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Authority for Economic Affairs and Innovation

Request the establishment of fairs, exhibitions or markets

If you want to have an event scheduled, you must submit an application to the responsible authority. The schedule is voluntary, but scheduled events are exempt from certain legal requirements.

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Detailed description

You can have trade fairs, exhibitions and markets registered as the organizer.
The assessment exempts you from certain legal requirements, such as:

  • the Shop Opening Act,
  • the law on Sundays, public holidays, memorial and mourning days,
  • the Working Hours Act and
  • the Trade Code.

You can submit the application as a business person, either as a natural or legal person.
The determination specifies the subject, the period, the opening hours and the location of your event.

  • Markets can be established for a longer period of time or permanently, provided that there are no public interests to the contrary.
  • Trade fairs and exhibitions can only be set for events that take place within two years.

A fix is voluntary and is your decision. However, events that are not fixed are subject to general regulations, such as:

  • the obligation to have a traveling trade license,
  • the Shop Opening Act,
  • the Working Hours Act or
  • the Sunday and public holiday protection law.

If you would like to deviate from these requirements, you must apply for individual approval from the relevant authorities for each exception. By registering your event, you will receive all market privileges from a single source and will not need to apply for additional exemptions.
Please note that a determination also entails special obligations that you must comply with.

 

Information

Prerequisites

You must host one of the following events:

  • Industrial fair
  • Exhibition
  • wholesale market
  • weekly market
  • specialty market
  • fair

Documents required

  • Information from the Federal Central Register for submission to authorities
  • Information from the central trade register for submission to authorities
  • Business registration certificate
  • For legal entities: excerpt from the commercial register
  • For associations: extract from the register of associations
  • Location map of the event
  • Overview of the goods to be sold
  • Conditions of participation for the event
  • Provisional list of exhibitors

Please note

There are the following hints:
The local district office usually involves and informs the following public bodies when it comes to making a determination:

  • district offices in whose area the event is to be held,
  • Department of the Interior and Sport (BIS Police),
  • Authority for Justice and Consumer Protection (BJV Office for Occupational Safety) and
  • Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
A copy of the assessment is always sent to the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, the authority for justice and consumer protection (office for occupational safety), the local district office and your tax office. The other offices will be informed of the decision. Who?

Deadlines

Deadline type: Period of validity


Duration (at range): 0 years to 2 years


Comment (for more information on the deadline):


There is no statutory application deadline. As a rule, applications must be submitted 4-6 weeks before the start of the event to ensure that the application is processed on time.

Procedure

In order for you to be able to set an event, an application must be submitted to the responsible authority in advance. You can submit this application online using the online service or using a PDF form.
If you want to apply for an assessment using an offline form:

  • Open the appropriate form.
  • Fill out the application.
  • Submit the requested evidence.
  • Send the application to the competent authority by e-mail or by post.
  • If you have any questions about the determination, the competent authority will contact you.
  • In the event of an assessment, you will receive a notice from the competent authority by post and/or email.
  • In the event of a rejection, you will receive a rejection letter from the responsible authority by post.
  • You will receive a fee notice.
If you want to apply for the assessment via the online service:
  • You call up the online service.
  • You fill out the application form.
  • For quick processing by the authorities, upload all the necessary evidence.
  • Your application will be checked by the competent authority.
  • The further steps correspond to the application using the offline form.

Processing time

Duration (with a range): approx. 4 weeks to 6 weeks


Remark for further information on the processing time:


The processing time depends on whether it is a first event or a follow-up event. The processing time also depends on when the required documents are received (processing time at the Federal Office of Justice, which is responsible for excerpts from the federal and commercial register, is usually 2 to 3 weeks).

Fees

Cost type: variable


Cost (variable): from 100 to 1,500 euros


Description of the costs: administration fee


Remark:


In addition to the costs for the notice of assessment, there are costs for applying for information from the federal and central trade registers at the responsible offices. You will be billed for these.


The amount of the fee for an assessment notice depends on the time required to process the application.

Legal remedies

contradiction

Legal basis

§ 69 trade regulations (GewO)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gewo/__69.html


§ 64 following trade regulations (GewO)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gewo/__64.html

Address and contact information

Authority for Economic Affairs and Innovation

Economic Regulatory Law, Metrology and Calibration

Prior registration is required to drive onto the authority premises and to park on the BWI/BVM premises. Parking management: parkplatz@bwi.hamburg.de

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Keywords: Folk festivals exhibition market Industrial fair fair fixing wholesale market weekly market specialty market

Last updated: 22.03.2025