Immigration to Germany | HEUSER RECHT UND STEUERN
02 • www.heuser.de
Opening of a
bank account
Companies wishing to open
a business bank account
in Germany have to decide
first of all for a suitable
provider. Many direct banks
but also some branch banks
offer business accounts for
alien corporations.
In general, the following details and
documents are required to open a bank
account in Germany:
• company name and legal form
• trade register excerpt/trade register
number
• official ID documents of all
representatives including Apostilles or
legalisations
• certificate of registration or tax
certificate (in case the ID documents
don‘t include addresses)
• notarized statute
Apart from a few exceptions, in which
there is a bilateral agreement - like with
Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy,
Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland -
all documents issued in foreign countries
must be officially authenticated. In
almost all countries which party the
Hague Agreement this is possible by
an Apostille. Otherwise, the respective
German consulate in the issuing state
can legalise the documents. Information,
which procedure is possible in the relevant
country can be obtained from the Federal
Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) or local
diplomatic missions.
Some countries don’t proceed
authentications which are recognised in
Germany. Some have been classified as a
high-risk country by the EU-Commission.
For companies from these countries,
it is impossible to open an account
in Germany. High risk countries are
Afghanistan, American Samoa, Bahamas,
Botswana, DPR Korea. Ethiopia, Ghana,
Guam, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Panama, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Saudi
Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, American Virgin Islands,
and Yemen.