You can commence trading via your company immediately having already registered with the German Company Register.
Purchase price: from €28,500
incl. share capital €25,000
Shelf companies.
Immediately usable.
Our shelf companies are immediately available with a bank account, allowing you to act quickly and with legal certainty.
Sometimes things need to move fast – that’s when it’s good to rely on a ready-made shelf company. We deliver any company within 24 hours. Trust in over 25 years of legal expertise and more than 12,000 companies sold. Fast, professional, and reliable. Our multilingual team guides both seasoned advisors and first-time buyers safely to their own company. Your personal contact is ready to assist you.
FORIS offers all commonly required legal structures incorporating directly according to your instructions. We are also able to provide group structures with several companies. With FORIS, you gain a significant time advantage, avoid bureaucratic hurdles, and can fully focus on launching your business.
Our shelf companies are established throughout Germany – so that you have a choice.
Is your preferred location not listed? You can obtain your individually preferred location by simply transferring your registered office at your notary appointment.
Each shelf company is provided with a business bank account at one of our partner banks, which the capital contribution is paid into. When you purchase the shelf company, you also acquire the capital contribution. We offer two convenient options for accessing the capital contribution, depending on the bank account model.
There are five steps to acquiring a shelf company, giving you the security you need.
Can we take even more work off your hands? With our additional services, we take the pressure off you so that you can concentrate on what’s important.
With FORIS shelf companies, you can skip a few hurdles when setting up companies – especially if you need to do it quickly and without risk. Do you still have some questions and don’t know whether a shelf company is right for you? On this FAQ page you will find the most frequently asked questions and our answers.
What problems does purchasing a shelf company solve?
When founding and registering a company, you as the founder have to master numerous procedures to be able to act. Several business trips to the place of incorporation are often necessary for submitting all the required signatures. The time involved may jeopardise a transaction that has been scheduled.
By purchasing a shelf company, you are acquiring an already existing and registered company, these obstacles are dealt with in one step. You are immediately able to act without personal liability, whereas with an incorporation you would have to wait for the registration to be entered in the commercial register. Likewise, this can also take several days.
What are the advantages of buying a shelf company versus starting a brand new one?
By purchasing a shelf company, you are immediately ready to act. Setting up a company always involves risks and, above all, takes time.
As a founder, you are dependent on authorities such as the commercial register, banks or the notary’s office. Sometimes an entry in the commercial register can take up to 2 weeks. Banks require a lot of documents and paperwork to be completed to open an account. It takes even longer until the account is actually opened.
By purchasing a shelf company, such steps are partially removed. At FORIS, these procedures have been standardised so that we can set up companies quickly, Moreover, all the companies on offer are already established i.e., registered in the commercial register. A FORIS shelf company is usually ready for take over within 24 hours and gives founders more time for other things.
Which risks do I avoid when buying a FORIS company?
The purchase of a shelf company avoids taking over unanticipated legacy burdens, unlike purchasing a company that has already been trading.
In addition, you can take over companies free of formation risks. When buying a shelf company, liability protection exists from the beginning. When a company is founded, there is a liability risk until it is entered in the commercial register.
The formation of FORIS shelf companies always follow a proven and legally secure procedure. You also benefit from our experience of over 10,000 company formations.
Are shelf companies and shell companies the same?
Yes and no: for many a shell company is nothing more than a company that is already registered in the commercial register but it is not (or no longer) commercially active.
But beware: a shell company can also have been a formerly active company, which therefore may also have inherited liabilities from its previous commercial activity.
In the case of a shelf company, it has been dormant since incorporation and therefore operational activity is excluded. Shelf companies are established for the sole purpose of sale and quick acquisition and until their acquisition, have had no other business purpose than the management of their own assets.
Is a shelf company registered in the commercial register?
Yes, all our shelf companies are registered in the commercial register. This is the biggest advantage of a shelf company.
How does the purchase of company shares impact tax-wise?
The transfer of shares to a company is exempt from VAT in Germany.
Can several shareholders acquire a shelf company?
Yes, theoretically an unlimited number of shareholders is possible. However, the shareholder shares must be attributable.
Can the name or the name of a shelf company be customised?
Yes, but unfortunately this is not possible before acquiring the company. However, after purchase you can change the name of your acquired shelf company in any way you wish.
This is even expressly desired and takes place at the notary appointment and is part of the registration of changes entered in the commercial register and the ensuing commencement of operations.
In addition to the company trading name, the new partners, the new address and the new managing directors are also registered.
Can the registered office of the shelf company be changed?
Of course, you are free to move the registered office of the company to a registration court of your choice in the course of acquisition and the commencement of operations at the notary.
Does a FORIS shelf company already have a bank account?
Yes, all our companies hold a bank account where the share capital is deposited. However, not all incorporation accounts are made to be transferred. In the case of accounts which are not transferable, we use what we call the order check procedure, whereby a check is issued to you for the amount of the share or nominal capital instead of a bank account.
How does transferring a bank account work?
The account takeover model provides for the new managing director of the company to report to the relevant bank after the acquisition for the purpose of legitimization and to go through the bank’s own KYC process. This requires that the new managing director is already entered as such in the commercial register. The relevant bank will then initiate all further steps.
I am happy to assist you if you have any questions about purchasing or reserving shelf companies.
Reserve your shelf company now
