Welcome to our document guide! Here you’ll find all the documents needed for your WorldFirst journey, including helpful explanations and samples tailored to your country.
| Company Documents
1. Certificate of Incorporation
Business Registration Documentation in Germany
In Germany, business entities require different types of registration documents based on their legal structure. The three main types are:
(1) Handelsregisterauszug issued by Handelsregister B des Amtsgerichts (HRB) is for companies
(2) Handelsregisterauszug issued by Handelsregister A des Amtsgerichts (HRA) is for sole traders registered in commercial register (Handelsregister)
(3) Gewerbeschein is for sole traders registered in local trade office
a. Handelsregisterauszug
Definition: In Germany, Handelsregisterauszug is an official extract from the German Commercial Register (Handelsregister). It serves as proof of a company’s existence and official registration in Germany.
Issued by: Handelsregister B des Amtsgerichts (HRB)/Handelsregister A des Amtsgerichts (HRA)
- HRB is the section of the Commercial Register specifically for corporations, including GmbHs, AGs, Publicly Traded Company, and similar entities.
- HRA is for sole traders registered in commercial register.
Includes:
- Company’s legal name and registration date
- Registered address
- Registration number
- Managing Directors/Board Members
- Capital Stock (if applicable)
- Other Relevant Entries
b. Gewerbeschein
Definition: Gewerbeschein is the German equivalent of business registration of Sole Proprietorships (Einzelunternehmen) that are registered in local trade office, ensuring that businesses are properly documented and regulated.
Issued by: Gewerbeamt
Includes:
- Personal Information: Name, address, nationality, contact details, etc.
- Business Information: Name and legal form of the business, business address, registered business activities, start date of operations, and the business premises address.
Sample of Handelsregisterauszug for Company (HRB)
Sample of Handelsregisterauszug for Sole Trader (HRA)
Sample of Gewerbeschein for Sole Trader
2. Articles of Association
Satzung/Gesellschaftsvertrag
The articles of association usually includes the company’s name, registered office, business purpose, details about the share capital (number of shares and their nominal value), and information about shareholder contributions.
| Personal ID Documents
A valid passport or driving licence must be provided as a proof of identity and adhere to the following:
1. National ID card
For examples from other regions, please refer to the European Council website.
National ID card copies must:
- Be in colour
- Show a clear image of the individual
- Be issued by the government of the country in which you are a citizen or resident
- Show front and back images
2. Passport
For examples from other regions, please refer to the European Council website.
Passport copies must：
- Be in colour
- Show a clear image of the individual
- Be issued by the government of the country in which you are a citizen or resident.
3. Driving License
For examples from other regions, please refer to the European Council website.
Driving licence copies must:
- Be in colour
- Show a clear image of the individual
- Be issued by the government of the country in which you are a citizen or resident.
- Show front and back images
| Other Documents
1. Proof of Address
You may be asked to provide a proof of address. This must match the address submitted in your application. We can accept one of the following documents, provided it is no older than three months and clearly displays both your name and full residential address:
- Transactional bank statement (from a licensed and regulated bank)
- Utility bill (not a mobile phone bill, but inclusive of broadband bills)
- Government issued tax statement (e.g. council tax)
- Tenancy agreement, the agreement should still be valid at the time of onboarding
- Government issued household register/resident register
Bank statement
This must:
- Show the bank name / logo
- Show your full name and address (this must match the address submitted in your application)
- Show the account number
Utility bill
This must:
- Show the utility provider’s name / logo
- Show your full name and address (this must match the address submitted in your application)
- Show the account number
Council letter
This must:
- Show the council’s name / logo
- Show your full name and address (this must match the address submitted in your application)
Tenancy agreement
This must:
- Show the landlord’s name and address
- Show your full name and the address being let (this must match the address submitted in your application)
- Show the period of residency
2. Company Ownership
How to determine who are the company shareholders?
You only need to identify individual shareholders who directly or indirectly own 25% or more of your company.
Example 1 – Company is owned by another company, ultimately owned by individuals
In this example:
- Your company is 100% owned by Company B
- Company B is 20% owned by Individual C, and 80% owned by Individual D
- Your company is deemed to have 1 intermediate layer in its ownership structure (the number of layers between the company and its UBOs)
- Company B is deemed to be the Intermediate Entity Shareholder of your company
- The UBO with 25% or more interest in your company is Individual D
- Individual C only holds 20% effective interest in your company and is not deemed a UBO
Example 2 – Company is owned directly by an individual
In this example:
- Your company is 100% owned by Individual B
- Individual B is deemed to be the sole UBO with 25% or more interest in your company
3. Proof of Trading
To demonstrate that your company has a local presence/actual trading activity within the EEA region, please provide one of the following documents.
The document should be no older than three months and clearly display the company name and full address:
- Company transactional bank statement dated within the last 3 months, from a licensed EEA bank
- Utility bill under your company name within the last 3 months, such as a gas, electricity or water bill
- Current proof of local office/warehouse, such as corporate tenancy agreement of warehouse or company office
- Proof of ownership of your marketplace platform or online store (e.g. screenshot of the back end page/admin page and the store front link)
Bank statement
Warehouse rental agreement
