Corporate secretarial in Germany

German company law has no company secretary in the British sense, but the work still exists. Someone has to prepare the shareholders’ resolutions that approve the annual accounts and discharge the managing directors, keep the articles up to date, and see that changes reach the commercial register (Handelsregister). The directors must file an updated list of shareholders after every change. Register filings are submitted electronically in publicly certified form, which in practice means through a German notary, so a corporate secretarial provider here often works alongside a notary rather than filing on its own. For a group that runs several German entities from abroad, the value is a single calendar of meetings, filings and signatures.

Firms offering corporate secretarial services in Germany

bdp

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

Berlin

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +6 more

Languages: German · Chinese · English

View profile of bdp

ACE

Corporate services provider · International network

Munich

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +2 more

Languages: English

View profile of ACE

Greenfields

Corporate services provider · Boutique firm

Frankfurt

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +4 more

Languages: English · German

View profile of Greenfields

What to ask a corporate secretarial provider

Ask which resolutions and filings the firm prepares each year as standard, and which are billed when they arise. Ask whether it arranges the notary appointments and how signatures from abroad are handled, including certification and apostilles. If your structure includes a GmbH & Co. KG, a holding company or a special purpose vehicle, ask how many of those the firm already looks after. Find out how quickly it can produce a current register extract when a bank or a buyer asks for one.

Firms on Accountanty

Accountanty lists 12 firms that offer corporate secretarial work in Germany: five accounting firms, five corporate service providers and two law firms. Five are small, four part of large networks and three medium-sized. English is offered by 11 and German by ten, and 11 also handle company formation. Private equity and funds are the sectors they name most often. Frankfurt has four of them, Berlin three and Munich two. For the legal steps of setting up, see the Germany guide.

Frequently asked questions

Does a German GmbH need a company secretary?

German law has no such office. The managing directors are responsible for the filings, and many companies owned from abroad hand the paperwork, resolutions and register changes to an outside provider that works with a notary.

Can resolutions for a German company be signed from abroad?

Many can, but some register filings need a signature certified by a notary, and documents signed abroad may need an apostille. Ask the provider which steps your case needs before you plan any change.

Other services in Germany

Accountants by city in Germany

Setting up a company in Germany: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.