A flexible business address for your startup

A startup forming as a GmbH or UG must provide an inländische Geschäftsanschrift in its Handelsregister application under § 8 Abs. 4 GmbHG. An Olea address can be used for that purpose, with the applicable supporting address documentation released after the approved review milestone. The notary handles notarisation and submission; the Handelsregister examines and records the filing.

The detailed sequencing for a company in formation – pre-formation review, address-document release, the notary filing, registered-company documents and full activation – belongs on the dedicated GmbH & UG formation page. This page links to it rather than repeating it.

An already-formed startup can change its business address to Olea. It should obtain the new address documentation before updating the relevant records. Filing requirements can differ between an address change within the same municipality and a statutory-seat move to another one, and the startup’s notary or adviser confirms which steps apply.

A real office address gives the startup a consistent professional contact point across its website, invoices, contracts and official correspondence. A founder may prefer that to publishing a home address in those business touchpoints.

Olea does not claim that a district, a building or a "premium" address makes a startup more investable, secures funding or is endorsed by investors. Address quality may influence perception, but investment and commercial decisions depend on the whole business and sit outside Olea’s control.

The same precision applies to privacy. The Olea address can replace a home address wherever the relevant business record or publication accepts the company’s business address. Personal residential details may still be required in other filings, in KYC checks, in notarial documents or in records that depend on a person’s role and the applicable law.

Every location offers a digital mailbox once Olea confirms activation. Eligible business letters are received in the approved company name, transferred through the scanning workflow and typically available within 5–7 days of receipt. The included monthly scan allowance and the archive of originals are the same at every location and are set out on the pricing page. Pickup and recurring forwarding depend on the location; one-off forwarding of eligible digital-mailbox originals remains available at the published rate.

That gives remote founders one controlled point for business correspondence. It is a weekly workflow rather than an instant one, so treat time-critical post accordingly and use pickup or forwarding where the original matters.

Active Olea Virtual Office customers can request meeting rooms, coworking desks and private offices at participating locations. That can support investor meetings, interviews, board sessions, team days, focused work or temporary project space.

Workspace is not included as unlimited use and is not confirmed in real time. You submit a request, Olea checks availability and price, you accept and pay, and the booking is then confirmed. Nothing about occasional use promises dedicated space, a particular room, next-day availability or a tax establishment.

The Olea address does not by itself determine where the startup is managed, where it has a tax permanent establishment or where it is tax-resident. Ort der Geschäftsleitung depends on where ordinary senior management and recurring decisions genuinely take place. A Betriebsstätte depends on the actual premises, control, permanence and business activity. Occasional meeting-room or coworking use does not settle either question automatically.

Gewerbeanmeldung and Finanzamt treatment also follow the startup’s facts. The address can be a genuine business or administrative address and a correspondence address, while other permanent sites or management locations may need separate disclosure or registration. Ask a legal or tax adviser once the operating model crosses cities or countries.

A startup can give its Olea address as its business address when applying to banks, payment providers and marketplaces. Olea can provide a real street address, supporting evidence and receipt of eligible posted verification letters. Each provider applies its own KYC and address policy, so approval cannot be guaranteed.

1. 1Start with one address and one mail workflow – choose an available location and the primary mail option that suits how the team works.
2. 2Keep company records consistent – update the registry, tax, trade, website, bank and supplier records whenever the company forms or changes address.
3. 3Add physical space when it creates value – request workspace for meetings, team days or projects rather than treating permanent space as included.
4. 4Review the setup as the company changes – new directors, owners, sites, management locations or mail needs can require updated records, advice and a further Olea review.