According to the World Bank Group's Doing Business 2009 - Country Profile Germany, it requires nine procedures and takes 18 days to start a business in Germany. If you're interested in starting a business, you'll need to follow these steps (in order):

• Clear the name of company at the local chamber of industry and commerce
• Have the articles of association and foundation agreement notarized
• Open a bank account and deposit paid-in capital
• Have notary public file the articles of association with the local commercial register, kept at local courts
• Notify the local office of business and standards of the establishment of the company
• Register with the professional association of the relevant trade
• Notify the local labor office of the establishment of the company
• Register employees for health and social insurance
• Mail documentation to the Tax Office

The World Bank Group publishes comparison reports for conducting business in 181 different economies; benchmarking against each the ease of setting up and doing business in each. The entire downloadable report for Germany is available here.

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For information about the German language, contact us. Or, visit this issue's Useful Links for more government, business, and news resources.

Sources:
U.S. Commercial Services
Doing Business
World Bank Group