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I am an Irish journalist creating a digital multimedia foreign affairs magazine. I am currently living and working in the Middle East, but do not want to create or register a media company here. Is it possible for an EU-citizen, non-resident of Germany to create and register a media company in Germany? Would I be considered an entrepreneur/freelancer? If I am allowed to do this legally, what are the next steps I need to do to start the process? I am keen to create and register as soon as possible. I have already looked into renting office space in Berlin, and if the digital magazine works we would eventually have at least one employee there. Other employees would be me (working from Mid East) and contributing journalists and videographers (scattered around the world, all paid for their work).

Antwort

In general, any entrepreneur who wishes to start a business in Germany may do so, irrespective of nationality or place of residence. There is no specific investment legislation in Germany, nor is there a minimum percentage of German shareholdings required for foreign investments within Germany.

With regard to the actual formation procedure, the local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) in the city of your choice is the first point of contact when intending to start your business in Germany. The IHK will be able to advise you on the required licenses, regulations and so-called welcome packages that are available in the area. For finding the responsible IHK, please click on the respective city on the map: www.dihk.de
In Berlin the IHK Berlin provides support services for business start-ups: www.ihk-berlin.de

Source: Germany Trade and Invest
- Gesellschaft für Außenwirtschaft und Standortmarketing mbH
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Notice from the editor:

• Information on the setup procedure for business operations in Germany is available in the Investment Guide to Germany and the Investor’s Basics - Setting Up Business in Germany
• English version of the business start-up portal
  
• German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy: legal structures to launch new firms
• Checks and Overviews
• German Federal Central Tax Office: Foreign Investors Help Desk
• Addresses to municipality administration and local authorities

Lawyers and notaries provide assistance, for example, in matters related to legal structure and contract issues (legal structure, purchase contract, etc.).

The addresses of lawyers and notaries can be found here:

• German Association of Lawyers
• Federal Chamber of Lawyers
• German civil law notaries (Bundesnotarkammer)

Liberal professions [Freie Berufe] include, for instance, Linguistic and information-transmitting professions: journalists, image-based reporters, interpreters, translators.
If you are not certain whether your activity is one of the liberal professions [Freie Berufe], we advise that you contact the Institute on Liberal Professions or the Tax Office.