Itinerant Trade License

• completed application form
• copy of the identity card or comparable identity documents
• for proof of the corporate legal form
  • If the location of your company is in Germany, you will need:
    • for registered companies: an excerpt of the Commercial Register (Handelsregisterauszug) and if applicable a copy of the shareholders agreement (e.g. for a company constituted under civil law, (GbR)).
  • If your company is located abroad, you will need documents from the country where it is located which prove its legal form.
• for proof of personal reliability
  • If your place of residence is in Germany, you will normally need:
    • Certificate of Good Conduct (Führungszeugnis)
    • Excerpt from the Central Trade Register (Auszug aus dem Gewerbezentralregister)
  • If your place of residence is abroad, you will need documents from your native country, which prove that you have the personal reliability to provide the requested service.
• If you apply for an itinerant trade licence as an insurance broker or consultant or as a real estate agent, property developer, building contractor, investment adviser or loan broker: in addition proof of orderly financial circumstances
  • If your place of residence is in Germany, you will normally need:
    • Exceprt from the debtor’s files (Auszug aus der Schuldnerkartei)
    • Attestation from the bankruptcy court (Bescheinigung des Insolvenzgerichts)
    • Certificate from the tax authorities regarding tax matters (Bescheinigung des Finanzamtes in Steuersachen)
  • If your place of residence is abroad, you will need documents from your native country, which prove that you are living in orderly financial circumstances.
• if you apply for an itinerant trade licence as an insurance broker or consultant: in addition proof or proofs of competence or you prove that the competence has been delegated to a supervisor (form)
• if you apply for an itinerant trade licence to offer security services:
  • in addition, proof that you have adequate funds and securities available to run the business (if the place of residence is in Germany you normally also need an excerpt from the debtors’ file)
  • in addition, proof or proofs that seminars have been completed at the IHK or a recognised equivalent proof in accordance with the surveillance regulations
• if you apply for an itinerant trade licence as an auctioneer: in addition, a licence for auctioneers (Erlaubnis als Versteigerer) (if necessary as a publicly appointed auctioneer)
• if you apply for an itinerant trade licence as a showman: in addition, proof or proofs that a business liablity insurance (pecuniary damage liability insurance) has been concluded
• in the case of sole proprietorships a passport photograph

When checking the personal reliability, in individual cases the authorising authority could request alongside the documents listed additional documents, which are appropriate to make a statement about your personal reliability as applicant.

In the case of legal entities (GmbH, corporate companies, AG, registered cooperatives) the application form only has to be completed by the legal entity itself. All personal documents have to be submitted for all natural persons authorised to manage the company (e.g. certificate of good conduct, personal documents). In addition, an excerpt from the Central Trade Register has to be applied for in the case of legal entities.

In the case of partnerships, which as such are not capable of holding a licence (GbR, KG, OHG, PartG, GmbH & Co. KG), each of the managing partners requires the licence. I.e. an application form and all personal documents are required for each person.