Company Registration in India from Germany

Planning company registration in India from Germany? This guide covers why German businesses are expanding into India at record pace, what the Apostille process means for your paperwork, the entry structures available to you, and the practical steps involved in incorporation.

Why German businesses are entering India

India-Germany bilateral trade reached a record high in recent years, and Germany is India's 9th largest source of cumulative foreign direct investment, with over US$15 billion invested between April 2000 and March 2025 across more than 500 joint ventures. The Indian Embassy's Make in India Mittelstand programme, running since 2015, now supports over 260 German member companies with a combined declared investment above US$2.3 billion — a dedicated pipeline specifically for German small and mid-sized businesses entering India. Momentum is building further still: surveys of German companies operating in India report that around 79% plan further investment by 2030, and German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz led a CEO delegation to India in January 2026, underscoring India's place as a long-term priority market for German industry.

Documents for company registration in India from Germany: apostille, not embassy legalisation

Germany has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention since 1965, and India joined in 2005. In practice, this means documents executed in Germany for Indian company registration — director and shareholder documents, board resolutions, powers of attorney — generally only need an apostille from the relevant German authority, rather than the more time-consuming embassy legalisation process required for non-member countries.

Entry structures for company registration in India from Germany

Most German companies choose a wholly owned subsidiary — a separate Indian company that gives you full operational control and can trade, hire and generate revenue directly. A Branch Office extends your existing German company into India for permitted activities such as consultancy, export/import or technical support, without incorporating a new entity. A Liaison Office suits businesses that only need a representative presence, for market research or coordinating with Indian partners, without conducting commercial activity. We help you work through which structure actually fits your plans, rather than defaulting to one.

One requirement that catches many German boards by surprise: under Section 149(3) of the Companies Act, 2013, every Indian company — including a wholly owned subsidiary with 100% German shareholding — needs at least one director who is resident in India for 182 days or more in the financial year, even if the rest of the board is entirely German-based. If your directors will only visit occasionally, this is usually addressed with a professional resident director alongside your own board. See our complete guide to the resident director requirement for how it works, what it costs, and the three ways foreign companies typically satisfy it.

Once your subsidiary is running, two further annual filings apply on top of standard RoC compliance: the FLA Return to the RBI, and — if your Indian company transacts with its German parent, such as management fees or intercompany charges — Form 3CEB transfer pricing documentation. See our guide to FLA Return and transfer pricing compliance for the deadlines and what each actually requires.

For the full document checklist and how India's FDI automatic-vs-government-approval route split works by sector, see our step-by-step incorporation guide.

Company registration process in India from Germany, step by step

For a subsidiary, incorporation typically follows this sequence:

Obtain a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) and Director Identification Number (DIN) for your directors.
Reserve your company name with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Prepare and apostille the required German director and shareholder documents.
File the SPICe+ incorporation form and supporting documents.
Complete post-incorporation steps — PAN, TAN, a bank account and any applicable GST registration.

Branch, Liaison and Project Offices instead go through an RBI-authorised bank rather than the MCA. For the full walkthrough — DSC, DIN, SPICe+ filing and what happens after your Certificate of Incorporation — see our step-by-step incorporation guide.

FAQs: company registration in India from Germany

Do I need to travel to India for company registration in India from Germany? Many standard subsidiary incorporations can be coordinated remotely, but identity checks, document execution, banking and other requirements can vary by case. Confirm the steps for the specific directors and shareholders before assuming that no travel will be needed.

Can profits be repatriated back to Germany? Dividends may generally be remitted to the foreign shareholder through the applicable banking and foreign-exchange process, subject to corporate approvals, tax withholding and supporting documents. The relevant tax treaty may affect the tax rate only where its conditions are met; confirm eligibility and the current rate for the recipient.

Is there a minimum capital requirement? No. India abolished the minimum paid-up capital requirement for private limited companies years ago, so company registration in India from Germany can start with any authorised capital amount your business plan calls for.

How long does company registration in India from Germany take? A straightforward case may take several weeks after complete, correctly authenticated documents are available. Timing depends on digital-signature and director-identification steps, name availability, filing review and any requests for correction. Banking and funding often continue after incorporation.

How much does company registration in India from Germany cost? The MCA government filing fee for the SPICe+ incorporation form itself is nil for authorised capital up to ₹15 lakh — which covers most new subsidiaries outright — under Schedule I of the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014. On top of that, state stamp duty applies and varies depending on which Indian state you register your office in, plus DSC, apostille and professional fees. We quote a fixed total once we know your structure and registered office state.

Explore other markets

AU Corporate publishes dedicated guides for businesses entering India from other markets, and a full introduction to our team on the About AU Corporate page.

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