Government & Regulatory Affairs in Germany

Full guide · Source-checked research99% of statements checked against a source109 checked against an official source1 checked against a secondary sourceChecked 2026-10-18Not yet professionally reviewed

• The federal economics ministry may review whether the direct or indirect acquisition of a domestic company, or of a separable business unit or its essential operating assets, by a non-EU acquirer is likely to affect public order or security.

  Cross-sectoral review; acquirers from outside the EU (Unionsfremde).Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-18

• Investment review is triggered when a non-EU acquirer reaches 10 percent of the voting rights in companies in the most sensitive listed sectors, 20 percent in the other listed sectors, and 25 percent in any other domestic company.

  10%: companies listed in § 55a Abs. 1 Nr. 1–7 AWV; 20%: Nr. 8–27; 25%: all other domestic companies. Direct or indirect holdings after the acquisition.Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-18

• Anyone starting an independent standing trade, a branch or a dependent branch office must notify the competent authority at the same time.

  Trade notification (Gewerbeanzeige) under the Trade Regulation Code; applies to subsidiaries, branches and dependent establishments.Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-18

• A non-EU acquirer must notify the federal economics ministry without delay after signing a contract to acquire a domestic company in any of the sectors listed in § 55a Abs. 1 Nr. 1–27 AWV.

  Mandatory notification for sector-listed targets; for public takeover offers, notification follows publication of the decision to make the offer.Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-18

• An EU Blue Card requires a salary of at least 50 percent of the annual contribution assessment ceiling of the general pension insurance, or at least 45.3 percent with Federal Employment Agency approval for listed occupation groups and for graduates who obtained their degree no more than three years before applying.

  Non-EU skilled workers with a qualifying degree; the euro threshold changes each year with the contribution ceiling.Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-18

• Only persons entered in the craft register (Handwerksrolle) may independently operate a licensed craft listed in Annex A of the Crafts Code.

  Applies to natural persons, legal entities and partnerships; activities learnable within three months or minor to the trade are not essential activities.Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-18

• The EU-law procurement rules in Part 4 of the Competition Act apply to public contracts whose estimated value excluding VAT reaches the thresholds set in the EU procurement directives, as amended from time to time.

  Public contracts, concessions and design contests; thresholds follow Directive 2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU, 2009/81/EC and 2014/23/EU.Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-18

• Associations with their seat abroad that own, or undertake to acquire, real estate in Germany must report their beneficial owners to the Transparency Register.

  Foreign companies and other associations holding German real property, including certain share deals under the Real Estate Transfer Tax Act.Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-18

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