Procedure descriptions

Register of Cooperatives - Apply for registration

Cooperatives must be entered in the register of cooperatives at the registration court. You can apply for the registration of a cooperative through your notary with the participation of all board members.

Responsible department

A notary of your choice.

Details

Prerequisite

The registration of a cooperative takes place on the basis of an application. This is equivalent to an application for registration.
The application must be made electronically and in notarised form.
Your notary will take care of the necessary formalities.

Procedure

The notary will advise you on the application.
She or he prepares the application in the required form and sends it to the competent registry court.
The register court checks your documents. If there are no objections, the entry is made in the register of cooperatives.
With the entry, the cooperative receives the name suffix "e.G.", which means it is to be designated as a registered cooperative.


The register of cooperatives contains, among other things, information on the name, registered office and object of the cooperative, provisions on an obligation to make additional contributions, on representation, on procuration as well as information on the dissolution and deletion of the cooperative.

If there are important changes, for example to the registered office or the representation regulations, you must notify the register court of these changes again via a notary.

Required documents

When a cooperative is newly established, the following documents must be submitted:

  • the articles of association of the cooperative, which must be signed by at least three members,
  • a copy of the deeds appointing the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board, and
  • the certificate of an auditing association that the cooperative has been admitted to membership, as well as an expert opinion of the auditing association as to whether the personal or economic circumstances, in particular the financial situation of the cooperative, are likely to endanger the interests of the members or the creditors of the cooperative.

A notary of your choice will advise you on the additional documents that may be required in your case.

Costs

  • depending on the individual case
  • determined in accordance with the Court and Notary Costs Act in conjunction with the Ordinance on Fees in Commercial, Partnership and Cooperative Register Matters