Buy a Company in Germany from Australia: Your European Entity, Owned Remotely

If you want to buy a company in Germany from Australia, you can, and you can do it without leaving the country. There is no German nationality or residency requirement to own a company, and the whole purchase is built to run remotely across the time-zone gap. Most Australian founders we work with buy a clean, ready-made German company, a shelf company that already sits in the commercial register, and have the shares transferred to them through a German notary by power of attorney. Müller Konsult is a lawyer-led firm in Düsseldorf that handles the European side from start to finish.

To be clear about what this page is, and is not: it is about buying a clean European entity, a never-traded German GmbH (or an Austrian, Swiss, or Liechtenstein company). It is not about buying an operating trading business off a marketplace, it is not about running your Australian Pty Ltd as a German branch or permanent establishment, and it is not a US-style aged “credit” shelf corporation. This is general information, not tax, legal, or immigration advice; rules change, and the Australian tax side in particular needs your own adviser.

Can an Australian buy a company in Germany?

Yes. An Australian citizen or an Australian company can own a German company outright, with no local partner and no requirement to live in Germany. Under the German Limited Liability Companies Act (GmbHG §1), a GmbH can be formed and held for any lawful purpose by one or more persons, and those persons can live anywhere, including Australia. Once the company is entered in the commercial register (Handelsregister) it has its own legal personality, and liability is limited to the company’s own assets (GmbHG §13).

Owning a German company and living in Europe are two separate things. You can be the sole shareholder, and even the managing director, of a German GmbH while staying resident in Australia. A residence permit only becomes relevant if you actually want to move, which we cover further down. For ownership alone, an Australian passport is no obstacle, and Australians acquire German entities every year.

Why Australian founders buy a European company

For an Australian business, a German or wider European company is the cleanest way to get a real foothold inside the EU single market: the ability to sell, invoice, and contract across 27 member states from within the bloc rather than as a distant exporter. The reasons we hear most often are:

• EU market access without third-country friction inside the union, with a German address and registration that signal a serious, lasting European presence.
• An EU counterparty. Many European clients, suppliers, platforms, and banks prefer, or contractually require, a partner that is itself incorporated in the EU.
• E-commerce and exports into Europe. An EU base lets you hold stock in the union, register for VAT through the One-Stop-Shop, and ship to EU customers without per-parcel customs problems.
• Diversification of your business base beyond the Australian market and the Australian dollar.

One honest point up front: Australia taxes its residents on worldwide income, so a European company is rarely a way to lower your overall Australian tax. It is chosen for market access, substance, and reach. The tax relationship between the two countries is covered properly in its own section below.

Buy a ready-made company or register a new one from Australia?

Both routes end with the same kind of legal entity. The difference is how long you wait before it can actually trade. Registering a new GmbH from Australia means depositing capital and waiting several weeks for the registration to complete; a ready-made German GmbH is already registered, so the timeline shrinks to the few days needed for the share transfer.

For most Australian founders working across a large time difference, the shelf route wins on speed and certainty, because there is less back-and-forth and the company exists on day one. If you would rather build from scratch, we also handle company formation in Germany for Australians.

Which European company can an Australian buy: GmbH, UG or a DACH entity

“Buy a company in Germany” usually means a standard GmbH, but it is not the only option, and Germany is not the only DACH jurisdiction. The right combination depends on your goal.

A German GmbH is the default for an Australian selling into the EU, simply because it is the union’s largest market and a well-understood entity. The UG starts with less capital but must build a statutory reserve until it reaches €25,000 (GmbHG §5a). Switzerland and Liechtenstein sit outside the EU and a Swiss company needs a resident director, so they suit holding and tax-planning aims rather than single-market access. We weigh it up with you in our Germany, Switzerland and Austria comparison, and the wider European choice is set out in shelf company for sale in Europe.

