Germany and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Apostille, Hague Convention in force for Germany since 13 February 1966
- Issued by
- Notarial deeds and powers of attorney are apostilled by the president of the Landgericht (regional court) that supervises the notary
- Language
- German, often accepted as it is
- Register
- Handelsregister (online)
- Tax treaty
- Signed 2012, in force 2015 (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- EU single market and customs union
- In the Netherlands
- 2,575 companies controlled from Germany in 2024, 2,515 in 2021 (+2.4%), about 189,000 jobs, €120.6 billion turnover, 12.9% of all 19,995 foreign-controlled companies (CBS, 9 October 2026)
- Moving here
- EU free movement
Documents from Germany
Passport copy, certified by a notary in Germany.
Proof of address in Germany, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a German Notar. The Notar certifies your passport copy at the same time.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
The apostille. Notarial deeds and powers of attorney are apostilled by the president of the Landgericht (regional court) that supervises the notary. Administrative documents are apostilled by the Regierungspräsidium, the Bezirksregierung or the state ministry of the interior, depending on the state. The apostille typically costs €25 to 50 and takes 2 to 4 working days.
Good to know. Ask your Notar which court apostilles the deeds, because this differs per state. The court only accepts a certified Ausfertigung, and a photocopy is refused. The shareholders of a German limited company (GmbH) are listed in the Gesellschafterliste, a separate document from the extract. Request both documents.
If a company from Germany becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: Handelsregister. A current extract (Handelsregisterauszug) is available online. For the Dutch notary, you need a certified extract (beglaubigter Ausdruck) from the register court or through your Notar. Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Germany: business register and trade
Germany's Commercial Register (Handelsregister) has been fully digitised since 1 January 2007. The Register Portal, with a service point at Hagen Local Court, gives access to the locally run registers, and Bundesanzeiger Verlag GmbH in Cologne operates the Company Register (Unternehmensregister).
Anyone may consult both registers, and proof of a particular interest is unnecessary. Accounting documents in the Company Register are free of charge, and the portal fees of €4.50 per extract and €1.50 per document ended on 1 August 2022.
A simple or certified copy of an extract can be requested for a fee from the competent court of registration. It comes on paper or electronically, with a qualified electronic signature for a certified copy.
In 2024, Dutch goods exports to Germany were worth €147.2 billion and imports from Germany €97.6 billion. Germany was again the most important trading partner for Dutch imports.
Your next step from Germany
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