EU company formation comparator
A side-by-side table of minimum capital, formation cost, time, corporate tax and VAT thresholds for every EU member state.
| Entity | Formation cost | Remote | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) | €10,000 | €1000-3000 | 10-30 | Partial — a notary (Notar) is legally required to certify the articles of association; non-residents can incorporate remotely via video/digital notarization, so in-person presence in Austria is not strictly required. | 23% | €55,000 |
| Belgium | BV / SRL (private limited liability company — Besloten Vennootschap / Société à Responsabilité Limitée) | — | €1300–1800 | 3–10 | Partial — a notarial deed is mandatory; can be done remotely via power of attorney or a digital/video notarial deed, but no fully self-service online-only route. | 25% | €25,000 |
| Bulgaria | EOOD (single-member) / OOD — Bulgarian private limited liability company (druzhestvo s ogranichena otgovornost) | €1 | €300–800 | 3–7 | Partial — no e-Residency; incorporation possible remotely via notarized power of attorney and apostilled documents, but signatures must be notarized and a Bulgarian bank capital account is typically needed. | 10% | €51,130 |
| Croatia | d.o.o. (društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću) | €2,500 | €300–800 | 3–10 | Partial — notarised deed required; non-residents can incorporate via a notarised power of attorney without travelling. A simplified online route (START/HITRO.hr, e-incorporation) exists mainly for standard j.d.o.o./d.o.o. cases. | 18% | €60,000 |
| Cyprus | Private Limited Company by Shares (Ltd) | — | €500–1000 | 5–10 | Yes — can be done fully remotely via a Cyprus lawyer/registered agent under power of attorney; no personal presence required, but a local registered office and secretary are mandatory. | 15% | €15,600 |
| Czechia | s.r.o. (společnost s ručením omezeným) | — | €300–800 | 3–10 | Partial — no in-person requirement if done via notarised power of attorney; the memorandum of association must be a notarial deed (no e-Residency scheme) | 21% | €80,000 |
| Denmark | ApS (Anpartsselskab) | €2,680 | €300–1300 | 1–3 | Partial — online registration via Virk/Erhvervsstyrelsen requires a Danish MitID; non-residents without MitID must use a lawyer/formation agent or obtain MitID, so fully unassisted remote setup is limited. | 22% | €6,700 |
| Estonia | OÜ (osaühing) — private limited company | — | €300–800 | 1 | Yes — full remote setup via e-Residency; company registered online in the e-Business Register (expedited state fee €265), no notary required. e-Residency digital ID adds ~€100–120. | 22% | €40,000 |
| Finland | Osakeyhtiö (Oy) — private limited liability company | — | €280–500 | 3–10 | Partial — mandatory online filing at ytj.fi (PRH Trade Register) from 1 Jan 2026, but the e-service requires Finnish strong electronic identification. Non-residents need a Finnish personal ID and e-identification (Finnish Authenticator app); often done with a local service provider/agent. No notary required. | 20% | €20,000 |
| France | SARL (société à responsabilité limitée); the SAS/SASU is an equally common alternative | €1 | €200–1000 | 5–15 | Partial — registration is fully online via the guichet unique (INPI), but non-residents typically need apostilled/translated documents and a French (or EU) bank account to deposit capital; no e-residency scheme | 25% | €37,500 |
| Germany | GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung); UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is the low-capital mini-GmbH variant | €25,000 | €800–2,500 | 7–21 | Partial — online video notarization of GmbH/UG cash formations has been possible since Aug 2022, but a German notary is still legally required and there is no e-residency scheme; foreign founders can complete it remotely by video. | 15% | €25,000 |
| Greece | IKE (Idiotiki Kefalaiouchiki Etaireia / Private Company) | €1 | €60–1000 | 1–5 | Partial — can be incorporated online via the e-GEMI/one-stop-shop (e-YMS) using a model statute; a Greek tax number (AFM) is required and non-residents typically need a local tax representative or power of attorney, so full remote setup is not seamless. | 22% | €10,000 |
| Hungary | Kft. (Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság — private limited liability company) | €7,800 | €300–800 | 1–5 | Partial — a Hungarian attorney must draw up and countersign the deed; can be handled by power of attorney without traveling, but there is no fully self-service online e-Residency-style route. | 9% | €51,600 |
| Ireland | Private Company Limited by Shares (LTD) | — | €50–500 | 3–5 | Partial — company can be formed online via CRO's CORE portal, but must have at least one EEA-resident director OR post a €25,000 Section 137 non-resident directors' bond; identity/address verification required. | 12.5% | €42,500 |
| Italy | S.r.l. (Società a responsabilità limitata) | €1 | €300–3,500 | 3–10 | Partial — incorporation requires an Italian notary; a foreign founder can sign via notarised power of attorney, but a notarial deed (in person or by proxy) is mandatory, so fully remote self-service is not available. | 24% | None |