How to buy a German company from Australia, step by step

The process is designed to be completed entirely from Australia, with no need to fly to Germany:

1. Free consultation. You tell us your goals, EU access, VAT, banking, and we recommend the entity and jurisdiction that fit, usually a German GmbH.
2. Select and check the company. We propose a clean shelf GmbH and run due diligence to confirm it is debt-free, litigation-free, and current on tax.
3. KYC and AML. Under German anti-money-laundering law (the Geldwäschegesetz, GwG), we identify the beneficial owners and incoming managers before completion.
4. Share purchase agreement. We draft and sign the SPA covering the shares and all corporate documents.
5. Notarised share transfer. Ownership passes by notarial act under GmbHG §15, completed remotely for you from Australia.
6. Register and beneficial-owner update. The new managing director, shareholders, and registered office are filed with the commercial register, with an updated shareholder list and a transparency-register entry.
7. Banking, VAT, EORI and tax. We arrange the bank account, VAT and EORI registration, confirm the tax number, and set up ongoing compliance.

Completing the purchase remotely (notary, power of attorney, apostille)

You do not need to cross the world to buy the company. German law requires the share transfer to be recorded in notarial form (GmbHG §15), but for an Australian buyer this is handled through a power of attorney: you sign the documents we prepare before a notary in Australia, have the signature apostilled, and we complete the German notarial act on your behalf. Where it is available, remote notarisation is another option. We prepare every document and manage the timing across the time difference, so the distance is a scheduling detail rather than a barrier.

The shareholder list and beneficial-owner update

After the transfer, an updated list of shareholders (Gesellschafterliste) is filed with the commercial register under GmbHG §40; this is what third parties rely on to see who owns the company. Separately, the new beneficial owners are reported to the transparency register (Transparenzregister). We complete both, so your ownership is properly recorded. The mechanics are covered in how to buy a company in Germany as a foreigner.

What you need to provide (KYC and AML)

Because German anti-money-laundering rules apply to every purchase, we will ask you to identify the ultimate beneficial owners with valid passports or ID, give details of the incoming managing director and shareholders, confirm the planned business activity and company purpose, and supply Australian proof of address. If the buyer is an Australian Pty Ltd rather than an individual, we also need its corporate documents and the ownership chain, and the bank may ask for evidence of source of funds. We assemble the file so it is complete before the notary appointment, which keeps the timeline tight.

Share capital and legal requirements

The figures behind a German GmbH come straight from the GmbHG, and they are worth knowing before you buy:

• Minimum share capital is €25,000 (GmbHG §5). Each share has a nominal value in full euros.
• Before registration, at least one quarter of each share must be paid in, and the total paid in must be at least €12,500 (GmbHG §7). In a shelf company this is already done.
• The company exists only once entered in the commercial register (GmbHG §11). A ready-made GmbH has already crossed that line, so there is no pre-registration personal liability for you to inherit.
• Liability is limited — the company’s assets alone discharge its obligations (GmbHG §13), so your personal assets in Australia are protected.
• At least one managing director (Geschäftsführer) is required (GmbHG §6); that can be you, from Australia, or a local director.

With a ready-made GmbH the capital is already paid in and verified, so you are not arranging a fresh deposit from Australia during the purchase.

EU VAT, customs and an EORI number for Australian exporters

For an Australian business selling into Europe, VAT and customs are where an EU entity earns its keep:

• VAT number. A German VAT number (USt-IdNr) lets your company invoice and trade across the EU. For cross-border B2C sales, the EU One-Stop-Shop (OSS) lets you account for VAT in multiple member states through one registration.
• EORI number. Moving goods into and around the EU requires an EORI number for customs. An EU-side company with its own EORI removes a recurring source of friction for an Australian seller.
• Standard rates. German VAT is 19%, with a reduced 7% rate for certain goods and services; intra-EU B2B services generally use the reverse charge.

Having these in place is the difference between a company that exists on paper and one that can actually trade in Europe. A company with a VAT number is ready to invoice from day one rather than waiting on a fresh registration.

Banking and a local director for Australian owners

Opening a European business bank account from Australia takes preparation; it is usually the slowest part of getting started for any overseas owner, and the distance adds friction. We prepare your banking file properly and, where it suits you, can offer a company with a bank account already in place, which removes the main hurdle. A nominee or local director can also help satisfy a bank’s local-presence expectations and give the company a clear footing in Germany. For the wider picture, see our guide to opening a business bank account in Germany. We never promise that a specific bank will say yes.

Buying from Australia and want a straight answer on your situation? Request a free callback with our lawyers, with no commitment. Talk to our team.

