Fill and sign Form GewA 1 online
Registers a trade or business with your local trade office (Gewerbeamt).
Form GewA 1 at a glance
- Official name
- Gewerbe-Anmeldung nach § 14 oder § 55c der Gewerbeordnung (GewA 1)
- Issued by
- Municipal trade office (Bremen example)
- Country
- Germany
- Category
- Business and companies
- Language
- German
- Who uses it
- Traders and small businesses starting out.
- Signature
Check with the recipient
Not stated. The form is municipal, with a nationwide standard layout; use your own city's version.
The GewA 1 is the standard form for registering a trade or business (Gewerbeanmeldung) with your local trade office (Gewerbeamt) in Germany. Sole traders, partnerships and companies starting a trade use it, and the layout is the same nationwide although each city publishes its own copy. Open the official form from bremen.de in BunnyDoc's free Sign PDF tool straight from this page, type into its fillable fields, add your signature and date, and download it. The PDF is handled in your browser and never leaves your device.
How to fill in and sign Form GewA 1
Owner details (fields 1 to 11)
Companies enter their registered name and register number in fields 1 to 3. Then give the personal details of the owner, or of the legal representative for a company: name, date and place of birth, nationality and home address.
Business addresses (fields 12 to 17)
Give the number of managing partners or legal representatives, the address of the business premises, and the main branch or former premises where these apply.
Describe the activity (fields 18 to 22)
Describe your trade as precisely as you can and underline the main activity if you list several. Add whether it is part-time, the start date, the type of business and how many staff you employ at the start.
Type and reason for the registration (fields 23 to 27)
Tick whether this is a main branch, branch or itinerant trade, and why you are registering, for example a new business, a takeover or a move. Name your statutory accident insurer if you know it.
Permits and residence status (fields 28 to 31)
If your trade needs a permit, an entry in the craft register (Handwerksrolle) or a residence title that allows self-employment, give the details here.
Sign and submit to your trade office (fields 32 and 33)
Add the date and signature and send the form to the Gewerbeamt of the city where your business is located, using that city's own version or online service.
What you need before you start
- Your ID card or passport, and a residence title that allows self-employment if you are not an EU citizen.
- The business address and start date.
- A clear description of your activity.
- Any permit or craft register entry your trade requires.
- For companies, the commercial register number and details of each legal representative.
Use your own city's version
The GewA 1 is a nationwide standard form, but you register with the trade office of the town where the business is located. Fees are set locally and many cities offer online registration. The Bremen copy linked here is a convenient fillable example; check your city's website for its version, fee and submission address.
The form itself notes that registering does not allow you to start if your trade still needs a permit or craft register entry.
Common mistakes
- Describing the activity too vaguely, which can cause queries from the trade office and the tax office.
- Starting a trade that needs a permit before the permit is granted.
- Sending the form to your home town when the business is located elsewhere.
- Forgetting to list additional legal representatives on extra sheets.
Form GewA 1: frequently asked questions
Where do I send the Gewerbeanmeldung?
To the trade office (Gewerbeamt or Ordnungsamt) of the town or city where your business premises are located. Many cities accept it online.
Is there a fee to register a business in Germany?
Yes, in most places, but each municipality sets its own fee. Check your city's website for the amount.
Do freelancers need a GewA 1?
Not usually. Liberal professions (Freiberufler) do not register a trade; they report their activity to the tax office instead. If you are unsure, ask your local trade office.
Can I sign the GewA 1 electronically?
The form does not say. Many cities run online registration through their own portals, so check how your trade office wants to receive it. You can add a signature for free with the Sign PDF tool.
What happens after I register?
The trade office sends the details to other authorities, including the tax office, which will usually ask you to complete a tax registration questionnaire.
Is BunnyDoc connected to the Gewerbeamt?
No. BunnyDoc is not affiliated with any German trade office or the city of Bremen. We link to the official form on bremen.de and give you a free tool to fill and sign it in your browser.
BunnyDoc is not affiliated with Municipal trade office (Bremen example). Check that the recipient accepts electronic signatures.
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