Foreign investors who wishes to start a business in Germany may establish German operations as partnerships ,companies or branches of the parent entity. It is also possible to establish an inofficial presence through a liaison or contact office or, for that matter, by merely employing an individual to live and work in Germany as a direct employee of the main company.

When you set up a business, you have to choose what kind of company to set up. There are several considerations to take into account:

• Initial share-capital, the number of shareholders,
• Whether there are any partners,
• The responsibilities of the management,
• The tax regime for the management, etc.
• Level of limitation of liability

Entrepreneurs can choose between a variety of legal forms for conducting business in Germany. There is no specific investment legislation in Germany, nor is a minimum percentage of German shareholdings required for foreign entrepreneurs.