Eintragung in die Handwerksrolle mit Ausnahmebewilligung beantragen

Would you like to practise a craft requiring a license as a standing trade and the master craftsman's examination is an unreasonable burden for you? Then you must apply for an exemption permit and have it entered in the register of craftsmen before starting work.

If you want to set up in Germany with a craft requiring a license as a standing trade and you have been granted an exemption permit, you must have this entered in the register of craftsmen before starting work.

You must apply for the exemption permit with a different application before being entered in the register of craftsmen.

The Register of Craftsmen is a register kept by your local Chamber of Crafts.

The Register of Craftsmen lists, among other things

• natural persons,
• partnerships with legal capacity or
• legal entities and
• the name and qualifications of the company management.

Registration in the Register of Craftsmen is mandatory if you

• wish to exercise a craft requiring a license,
• only want to practise the craft in part and
• wish to carry out essential activities of several trades, then for each of these trades.

You can find a complete list of the trades requiring a license in Appendix A of the Crafts Code (HwO).

The relevant chambers of skilled crafts provide further information on this service. Please contact the relevant Chamber of Crafts for more information.

Sole proprietorship

• Identity card or comparable identification document (copy)
• Exemption permit for entry in the register of craftsmen
• Business registration (copy): Can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen

Companies under civil law (GbR)

• Identity card or comparable identification document of the partners or authorized representatives (copy)
• Partnership agreement, if not concluded informally (copy)
• Exemption permit for entry in the register of craftsmen
• Business registration (copy): Can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen

Commercial partnerships with legal capacity

This refers to

• the general partnership (OHG),
• limited partnership (KG) and
• corresponding foreign company forms
• Identity cards or comparable identification documents of the shareholders or persons authorized to represent the company (copy)
• For proof of the company's legal form
  • for companies domiciled in Germany:
    • for companies entered in the commercial register: extract from the register, for general partnerships additionally articles of association (copy)
    • if no entry in the register has been made: articles of association (copy)
  • for foreign legal forms:
    • Extract from the relevant foreign register for companies entered in registers, otherwise
    • Memorandum and articles of association (copy)
• Exemption permit for entry in the register of craftsmen
• Business registration (copy): Can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen

Legal persons

• are meant:
  • Limited liability company (GmbH),
  • Limited liability entrepreneurial company (UG),
  • public limited company (AG),
  • registered cooperative (eG)
• Identity cards or comparable identification documents of the authorized representatives (copy)
• for proof of the company's legal form:
  • for companies based in Germany: extract from the commercial or cooperative register
  • for foreign legal forms: Extract from the relevant foreign register
• Business registration (copy): Can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen
• Details of the company management

If a manager is employed, the following documents must also be submitted:

• Manager's declaration
• Proof of management activity, employment contract (copy)
• Proof of social insurance for the manager
• Exemption permit for entry in the register of craftsmen

An exemption was granted on the following basis:

• The master craftsman examination is an unreasonable burden for you.
• You have the knowledge and skills to practice the craft requiring a license.

The amount of the fees can be found in the fee schedule of the relevant Chamber of Crafts. Please contact the relevant Chamber of Crafts for more information.

You can apply for entry in the Register of Craftsmen in writing or, in some cases, online at your local Chamber of Crafts. Please contact the relevant Chamber of Skilled Crafts for information on the procedure. You can also have the necessary documents sent to you.

• Submit your application documents to your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
• The Chamber of Skilled Crafts will check your application for completeness and, on the basis of the certificate, whether the focus of the qualification corresponds to the craft you wish to practise.
• In cases of doubt, you can submit additional evidence.
• If you meet the registration requirements, you will be notified in advance of your expected registration.
• Once you have been registered, you will receive a written certificate from your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts. Your business will receive the so-called craftsman's card.
• If the registration is rejected, you will receive a notification from the local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.

You must be entered in the Register of Craftsmen before starting work.

There are no indications or special features.

• You have the right to appeal against a rejection of your application for entry in the Register of Craftsmen.
• Depending on the federal state in which you have submitted the application, a preliminary procedure will be carried out first.
• Please refer to the instructions on legal remedies in your notification for information on the available legal remedies.

• Register of craftsmen Registration of persons Exemption permit according to § 8 HwO
• Register of craftsmen as a register of all owners of a business of a craft requiring a license in a standing trade
• Registration concerns
  • natural and legal persons and
  • partnerships with legal capacity
• Legal obligation to register:
  • all business owners with a craft requiring a license in a standing trade must be entered in the Register of Craftsmen
  • does not apply to itinerant trades or market trading
• Register contents include
  • Craft requiring a license in the standing trade
  • Name and qualifications of the company management
• Company owners or managers must generally provide proof of successful completion of a master craftsman's examination for the craft to be practiced or equivalent professional qualifications.
• However, entry in the Register of Craftsmen can also be made on the basis of an exemption permit.
• The exemption permit must be applied for separately in advance.
• Applications for registration with an exemption permit can be submitted in writing or partially online to the local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
• Deadline: before taking up the craft activity
• Fees: Amount depends on the fee schedule of the responsible Chamber of Skilled Crafts
• Responsible: Chamber of Skilled Crafts in whose district the commercial establishment is intended