Your German GmbH, ready now.

A Vorratsgesellschaft is a pre-registered German shelf company (GmbH) that has been incorporated with EUR 25,000 in share capital but has never conducted any business activities. It exists solely as a “shelf” entity, ready to be transferred to a new owner who can immediately begin operating under it.

The key difference is that German law (§15 GmbHG) requires a notarial deed (notarielle Beurkundung) for GmbH share transfers. In Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden, shelf company transfers are handled entirely digitally with electronic signatures. For Germany, Foris coordinates the notary and you can participate remotely via power of attorney (Vollmacht), so you still don’t need to visit Germany in person.

A new GmbH incorporation typically takes 6–12 weeks due to notary scheduling, Handelsregister processing times, and capital verification. If you need a company quickly for a transaction, contract, or market entry, a shelf company saves you that entire waiting period. The premium over a standard incorporation is modest compared to the time saved.

No. Every shelf company is guaranteed clean — zero debt, zero tax obligations, no commercial history. The company has never been used for any business activity. We provide a full guarantee that the entity is free from any liabilities at the time of transfer.

The EUR 25,000 share capital (Stammkapital) is the legally required minimum for a GmbH. In a shelf company, this capital has already been fully paid in. After the transfer, these funds remain in the company and are available for your business operations. You don’t need to arrange separate capital deposits.

Yes. There is no German residency or citizenship requirement for the Geschäftsführer (managing director) of a GmbH. Foreign nationals can serve as managing directors with a valid passport. A notarized signature specimen will be required for the Handelsregister, which can be obtained at any notary or German consulate in your home country.

No. Despite the notary requirement, the entire process can be handled remotely. You sign a power of attorney (Vollmacht) that allows the notarial deed to be executed on your behalf. The signature specimen for the Handelsregister can be notarized at any notary or consulate in your home country.

Yes. German companies are legally required to have a Geschäftsanschrift (registered business address) in Germany. If you don’t have access to one, Foris can provide a German business address as part of the service package.

Yes. Companies include a business account with capital at one of Foris’ bank partners. The account can be transferred to the new owners, or you can create a new account at your preferred bank.

A GmbH requires at least one Geschäftsführer (managing director), who must be a natural person. Foreign citizenship is accepted and German residency is not required. A supervisory board (Aufsichtsrat) is only mandatory for companies with 500+ employees or in regulated sectors such as banking and insurance. The Gesellschafterversammlung (shareholder meeting) holds ultimate decision authority: appointing/removing management, approving financials, amending bylaws, deciding capital changes, and issuing directives.

A GmbH requires at least one shareholder, with no maximum limit. All shareholders (or their representatives) must attend the notarial certification. Document preparation becomes more complex with more shareholders, as each must be named in the purchase contract with personal information.

Foris offers shelf companies registered across 16 German cities: Berlin, Bonn, Darmstadt, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Hannover, Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich, Offenbach am Main, Osnabrück, and Stuttgart. If your preferred location is not available, the company can be relocated upon purchase.

A KYC (Know Your Customer) process is required per anti-money laundering regulations. Foris collects information about new shareholders, new managing directors, the notarizing notary, any proxy, the new company name, and future address. For legal entity buyers: a commercial registry extract showing the identifiable beneficial owner. For natural person buyers: a valid identification document.

Yes. After registration as shareholder in the commercial registry and assumption or creation of the bank account, you can freely increase the company’s capital.