Registration in the register of craftsmen
If you want to practice a craft subject to registration on a self-employed basis, you must register your business in the register of craftsmen.
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Basic information
If you wish to practise a craft requiring a license, you must be entered in a register kept by your regional Chamber of Crafts (Register of Craftsmen) before starting your business activities. In addition to the business owner (sole proprietor, partnership with legal capacity or legal entity), the register of craftsmen also lists who is responsible for the management of the business. Management can be exercised either by the business owner or a salaried manager. The management must have the professional qualifications required to practice the craft requiring a license. Proof must be provided in the form of a master craftsman's certificate for the respective trade or an equivalent relevant professional qualification. You can find more information on this in the "Requirements" section.
The following professions are among the trades subject to licensing:
- Bricklayers,
- carpenters,
- roofers,
- road builders,
- scaffolders,
- metal workers,
- tilers,
- screed layers,
- stonemasons,
- stone sculptors,
- plasterers,
- painters and varnishers,
- interior decorators,
- body and vehicle builders,
- information, automotive and electrical technicians,
- plumbers and heating engineers,
- tank and apparatus builders,
- bakers,
- confectioners,
- butchers,
- hairdressers,
- glassblowers and glass apparatus makers,
- chimney sweeps,
- orthopaedic technicians,
- dental technicians.
A complete list can be found in Appendix A of the Crafts Code (HwO). The craft does not have to be practiced as a whole. Essential (partial) activities can also be practiced.
Please note: You may only ever practice the craft requiring authorization that has been registered. If several trades subject to licensing are practised, each of these trades subject to licensing must normally be entered in the trades register.
Requirements
- Completed master craftsman's examination in
- the craft you want to practice or
- in a related craft subject to registration
- The Crafts and Trades Code also contains provisions under which you or your company management may
- as a graduate engineer or graduate engineer,
- with a Bachelor's or Master's degree or
- with a German state or state-recognized examination equivalent to the master craftsman's examination.
- The prerequisite is that the study or school focus of your examination corresponds to the craft to be registered.
- In addition, it is possible to obtain an exemption or authorization to practice.
- For nationals of a member state of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, special regulations exist for the recognition of professional qualifications within the framework of an exceptional approval procedure.
- In addition, an equivalence determination can be made for professional qualifications acquired abroad.
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Procedure
Registration in the register of skilled crafts is done electronically via online service or in writing at your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
Online application
- Go to the website of your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts or to the service portal of your federal state and select the correct online service.
- The online service will guide you through the application step by step.
- You can submit the required documents digitally.
Written application
- Download the application form from the website of your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
- Alternatively, you can have the required documents sent to you via your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
- Complete the form and send it to your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts along with the required supporting documents.
The responsible Chamber of Skilled Crafts will check the documents.
If you meet the registration requirements, you will receive a written notification that you have been registered.
Together with the notification of registration, your company will receive the so-called craftsman's card (§ 10 para. 2 HwO).
More information
Essential (partial) activities of a craft
The craft does not have to be practiced as a whole. Essential (partial) activities can also be carried out. Even then, registration in the register of craftsmen is required.
Several trades
You may only ever practise the craft requiring a license that has been registered.
If you wish to carry out several trades requiring a license, you must have each of these trades entered in the Register of Craftsmen.Several persons as company management
If you employ more than 1 person to manage your business, you must also register this person.
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Necessary Documents
- Please contact the responsible office.
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Competent Department
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Handwerkskammer Bremen
- +49 421 3610000
- +49 421 30500 109
- Ansgaritorstrasse 24, 28195 Bremen
- Website
- service
@hwk- bremen. de
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Online Services
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handwerk:digital
handwerk:digital offers you the possibility to submit your applications to the responsible Chamber of Crafts online. The login is done with the OSI account, which is available to citizens and companies alike.
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Fees / Costs
The specific fee results from the fee schedule of the Chamber of Crafts, which is available on the Chamber's website.
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Deadlines & processing time
What deadlines must be paid attention to?
Display of craft activity: before the start
How long does it take to process
The processing time depends on the completeness of the submitted documents.
If all documents are complete and no further procedure is necessary, registration in the register of skilled crafts can be completed within a few days.
Further procedures extend the processing time, such as the granting of an exemption permit. -
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. 30.04.2026