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Official Company Extracts from the German Commercial Register.
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Articles of Incorporation or Certificate of Good Standing in Germany

What is the German equivalent of the US Articles of Incorporation or Certificate of Good Standing?

Articles of Incorporation → Gesellschaftsvertrag (Articles of Association)
In Germany, the equivalent of the US Articles of Incorporation is the Gesellschaftsvertrag (Articles of Association). This is the foundational legal document that establishes a company, defines its purpose, share capital, shareholder structure, and governance rules. For the most common German Company type — the GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung), which is broadly comparable to a US LLC or closely held corporation — the Gesellschaftsvertrag must be notarized and filed with the German Commercial Register (Handelsregister). It is a public document and you can order the articles of association from us by contacting us via Email.

Certificate of Good Standing → Handelsregisterauszug (Company Extract)
Germany does not issue a document called a "Certificate of Good Standing" in the US sense. However, the functional equivalent is the Handelsregisterauszug — the official company extract from the German Commercial Register.

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