The Australia–Germany tax position (treaty, CFC and worldwide income)

This is the part most providers skip entirely, and it is one of the first things Australian founders ask about, so here is the honest picture. Owning a German company does not switch off your Australian obligations.

• A tax treaty exists. Australia and Germany have a double taxation agreement, signed on 12 November 2015 and in force since 7 December 2016, which replaced the earlier 1972 treaty. It covers company income and provides mechanisms to relieve double taxation. It relieves double tax; it does not eliminate Australian tax.
• Worldwide income. Australian tax residents are generally taxed on income worldwide, including income connected to a foreign company, regardless of where the company is based.
• Controlled foreign company (CFC) rules. Where Australian residents control a foreign company, Australia’s CFC rules can attribute some of its income to the Australian controllers, and foreign-company interests carry their own reporting.

How these fit together depends entirely on your facts and structure. We handle the German and DACH side, including German corporate tax for foreign-owned companies, and coordinate with your Australian accountant so the two systems line up rather than surprise you at year end. This section is general information, not Australian tax advice; please confirm your position with a qualified Australian adviser.

What the purchase includes, and what costs extra

A frustration buyers tell us about is that many providers either hide their prices or quote a single “from” figure with no breakdown. We prefer to show the logic, and it helps to split the cost into what is built into every purchase and the optional extras you choose.

A key point for budgeting: the share capital is not a fee. It belongs to the company and works in its business once you own it, so a large part of any honest German company price is simply capital that ends up working for you; the service element is modest by comparison. For the cost drivers in detail, see our shelf company cost guide, and contact us for a transparent, all-inclusive quote rather than a vague number.

Do you need to live in Europe? Residence is optional

Owning a German company does not require a visa, and buying one does not, by itself, grant residence. The two are separate. You can own and run the company from Australia indefinitely. If you do want to live in Europe, company ownership can support a route rather than replace it: as an Australian national you hold a visa-free-entry passport, which means you can apply for the German self-employment residence permit (§21 of the Residence Act) from within Germany, and taking a genuine salaried managing-director role can open an EU Blue Card path. None of this is automatic, the criteria are specific, and this is general information rather than immigration advice. We advise on feasibility honestly.

Ongoing compliance after you buy

Buying the company is the start, not the finish. A German GmbH carries real ongoing obligations that most sellers never mention: bookkeeping to German standards, annual financial statements and their filing, corporate income tax, trade tax and VAT returns, and keeping the commercial and transparency registers current whenever ownership or management changes. We can handle all of it as your single point of contact in the EU, and we coordinate with your Australian accountant so the German filings and your Australian reporting fit together. The aim is to keep your company in good standing long after handover.

Why buy through a lawyer-led provider

A German company is a real legal entity carrying real legal and tax obligations, so who you buy it from matters, especially across the distance from Australia. With Müller Konsult you get legal sourcing grounded in the actual GmbHG sections cited on this page; genuine due diligence so you are not inheriting a hidden problem; transparent included-versus-extra pricing rather than a hidden number; explicit handling for non-resident Australian buyers, including fully remote completion and coordination with your Australian accountant; and a named, accountable corporate lawyer with a real Düsseldorf office, not an anonymous checkout page. If you are starting from the wider question of process, our guide on how to buy a company in Germany as a foreigner walks through every step, and you can browse current shelf companies in Germany or a same-day shelf company.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Australian Treasury — income tax treaties (Australia–Germany double tax agreement) — treasury.gov.au
• Australian Taxation Office — foreign income of Australian residents — ato.gov.au
• German Limited Liability Companies Act (GmbHG), official English text — gesetze-im-internet.de
• German Commercial Register (Handelsregister) — handelsregister.de
• Austrade — doing business in and exporting to Germany — austrade.gov.au

Ready to buy your European company from Australia?

Contact Müller Konsult for a clean, ready-made German or DACH company you can own and run from Australia, with fully remote completion and coordination with your Australian accountant. We assess your goals, recommend the right entity, and guide you through every step. Müller Konsult · Königsallee 27, 40212 Düsseldorf · +49 211 5403 8800 · info@gmbhforsale.com · Request a callback

Reviewed by Stefan Stelthove, Corporate & Commercial Lawyer, Müller Konsult. Last updated 7 June 2026. This is general information, not tax, legal, or immigration advice.

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