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Divuzl

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Doing business in Europe — your questions answered.

Europe essentials

Regulator
The national commercial register of your chosen member state
Common structures
GmbH or UG (DE), BV (NL), Ltd (IE), SAS or SARL (FR), OÜ (EE)
Typical time to incorporate
Days to several weeks, depending on the country
Minimum capital
€1 for a UG or BV, €25,000 for a GmbH
Consumption tax
VAT, 17%–27% depending on member state
Cross-border VAT threshold
€10,000 EU-wide for distance selling
Currency
Euro (€, EUR) in the eurozone

Last reviewed 2026-08-18. Rates and thresholds change with each budget — we confirm the current position before advising.

Setting up and staying compliant in Europe

Which European country is best to incorporate in?

There is no single answer, and anyone who gives you one without asking questions is selling something. Estonia and Ireland are fastest and most remote-friendly. The Netherlands is the classic holding jurisdiction. Germany gives you the largest domestic market but the heaviest formation process, including notarisation and €25,000 of share capital for a GmbH. The right choice follows where your customers, your staff and your banking actually sit — substance requirements mean a paper company in a low-tax state is increasingly likely to be challenged.

Do I need to register for VAT in every EU country I sell to?

No — that is what the One Stop Shop was built to prevent. Since July 2021, cross-border B2C sales of goods and digital services across the EU are reported through a single OSS return in your home member state once you cross the €10,000 EU-wide threshold. Below that threshold you can charge your domestic rate. You still need separate local registrations if you hold stock in another member state, which is what catches out sellers using overseas fulfilment warehouses.

What is an EORI number and do I need one?

An Economic Operators Registration and Identification number is required to move goods across the EU customs border. If you import into or export out of the EU, you need one — it is issued by your member state's customs authority and is valid across the whole union. Businesses trading only in services, or only within the single market, generally do not.

How much share capital does a European company need?

It varies more than any other factor. A Dutch BV or a German UG can be formed with €1. A German GmbH requires €25,000 of share capital, of which at least €12,500 must be paid up before registration. French and Spanish requirements sit in between. Where capital must be deposited before registration, opening the bank account becomes the slowest step in the whole process.

Does GDPR apply to my company if I am not based in the EU?

It can. GDPR applies extraterritorially where you offer goods or services to people in the EU, or monitor their behaviour — so a company with no EU entity at all can still fall in scope through its website and analytics. Companies outside the EU that are in scope generally need to appoint an EU representative under Article 27.

About working with Divuzl

What does Divuzl actually do?

Divuzl is a full-stack business services agency: we handle company incorporation and compliance, brand and design, performance marketing and SEO, web and app development, and events and PR. The distinguishing point is scope — most agencies do one pillar and subcontract the rest, which is where deadlines and accountability get lost. We run all four in-house under a single point of contact.

Which countries does Divuzl operate in?

Six markets: India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and Europe. Each has different company structures, tax regimes and filing calendars, so we maintain separate practice knowledge per market rather than applying one country's playbook everywhere.

Do I have to buy all your services together?

No. Most clients start with one thing — an incorporation, a rebrand, a website — and add services as the business needs them. We will also tell you which services you do not need yet, which is usually the more useful half of the conversation.

How do you keep clients updated on work in progress?

Through the Divuzl Portal. Every project, approval, meeting, invoice and compliance deadline is visible in one dashboard in real time, so you are not chasing status over email. Clients get their own login from day one of an engagement.

How quickly do you respond to a new enquiry?

Within one working day. The first response is a real reply from someone who has read your enquiry, not an automated acknowledgement, and it will usually include the questions we need answered to scope the work properly.

How does pricing work?

Scope-based rather than hourly for defined projects, and retained monthly for ongoing work like marketing, bookkeeping and compliance. You get a written scope and a fixed price before anything starts. Statutory costs such as government filing fees are passed through at cost and shown separately.

Can you take over work another agency started?

Yes, and it is common — half-finished websites, lapsed filings, brand systems with no source files. We start with an audit of what actually exists rather than assuming the handover documentation is complete, then tell you honestly whether continuing or restarting is cheaper.

Still have a question?

Ask it directly. We reply within one working day, and we would rather answer a hard question early than discover the mismatch later.

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