Our employees only speak German in the office and on the phone.

Register a European Cooperative in the Cooperative Registry

You can establish a cooperative as a European Cooperative. The registration must be submitted electronically in a form certified by a notary.

Basic information
Through your notary, you can apply for entry in the cooperative registry in the following cases:
- when a new European cooperative is established
- when merging existing cooperatives
- when an existing cooperative is converted
A registered European Cooperative (SCE – “Societas Cooperativa Europaea”) is considered a legal entity that is itself the bearer of rights and obligations. If the SCE has its registered office abroad but operates branches in Germany, you must register these branches as such in the Cooperative Register.
Requirements
- You must
  
  form a new European Cooperative,
  merge at least two cooperatives into a European Cooperative, or
  convert an existing cooperative into a European Cooperative.
- A European Cooperative may be established by at least 5 natural persons whose places of residence are in at least 2 different Member States of the European Union (EU).
- A European Cooperative may also be established jointly by a total of at least five natural persons and legal entities, provided that the places of residence of the natural persons or the law governing the legal entities are attributable to at least two different EU Member States.
- Without the participation of natural persons, at least two legal entities may establish a European Cooperative if the founding legal entities are governed by the laws of at least two different EU member states.
- Two or more cooperatives may merge to form a European Cooperative if at least two of the merging cooperatives are governed by the laws of different EU member states.
- An existing cooperative may be converted into a European Cooperative if the existing cooperative
  
  was established in an EU Member State,
  has its registered office or principal place of business in an EU Member State, and
  has a branch or subsidiary that has existed for at least 2 years in another EU Member State and is governed by the law of that Member State.
- When establishing, merging, or converting a cooperative, you must involve your employees. To do so, there must generally be
  
  an agreement on employee participation must be in place,
  the negotiating body must have decided not to commence negotiations or to terminate them, or
  the negotiation period must have expired.
- The European Cooperative must be authorized to join a cooperative audit association.
Procedure
You must prepare your application with the assistance of a notary.
- The notary
  
  will advise you and
  prepare the application in accordance with legal requirements, and
  will send the application electronically, with an electronic signature, to the electronic court and administrative mailbox of the competent registry court.
- The competent registry court will contact you and request an advance payment covering the estimated costs.
- If the registry court finds any issues after reviewing your documents, it will contact you or your notary.
  
  You can then submit any additional documents or supporting evidence that may be required.
- If the court rejects the registration, you will receive a written decision denying the registration.
- If no objections are raised after reviewing your documents, the entry will be made in the cooperative registry.
  
  You will receive a notice of registration and a final invoice.
- If any significant changes occur, you must submit them again through a notary for entry in the cooperative register
- for example, changes regarding
  
  the registered office or business name,
  legal form, or
  authorized representatives.
More information
Appeal: If your application for registration of a European Cooperative is denied, you may file an appeal with the local court within one month of receiving notice of the decision.
Necessary Documents
- When forming a new European Cooperative, you must submit the following documents:
  Articles of Association of the Cooperative
  Certificate of Appointment of the Supervisory Board or Board of Directors
  Resolution on the Appointment of the First Executive Board or Managing Directors
  Founding Report of the Founders
  Audit report by the members of the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board, or the managing directors and the Board of Directors
  Confirmation from the bank that the funds have been deposited into the company’s account
  Certificate from a cooperative auditing association confirming that the European Cooperative is eligible for membership
  Evidence of a resolution in accordance with Art. 3(6) of the SCE Regulation or other agreement, or a declaration by the parties involved
- Depending on the specifics of your case, different or additional documents may be required; your notary will advise you on this.
Competent Department
Bremen Local Court – Registry Court – Amtsgericht Bremen – Registergericht –

+49 421 361 57625

Hans-Böckler-Straße 50, Eingang: Altonaer Str. 3, 28217 Bremen

Website

registergericht@amtsgericht.bremen.de

Legally secure e-communication more
Fees / Costs

If the cooperative is incorporated before a notary, notary fees will apply, which depend on the cooperative’s assets or the circumstances of the individual case:
For example, if the value of the cooperative is EUR 50,000.00, the fees amount to at least EUR 330.00 plus sales tax and out-of-pocket expenses.
If the value is EUR 250,000.00, the fees amount to at least EUR 1,070.00 plus sales tax and out-of-pocket expenses.
When registering the new cooperative with the Cooperative Register, fees are incurred at the notary’s office for certification and the creation of an XML structure file. These fees generally amount to EUR 134.40. In addition, there are administrative expenses and the statutory value-added tax.
If the cooperative is established through a conversion, fees are incurred at the notary’s office for filing the conversion with the previous companies or cooperatives. These fees generally amount to EUR 87.50 each. In addition, there are notary fees and the statutory value-added tax.
Initial registration of an SCE: €315.00 + processing fee €105.00, plus €60.00 for each additional power of attorney registration + €20.00 processing fee, and €90.00 for establishing a branch office + €20.00 processing fee
Initial registration of an SCE following a conversion: €540.00 + processing fee €180.00, plus €60.00 for the registration of each power of attorney + €20.00 processing fee, and €90.00 for the establishment of a branch office + €20.00 processing fee
Merger of an SCE: €450.00 + setup fee of €150.00
Conversion of an SCE: 540.00 € + setup fee of 180.00 €.
The amount of the registration fee is determined in accordance with the Act on Court and Notary Fees, in conjunction with the Ordinance on Fees for Matters Concerning the Commercial, Partnership, and Cooperative Registers. In addition, expenses are incurred for the public announcement of the registration.
Deadlines & processing time

What deadlines must be paid attention to?
In general, you do not need to meet any deadlines.
How long does it take to process
The registry court must decide on the registration immediately upon receipt of the application. If all required documents are submitted and the court has no objections, registrations are generally processed within a few business days.
Legal Bases

This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.
 The official information in German is complete and correct.

Updated on 04.09.2026

Register a European Cooperative in the Cooperative Registry

Basic information

Requirements

Procedure

More information

Necessary Documents

Competent Department

Bremen Local Court – Registry Court – Amtsgericht Bremen – Registergericht –

Fees / Costs

Deadlines & processing time

What deadlines must be paid attention to?

How long does it take to process

Legal Bases