Serviceable Address in Germany: Meaning & How to Rent

A serviceable address (in German: ladungsfähige Anschrift) is a real street address where letters and formal documents from courts and authorities can actually be handed over to you. In Germany, you need one in the legal notice (Impressum) of your website and as the business address of your GmbH in the commercial register. A PO box doesn't qualify, but a rented business address with mail handling does.

What is a serviceable address?

The term comes from procedural law: a person or company has to be "summonable", meaning a lawsuit, an official notice or a summons can be served on them. That requires an address where someone accepts the delivery, or at least where there's a mailbox with your name on it.

A serviceable address therefore consists of:

• your full name or company name,
• street and house number,
• postal code and city,
• and a place where mail for you actually arrives and is accepted.

"Ladungsfähige Adresse" and "ladungsfähige Anschrift" mean the same thing. German law usually says Anschrift, everyday language often Adresse.

When do you need a serviceable address?

Three situations come up again and again.

1. In your legal notice. Anyone running a commercial website, online shop or business social media account in Germany must give an address where they can be reached, under Section 5 of the Digital Services Act (DDG). This means a serviceable address. What else belongs in a legal notice is covered in our Impressum checklist.

2. When founding a GmbH or UG. Corporations must register a domestic business address in the commercial register (Section 8(4) no. 1 GmbH Act), where courts and authorities can reliably reach the company. What that means in practice: Business address for a German GmbH.

3. In contracts and invoices. Business partners want to know where to send a payment reminder or a claim if there's a dispute. A mailbox address without mail handling quickly raises doubts.

For the difference between registered office, business address and postal address, see our glossary.

Why isn't a PO box enough?

A PO box is a pickup point. A bailiff or mail carrier can't hand anything to anyone there, or leave a delivery notice in a mailbox. That makes it unsuitable for formal service.

This applies even if the PO box is in a post office right next to your office. What counts isn't proximity but whether documents can be served at the address. More in PO box in your legal notice: allowed or a legal risk?

Home address or business address?

Many self-employed people start with their home address. That's legally fine, but there's a catch: the address then appears publicly in your legal notice and, if applicable, in the commercial register. Anyone can find it.

A rented business address separates the two. Your home address stays private, and your company's mail goes to its own address. How that looks in a legal notice is covered in Legal notice without your home address. If you don't have a company and only need an address as a private individual, see Serviceable address as a private individual.

| | Home address | PO box | Rented business address | |---|---|---|---| | Serviceable | yes | no | yes, if mail is accepted | | Fit for a legal notice | yes | no | yes | | Commercial register (GmbH/UG) | yes, if the business can be reached there | no | yes, with a rental agreement | | Privacy | address becomes public | – | home address stays private |

What must a rented serviceable business address offer?

Not every address you can book online is automatically serviceable. Check these points:

1. A real street address, not a PO box or a pure forwarding address.
2. Mail handling on site: letters are accepted, including registered mail and formal service.
3. A written rental agreement for use as a business address. Registry courts and trade offices often ask for one.
4. Your name on the mailbox or recipient list.
5. Prompt notification: you need to know when mail arrives so you can meet deadlines.

The last point is often underestimated. If a court notice sits unread for three weeks, the deadline still runs.

For a GmbH or UG, there's more at stake: if documents can't be served at the registered business address, public service (öffentliche Zustellung) is possible under certain conditions (Section 185 of the German Code of Civil Procedure). The document then counts as delivered, even if you never saw it.

Renting a serviceable business address: how it works

At Clevver, the product is called Registered Office. At German locations, it gives you a business address you can use as your registered office, for trade registration, the commercial register and your legal notice.

1. Choose a location. In Germany, there are Registered Offices in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hanover, Bremen, Nuremberg and Straßlach near Munich.
2. Choose a term. 3, 6, 12 or 24 months.
3. Book online and verify your identity. Booking takes under 5 minutes, and verification is fully digital and works from abroad.
4. Get your rental agreement. Show it to the trade office or notary when needed.
5. Use the address: in your legal notice, trade registration, articles of association and the commercial register.
6. Receive mail digitally. Incoming letters are accepted and scanned, usually within 24 to 48 hours on business days. You see your mail in the ClevverMail app and decide what happens to the original.

Handy for international founders: the app can translate German mail with AI and explain it in plain words, in every plan and in 11 languages.

Important if your company is abroad: German locations are Registered Offices. Many locations abroad only offer a Business Address. Each location page states whether the address can serve as a registered office.

What does a serviceable address cost?

Prices depend on the city and term. For the Registered Office on a 12-month term (net plus VAT, as of October 2026):

| Location | From / month (12 months) | |---|---| | Berlin | €59.95 | | Hamburg | €59.95 | | Munich | €59.95 | | Hanover | €69.00 | | Düsseldorf | €89.95 | | Cologne | €89.95 | | Frankfurt am Main | €99.95 | | Bremen | €99.95 | | Straßlach near Munich | €99.95 | | Nuremberg | €105.00 |

A deposit of three months' rent applies. Shorter terms cost more per month and 24 months less: in Berlin, for example, €79.95 on 3 months and €49.95 on 24 months. For a broader overview, including other providers, see What does a business address cost?

An example: founding without an office

Tim is founding a web design UG. He works from his rented apartment in Leipzig and doesn't want his home address in the legal notice or the commercial register. His lease also prohibits using the apartment as a registered office.

He books a Registered Office in Berlin for 12 months. He takes the rental agreement to the notary, and the Berlin address goes into the articles of association and later the commercial register. When the letter with his tax number arrives from the tax office, Tim sees the scan in the app while visiting a client in Hamburg.

Whether your lease allows business use and which tax office is responsible is worth checking with a tax advisor for your situation.

FAQ

What is a serviceable address? A serviceable address is a real street address where documents from courts and authorities can actually be served on you. A PO box doesn't qualify.

Is a rented business address serviceable? Yes, if mail for your company is reliably accepted there and you're allowed to use the address under a contract. A Clevver Registered Office includes a rental agreement, and formal service for the registered company is generally accepted.

Can I use a PO box as a serviceable address? No. Nobody can serve documents in person at a PO box. For your legal notice and the commercial register, you need a street address.

Does the serviceable address have to be in Germany? Not necessarily for a legal notice. A GmbH or UG, however, needs a domestic business address in the commercial register.

What does a serviceable business address cost? At Clevver, a Registered Office in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich starts at €59.95 net a month on a 12-month term (as of October 2026). Other locations and terms have their own prices.

This article is a general overview and isn't legal or tax advice. All prices without guarantee, as of October 2026. Still have questions? → Contact us