Mandatory membership in the IHK or Chamber of Crafts: what applies to you

Anyone who registers a business in Germany automatically becomes a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Industrie- und Handelskammer, IHK) or the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer, HWK) responsible for them – no separate registration or consent is needed.

In brief: With the business registration, every trader becomes a mandatory member of their Chamber of Commerce and Industry or Chamber of Crafts by operation of law (§ 2 IHKG, § 1 HwO) and must pay membership fees for it. Small traders with a trade income of up to 5,200 euros are exempt from fees. Anyone who runs a craft trade requiring a licence under Annex A must also be entered in the Register of Craftsmen (Handwerksrolle) before starting business.

Who is affected by mandatory chamber membership?

Anyone who registers a business becomes a mandatory member of an IHK or Chamber of Crafts – regardless of legal form, turnover or whether it is a main or secondary occupation. Membership follows automatically from the law upon registration; a separate application for admission or the company's consent is not required, and leaving is not possible while the business is running. Assignment to the right chamber depends on the activity carried out: anyone who runs a business outside the crafts is a mandatory member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK); anyone who practises a craft trade under Annex A or B of the Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung) belongs to the Chamber of Crafts (HWK). If a business carries out both craft and other commercial activities, dual membership in the IHK and the HWK can even arise. Freelancers such as doctors, architects or tax advisers are exempt from this mandatory membership – instead they may be members of their respective professional chamber, such as the medical or architects' chamber.

What do you need to do in practice?

To comply properly with mandatory chamber membership, these steps matter most. At the start is the correct assignment to the competent chamber, at the end the ongoing upkeep of the reported data:

1. Determine the competent chamber based on activity and location (IHK or HWK).
2. For a craft trade requiring a licence, enter yourself in the Register of Craftsmen before starting business.
3. Check fee notices and pay them on time.
4. If income is low, check the fee exemption for small traders.
5. Inform the chamber of material changes in activity or turnover.

Anyone with several fields of activity or locations quickly loses track of which chamber duties and other reporting obligations actually apply. Which of these obligations apply to your company specifically is shown at a glance by a tool such as Company Audit.

By when and how often do you have to pay?

The chamber usually invoices the membership fee once a year by way of a fee notice; the exact payment deadline follows from that notice and must be met. Newly founded companies usually receive their first fee notice only a few months after registering the business, because the chamber first has to receive the registration data from the trade office (Gewerbeamt). Since trade income can change from year to year, it is worth checking with every new notice whether the fee exemption for small traders with a trade income of up to 5,200 euros applies – anyone just above or below this threshold should examine the notice particularly carefully.

What are the consequences of a breach?

Anyone who runs a craft trade requiring a licence under Annex A and does not enter themselves in the Register of Craftsmen before starting business risks having the business prohibited by the competent authority under § 1 HwO. This affects not only new start-ups but also existing businesses that extend their activity to a licensed craft trade without making the registration. Mandatory membership of the competent chamber exists regardless of whether a company agrees to it or even wants to be a member – fee notices issued must therefore in principle be paid, unless a fee exemption applies.

What does membership bring you?

Mandatory membership is not purely a burden: chambers offer their members free start-up and legal advice, which you can use actively to actually benefit from the fee you pay – for example on questions of law, financing or succession. Many chambers also provide their members with model contracts, further training and information events on current legal changes.

Frequently asked questions

Do I also have to register with the IHK as a freelancer?

No. Freelancers such as doctors, architects or tax advisers are exempt from mandatory IHK membership; they may be members of their own professional chamber.

How high is the chamber fee?

The amount depends on trade income and is set by the respective chamber by way of a fee notice. Small traders with a trade income of up to 5,200 euros are exempt from the fee obligation.

As a small trader, am I completely exempt from membership?

No, the mandatory membership itself remains. Small traders with a trade income of up to 5,200 euros are only exempt from the obligation to pay fees, not from membership as such.

Which chamber is responsible for my company?

That depends on the activity carried out and the company's location: craft businesses under Annex A or B of the Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung) belong to the Chamber of Crafts, all other commercial enterprises to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Do I also have to enter myself in the Register of Craftsmen?

Yes, if you practise a craft trade requiring a licence under Annex A. The entry must be made before starting business, otherwise the business may be prohibited under § 1 HwO.

Source: § 2 IHKG · § 1 HwO. This article is general information and does not replace legal advice in an individual case. As of: July 2026.