Apply for a travel business card

A travel business card is required if someone is engaged in a commercial activity, but does not have a commercial branch or operates without prior order.

According to § 55 Abs. 1 Gewerbeordnung (GewO), this includes:

Purchase and distribution of goods or other commercial services

• Offering services
• Visiting orders for service (door-to-door business)
• Exercising entertaining activities as a self-employed performer or by type of performer

Exceptions to the travel business card requirement are regulated in § 55 a GewO. Some examples are:

• Participation in trade fairs, festivals or public festivals, if permission has been obtained from the competent authority (§ 55a Abs. 1 Nr. 1 GewO)
• Distribution of self-produced products e.g. vegetable and fruit cultivation (§ 55 Abs. 1 Nr. 2)
• Commercial activity in a municipality with less than 10,000 inhabitants, in which you are also resident (§ 55 Abs. 1 Nr. 3)

Further exceptions to the travel business card requirement can be found in § 55 a and § 55 b of the GewO.

According to § 57 Abs. 1 GewO, applicants must prove their reliability in order to obtain a travel business card. Proof of reliability shall be provided by the following documents:

• [application form](/application/travel service selection/) (on site only)

• Identity documents

• Certificate of good conduct Document type O

• To be applied for locally at your local citizen's office

• Or by [online application via the Federal Office of Justice] (https://www.fuehrungsbescheinigung.bund.de)

• Information from the central business register Document type 9

• To be applied for locally at your local citizen's office

• Or by [online application via the Federal Office of Justice] (https://www.fuehrungsbescheinigung.bund.de)

• Certificate in tax matters/certificate of non-objection (for all persons authorised to represent)

• To be applied for locally or by telephone at your competent tax office

• Or online via ELSTER

• If applicable, certificate of the health authority according to the Infection Protection Act (only for the sale of unpackaged food)

• Excerpt from the commercial or association register (in the case of legal persons)

The issue of the travel business card is subject to an administrative fee, the amount of which is determined by the administrative office responsible for the applicant. The forms required for the reliability check may also be subject to a fee. Further information can be obtained from the competent authorities.

If you apply for a travel business card, it must be personally
be received at the trade registration office and is only valid with your signature.

If you want to practice your travel business on public roads, paths and squares, a special use permit is required. You can apply to your city administration or [apply directly here online.](https://service.wirtschaft.nrw/company management/special use-of-roads/)

The travel business card is generally valid throughout Germany. It must be carried during the exercise of the trade and presented on request.

If you are planning a sales event in the travel industry, it could be a hiking camp. [You can find out more about the hiking camp here](/company foundation/trades/travel business card/ hiking camp/).