Buy a German ready-made company within 48 hours and start your business straight away
Purchase of a shelf company – choose your company type:
Purchasing a GmbH
Purchase price: 29,000 EUR
Bank credit balance: 25,000 EUR
Share capital: 25,000 EUR
Purchasing a UG
Purchase Price: 3,500 EUR
Bank credit balance: 500 EUR
Share capital: 500 EUR
Not sure?
If you are not sure regarding the company form, try our free company type configurator with which you can find the ideal legal type for your business in Germany.
Why should you buy a shelf company?
You have a new business idea, you have received a business offer that is too good to refuse, or you have another reason for needing to set up a GmbH or UG quickly and safely – in these cases buying a shelf company is the perfect solution for you.
A ready-made company, also called a shelf company (in German: Vorratsgesellschaft), is a GmbH or UG that we founded only to sell it. A new formation usually takes three to eight weeks. After the notary appointment, you have to open a business account – depending on the bank, this can take 1 or 2 weeks. The notary cannot submit the GmbH or UG incorporation documents to the commercial register until the share capital has been fully paid up. The registry court reviews the application, often makes an inquiry with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or demands an advance on costs. Only then, once all questions are answered, will the company be entered in the Commercial Register. You can skip this whole procedure by purchasing off the shelf a GmbH or UG that has never been active and is absolutely without debts.
If you are not sure whether to buy or to found, see our company formation page and compare the costs below.
How to purchase a ready-made company in Germany
Online Reservation
To reserve a ready-made company for 48 hours without obligation, please get in contact with us here. You will then receive a confirmation and the company documents.
Ordering
If you decide, after the reservation, to purchase the company, you can transmit your data to quickly and easily through a secure online form.
Payment
To make payment as convenient as possible for you, we offer different ways of payment:
Advance payment: If you pay the purchase price before the notarisation, you will be the new company owner immediately after the notary appointment and can start your company activity on the same day.
Payment after notarisation: In the alternative, you can transfer the purchase price after the notarisation. In that case the purchase contract does not take effect until the full purchase price has been paid, and you cannot start your activity until the notary has provided a confirmation.
Notary appointment
You can decide whether you prefer to travel to Germany for the notary appointment or prefer a remote notarization. With GmbH-UG.com, this decision has no influence on the purchase price of the ready-made company.
We will be pleased to make an appointment with a German notary in your near. Alternatively, you are welcome to visit us personally in Nuremberg.
Start doing business with your purchased company
After the notarisation, you can start your business activity straight away, provided that you have signed the deeds in Germany before a notary and paid the full purchase price. The process for remote certifications takes about 1 to 3 weeks.
Advantages and disadvantages of purchasing a ready-made company
Advantages of purchasing a ready-made German company:
- Faster. By purchasing a ready-made company you can save the time involved in the payment of founding capital and the commercial court registration. Also time is saved requesting tax numbers which may take 1-3 months when establishing a new company. Your company may start operating immediately following the signature.
- From abroad. There is no need to travel to Germany. If you would like to establish a company in Germany quickly but travel is not feasible, you may still avail of the advantages of a German company. Our office prepares the necessary deeds which you can sign conveniently in your own country.
Disadvantages of purchasing a ready-made German company:
- More costly. The main drawback to the purchase of a ready-made company is that you will have to take account of the higher notarial and commercial court fees. In addition to our office fee, the purchase price of the company also has to be paid.
It is important to understand that in Germany there are two different types of ready-made companies: The so-called ready-made or shelf companies, in German: “Vorratsgesellschaft”, are companies that have never actively operated and were established for the sole purpose of resale to save time for their buyers.
On the other hand, there are also companies available on the market known as shell companies, in German: “Mantelgesellschaft”. The original purpose of the establishment of these companies was to create an active company. However the companies are currently not in operation and the owners have decided to sell them instead of putting them into liquidation.
All ready-made companies offered by GmbH-UG.com are genuine ready-made / shelf companies incorporated by us for the sole purpose of reselling them.
