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Aktueller Abdruck (register extract)

Pierre-Henri Janssens
Author

What is the Aktueller Abdruck in Germany?

In Germany, the Aktueller Abdruck is the official extract of a company's current registration status. It serves as the legal certificate of incorporation. This extract is issued directly by the German registry courts and compiled centrally via the Unternehmensregister (also available in the Handelsregister). It reflects the most up-to-date and legally binding information about the company’s identity, legal structure, capital, and governance.

The Aktueller Abdruck is available for download online. It is widely accepted across public and private institutions as a valid proof of company existence and structure.

What does it look like?

german register extract

Key Elements

1. Registry Header: the top of the document specifies:

  • The registering court (e.g., Amtsgericht München)
  • The section of the register (e.g., Abteilung B)
  • The extraction date and time, confirming the document’s freshness
  • The company’s unique registration number with its code (HRB, HRA etc.)

2. Legal entity information

  • The full legal name of the company (e.g., GmbH, AG)
  • Its registered office and business address and branches or secondary establishments, if any
  • The company’s stated corporate purpose

3. Share Capital (Grund- oder Stammkapital)

Details the initial or current share capital, expressed in euros. For GmbHs, this is often €25,000 which is the minimum amount required, but variants exist depending on company type (e.g., UG with €1 minimum).

4. Representation Rules

Describes the company’s internal governance structure:

  • Who can represent the company (e.g., sole or joint directors)
  • Named managing directors and their individual powers
  • Special clauses regarding representation authority or restrictions

5. Procuration (Prokura)

If applicable, this section lists authorized proxies (e.g., individuals with power of attorney). If blank, no external procuration has been granted.

6. Legal Form & Articles

  • The legal form (e.g., GmbH, AG)
  • The date of incorpration
  • The company agreement (Gesellschaftsvertrag) or amendments

7. Last Update Date

Indicates when the most recent change or registration event occurred - important for verifying document timeliness during onboarding or recertification.

With Semaphore

Semaphore enables real-time retrieval of the Aktueller Abdruck via API from the Unternehmensregister. This document is:

  • Officially certified by the German registry court
  • Guaranteed to be up-to-date at the time of extraction
  • Automatically parsed to extract structured data ensuring that all relevant information - such as company details, directors, and more - is organized in a structured JSON format.