| Latvia | SIA (Sabiedrība ar ierobežotu atbildību) — private limited liability company | €1 | €150–600 | 1–4 | Partial — can be done remotely with a Latvian/EU qualified e-signature (eIDAS); non-residents without one typically need a power of attorney or in-person notarisation. No Estonia-style e-Residency scheme. | 20% | €50,000 |
| Lithuania | UAB (uždaroji akcinė bendrovė — private limited liability company) | €1,000 | €150–400 | 3–7 | Partial — full online filing via Registrų centras (Centre of Registers) is possible with a qualified Lithuanian e-signature, but founding documents/identity generally require notary certification; non-residents without an e-signature must attend in person. | 17% | €45,000 |
| Luxembourg | SARL (société à responsabilité limitée) | €12,000 | €1,500–4,000 | 3–10 | Partial — a standard SARL requires a notarial deed (notary can act via power of attorney, so physical presence is not strictly needed); a business permit (autorisation d'établissement) is also required. SARL-S needs no notary. | 23.87% | €50,000 |
| Malta | Private Limited Liability Company (Ltd / "Limited") | €1,165 | €1000-2500 | 2-5 | Yes — can be incorporated remotely through a licensed Corporate Service Provider (CSP); no personal presence required, but notarised/apostilled ID and KYC documents needed. Opening a local bank account adds weeks. | 35% | €35,000 |
| Netherlands | BV (besloten vennootschap) | — | €1000–2500 | 3–10 | Yes — a BV must be incorporated by a Dutch civil-law notary, but this can be done remotely via video identification or a power of attorney; KVK (Chamber of Commerce) registration is then completed online/at the notary. | 25.8% | €20,000 |
| Poland | Spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością (sp. z o.o.) | €1,150 | €300–1500 | 1–7 | Partial — fully online via the S24 portal (24h) using a qualified e-signature or Polish ePUAP/Trusted Profile; the traditional notarial-deed route requires in-person notary attendance | 19% | €55,000 |
| Portugal | Sociedade por Quotas (Lda.) | €1 | €360–800 | 1–15 | Partial — Empresa Online possible but requires a Portuguese NIF and a qualified digital certificate/citizen card; non-EU founders typically need a fiscal representative, so no full e-Residency-style remote setup | 19% | €15,000 |
| Romania | SRL (Societate cu răspundere limitată) | €100 | €300–800 | 3–10 | Partial — registration at the Trade Register (ONRC) can be done via a notarized power of attorney, so physical presence is not strictly required, but documents must be notarized/apostilled; no full e-Residency-style remote onboarding. | 16% | €80,000 |
| Slovakia | s.r.o. (spoločnosť s ručením obmedzeným) | €5,000 | €300–1300 | 2–10 | Partial — no e-Residency scheme; can be done remotely via notarized power of attorney and apostilled/notarized documents; qualified e-signature (or notary) is required for the online Commercial Register filing. | 21% | €50,000 |
| Slovenia | d.o.o. (družba z omejeno odgovornostjo — private limited liability company) | €7,500 | €0–800 | 3–10 | Partial — a simple single-member cash d.o.o. can be registered free at a SPOT/VEM point, but registration requires a Slovenian tax number and, for multi-member or in-kind contributions, a notary; non-residents typically act in person or via notarised power of attorney. No fully online e-residency route like Estonia. | 22% | €60,000 |
| Spain | Sociedad Limitada (SL) | €1 | €600–1,500 | 3–10 | Partial — can be done remotely via notarised power of attorney, but requires a Spanish NIE (foreigner tax ID), notary deed and Mercantile Registry filing; no fully online founder flow | 25% | None |
| Sweden | Aktiebolag (AB) — private limited company | €2,270 | €175–800 | 5–15 | Partial — online registration via verksamt.se/Bolagsverket requires a Swedish e-ID (BankID); non-residents without BankID need in-person/notarized filing plus a Swedish/EEA bank certificate | 20.6% | €10,900 |
Hover a cell for detail (capital, corporate-tax and VAT notes). Data researched and verified 2026-07-03. 27 EU member states.
Figures are researched from official/primary sources for 2026 and cross-checked, but tax and company law change often and depend on your circumstances. This is general information, not tax or legal advice — confirm with a qualified accountant or lawyer before acting.
Where should you set up your EU company?
Company law and tax vary enormously across the EU — minimum capital ranges from nothing to tens of thousands of euros, corporate tax from 9% to over 30%, and setup from a same-day online process to weeks with a notary. This comparator puts the headline numbers for all 27 member states in one sortable table so you can shortlist quickly.
Every figure is researched from official and primary sources (national registries and tax authorities, the European Commission, and the major tax-summary providers) and cross-checked. Sort by minimum capital, corporate tax or VAT threshold, filter by country, and hover any cell for the detail behind the number. It is a starting point for a shortlist — not a substitute for advice from an accountant or lawyer in your target country.
Yes — every figure was researched and verified for 2026 from official sources, and the verification date is shown in the tool. Tax and company law change often, so always confirm current rules before acting.
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