Ready-made company or new formation: costs in 2026
| Ready-made GmbH | Ready-made UG | New GmbH (for comparison) | |
| Purchase price incl. our service fee | 29,000 EUR (VAT-free) | 3,500 EUR (VAT-free) | 2,200 EUR + 19% VAT |
| of which bank balance (share capital, stays in the company and is yours) | 25,000 EUR | 500 EUR | 12,500–25,000 EUR paid in by you |
| Real cost of the company itself | 4,000 EUR | 3,000 EUR | 2,200 EUR |
| Notary fees (set by law, GNotKG) | approx. 1,100–1,400 EUR | approx. 800–1,200 EUR | from approx. 380 EUR |
| Commercial register fees | approx. 300–600 EUR | approx. 300–600 EUR | 300 EUR |
| Trade registration | 25–60 EUR | 25–60 EUR | 25–60 EUR |
| Time until you can trade | same day (signed in Germany, paid in advance); 1–3 weeks from abroad | same day (signed in Germany, paid in advance); 1–3 weeks from abroad | 3–8 weeks |
Notary fees are quoted plus 19% VAT. Changes to the name, registered office or business purpose add notary and register fees (see our company changes service).
Costs of a ready-made German company
When purchasing a ready-made company, expect the following costs (regardless of provider):
Purchase price (bank credit balance and extra fee)
The purchase price of a ready-made company accounts for the largest part of the costs. It comprises the bank credit balance, normally in the amount of the share capital, which is refunded to the buyer at the end of the transaction either with the company bank account or by order cheque, and the premium or extra fee paid to the seller for his services.
+ Notary costs
The notary costs for the purchase will be at your charge. The costs are normally higher than for the formation of a new company. Notary costs for a GmbH normally amount to approx. 1,100-1,400 EUR, and for a UG to approx. 800-1,200 EUR.
+ Registry Court fees
The costs for a change in the commercial register depends on the nature of the changes that the notary needs to make for the purchase. They amount to about 300 to 600 EUR. Normally, you pay less to the local registry court than you would pay for a new formation, provided that the company keeps its registered office in the same town as before.
+ Costs of business registration (trade office / Gewerbeamt)
Regardless of whether you form a a new company or buy a GmbH or UG off the shelf, you have to submit a business registration to the trade office (Gewerbeamt) or to the municipal authorities (in smaller cities). Business registration costs between 25 and 60 EUR, depending on the municipality. Companies that engage exclusively in asset or real estate management, as well as holdings that do not engage in any business of their own, normally do not require a business registration. We recommend you to seek advice from your local authority or your tax advisor.
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Frequently asked questions about ready-made companies
A ready-made company, also called a shelf company (in German: Vorratsgesellschaft), is a GmbH or UG that was founded only to be sold and has never traded. It is already entered in the commercial register, has a bank account and its share capital is paid in, so the buyer can start business much faster than with a new formation.
Our ready-made GmbH costs 29,000 EUR, of which 25,000 EUR is the bank balance that stays in the company and belongs to you after the purchase. On top come the notary fees of about 1,100 to 1,400 EUR, the commercial register fees of about 300 to 600 EUR and the trade registration of 25 to 60 EUR. A ready-made UG costs 3,500 EUR, including a bank balance of 500 EUR.
If you sign before a notary in Germany and pay the purchase price in advance, you become the owner on the day of the notary appointment and can start trading the same day. If you sign abroad by power of attorney, allow about one to three weeks.
No. You can sign the purchase deed before a notary in your own country with a power of attorney. We prepare the documents and arrange everything in Germany.
A shelf company (Vorratsgesellschaft) was founded only to be sold and has never traded. A shell company (Mantelgesellschaft) once had a business that has stopped, so it may carry old liabilities, tax risks or open contracts. All companies we sell are shelf companies founded by us.
The ready-made companies from GmbH-UG.com have never traded and have no liabilities. Before the sale we check the accounts, the bank account, the tax office and the registers, and the purchase agreement includes a guarantee that the company is free of debts.
It costs more than a new formation, because of the purchase premium and higher notary fees. The company name, registered office or business purpose may need to be changed, which costs extra. You must disclose the purchase to the commercial register as a so-called economic re-formation, and the bank will identify you as the new owner before you can use the account.
Start with a free initial consultation
We will help you find the right ready-made company and work with you to develop a concrete roadmap for the takeover. During the consultation, we will clarify:
- If a ready-made company best suits your plans,
- How quickly you can take over and start operating and
- What it will cost.
Informations and figures were last updated: 03. October 2026