involves a small annual fee.
- Subsequent changes: Changes of partners, changes of name, or relocation of the registered office must be registered again and will generally trigger additional notary and court fees of a similar amount.
Overall, you should budget approximately €150 to €300 for the initial registration.
By comparison, simply updating the German Land Register after a change of partners in an unregistered real estate GbR can quickly cost several times as much. An eGbR can avoid precisely these follow-up costs because changes of partners are documented through the Partnership Register.
Our article Setting Up a GbR in 2026: Process, Costs and When an eGbR Is Really Worth It explains the overall costs of establishing a GbR in Germany.
What Role Do Notaries Play in eGbR Registration?
Registration cannot be completed without a notary. Section 707b BGB in conjunction with Section 12 HGB requires the application to the German Partnership Register to be submitted electronically in publicly certified form.
The notary does more than handle a formality. They verify the identity of all partners, check whether the chosen name is permissible and whether the representation rules have been clearly formulated, and are responsible for correctly transmitting the application to the court.
This distinguishes eGbR registration from setting up a GmbH in Germany. When establishing a GmbH, the entire articles of association must be notarized. For an eGbR, only the registration application needs to be certified.
The fees are correspondingly lower.
The partnership agreement itself remains free from specific formal requirements and does not even have to be submitted to the register. Its contents therefore remain private. Only the name, registered office, partners, and representation authority become public.
Partners can choose the traditional route and visit a notary’s office. In most cases, however, the online procedure is faster: book an appointment, complete identification by video, sign, and you are done.
With beglaubigt.de, you can initiate the entire process digitally—from preparing the documents to the notary appointment via video call.
How Should You Prepare for eGbR Registration?
Delays in registration almost always have the same causes: unclear information, missing documents, or disagreements among the partners. Five points can help ensure that the process runs smoothly:
- Check the name in advance: The eGbR’s name must have sufficient identifying and distinguishing characteristics and must not be misleading. Checking the German Register Portal and trademark register before the notary appointment can help avoid an interim order from the court.
- Clearly define the representation rules: Individual representation, joint representation, or a combination of the two—the register requires a clear statement. Ideally, use exactly the same wording as in the partnership agreement.
- Involve all partners: The application must be made by all partners. Arrange appointments and, for the online procedure, check the technical requirements—such as identification documents with the online function activated—well in advance for everyone involved.
- Handle the Transparency Register notification immediately: Report the beneficial owners directly after registration. The notification itself takes only a few minutes, while failure to comply can create a disproportionate risk of fines.
- Plan for subsequent changes: If a change of partners or registered office is already planned, consider completing it before the initial registration. This can avoid a second fee-based registration only a few months later.
Conclusion
Registering a GbR in the German Partnership Register is a relatively straightforward process: application by all partners, notarial certification, and review by the registry court. After approximately one to three weeks, the GbR becomes a registered eGbR.
At approximately €150 to €300, the costs remain significantly below those of setting up a GmbH in Germany. Thanks to Germany’s online notarial procedures, the entire process can also be completed without a single visit to a government authority.
The most important consideration is the decision before registration. An eGbR provides register eligibility, a protected public name, and simpler changes of partners, but it also permanently subjects the partnership to registration and transparency obligations.
For partnerships holding real estate, GmbH shares, or registered trademark rights, registration may in practice be necessary to carry out relevant register transactions. With proper preparation, the registration process itself can usually be completed efficiently.
Ready to get started? We have compiled all the information on our "Forming a GbR" page. You can initiate the formation and registration of the eGbR yourself and kick off the process right here online.
