ʱʱ

Hamburg.deHamburg ServiceReporting illegal work

Reporting illegal work

If you suspect illegal work, you can report it to the relevant authority.

  •  

Use Online-Service

Detailed description

Businesspeople who are active either in a permanent trade or in a traveling trade, as well as self-employed craft businesses in a craft requiring a license in a permanent trade, are legally obliged to properly register their business or to have their business entered in the register of craftsmen.
Anyone who provides or has performed services or work on a significant scale and thereby violates their obligation to register their business is guilty of undeclared work. This applies in particular if:

  • the business was not properly registered,
  • no required itinerant trade license has been acquired or
  • a craft requiring a licence is carried out independently without being registered in the trade register.

Undeclared work harms the public. It burdens contributors and taxpayers, weakens social systems, and prevents fair competition.
If you have any evidence of illegal employment, you can report it to the relevant authority. A contact guide will help you find the office responsible for your report. Reports of violations of the Trade and Crafts Code can also be submitted online.

 

Information

Prerequisites

You suspect that illegal work is being carried out and can provide evidence of this.

Documents required

No

Please note

There are no special features to consider

Deadlines

No

Procedure

  • You access the online service, give your consent to the data protection declaration and completely fill out the query form displayed.
  • The online service’s “Contact Guide” tells you the departments responsible for your issue and informs you about the available options for submitting a report.
    • If necessary, you can submit your report online. In this case, click on "Submit a report online now". In the following query form, you can provide further information and have the option of uploading evidence.
    • In cases where online processing is not possible, the contact details of the responsible authority will be displayed.
  • You report your suspicions to the responsible authority.
  • The responsible authority will examine your report and initiate investigations if necessary.
  • As a rule, no further feedback is provided on the progress of the procedure.

Processing time

Filling out the report takes a few minutes. The processing time at the responsible office varies depending on the individual case.

Fees

No

Legal remedies

This is a report by you. No legal remedy is provided.

Legal basis

Act to Combat Undeclared Employment (SchwarzArbG)




Trade Regulation Act (GewO)




Law on the Regulation of Crafts (Handwerksordnung – HwO)

Haven't found the right one yet?

To Hamburg Service startpage

Keywords: Moonlighting Abuse of performance Fight against undeclared work Illegal employment Hotline combating illegal employment Notification of administrative offenses in the case of illegal work Tax evasion ad Billing abuse Performance fraud Billing fraud

Last updated: 28.04.2025