Consulting services for international founders in Hamburg
Hamburg is an attractive location for people from all over the world, and the startup scene benefits greatly from founders with a migration background. To make it easier for them to get started in entrepreneurship, there are numerous advisory services tailored to their specific needs. This article gives you an overview of the most important institutions that provide information on general founding topics.
Hamburg Welcome Center
The Hamburg Welcome Center is a central point of contact for all matters relating to professional integration for people who move to Hamburg. The social welfare authority, the Ministry of the Interior and Sport, the Employment Agency and the job centre team.arbeit.hamburg all work together under one roof. The services are not only aimed at entrepreneurs, but at all foreign nationals who want to gain a foothold in the German labour market. Free advice and assistance are available on the following topics, among others:
Clarification of questions regarding right of residence and access to the labour market
Information on the free movement of workers
Issuing residence permits for skilled workers and managers and their families
Support with visa applications
Information on suitable qualification and further training measures
Advice on employment contracts and working conditions
Recommendations for suitable language courses
Advice on everyday topics such as finding accommodation, medical care and much more
A flyer providing an overview of the various advisory services is available in eleven languages.
The Welcome Center's services include the Central Recognition Office (ZAA), which is run by Diakonie Hamburg. It advises people with foreign school, university and professional qualifications and answers questions about recognition and qualifications with a multilingual team. Flyers can be downloaded here in ten different languages. The Hamburg Recognition Navigator (HANNA) is also particularly helpful in this context. This free online platform explains the recognition process for foreign professional qualifications step by step. It is a service provided by the IQ Network, which we will describe in more detail later.
Handelskammer Hamburg
The Handelskammer Hamburg (Hamburg Chamber of Commerce) represents the interests of companies of all sizes and from all sectors and offers a correspondingly wide range of advisory services. Its services relating to startups are particularly comprehensive. Information is available on creating business plans and pitch decks, company forms, business registrations, tax regulations and other legal issues, financing options and much more, all of which is also available online in English. Furthermore, the website provides detailed information on topics of particular relevance to foreign entrepreneurs, such as employing foreign staff or visas and residence permits. Some of the advice is available in several languages, including English and Turkish. Networking events and workshops round off the programme.
Hamburg Invest, the city's economic development agency, provides extensive, free support to companies wishing to locate in the Hamburg economic region. This includes location consulting with networking opportunities in business, science and administration, and a commercial property service. One of its main objectives is to attract international companies and advanced startups to Hamburg, and it offers a comprehensive range of advisory services, including in English. An immigration service, working closely with the Hamburg Welcome Center, also helps with applications for residence and work permits.
Arbeitsgemeinschaft selbstständiger Migranten (ASM)
The services offered by the non-profit association Arbeitsgemeinschaft selbstständiger Migranten (ASM), meaning association of independent migrants) are particularly practice-oriented, as it was founded in 2007 by entrepreneurs who themselves have a migrant background. It supports companies and startups run by people with a migrant background, offering them information and advice as well as training courses tailored specifically to this target group. The Migrant Female Business (MiFeB) initiative, which specifically supports women with a migrant background in setting up their own businesses, deserves special attention. Its services include arranging microloans from the IFB development bank. The association has also set itself the task of attracting migrant companies as training providers. Many of the ASM's publications are available in multiple languages or in simple language.
A similar association is Unternehmer ohne Grenzen (Entrepreneurs without Borders). It was founded by entrepreneurs of different nationalities and from different industries as a platform for mutual exchange and has been carrying out projects in the areas of business foundings and management consulting, as well as training, education and parental work since 2000. The association's work focuses on strengthening the local economy, promoting foundings, especially from people with a migrant background, and encouraging women to participate in economic life. Unternehmer ohne Grenzen is closely connect to certain districts, with offices in Altona, St. Pauli and Harburg, and provides advice in several languages, including Turkish, Arabic and Ukrainian.
IQ Netzwerk
Integrating adults with a migrant background, immigrants and refugees into the Hamburg labour market – that is the goal of the IQ Network Hamburg. As part of the nationwide IQ – Integration through Qualification support programme, the regional integration network offers various qualification measures, training courses and advice for immigrant skilled workers and companies. The ‘Recognised & Competent’ project, carried out in cooperation with ASM, is aimed at people whose training is not recognised or only partially recognised. The information on the website is exclusively available in German.
The Hamburger Existenzgründungs Initiative (hei., meaning Hamburg Founding initiative) supports founders on their path to self-employment. It does this through consultations and networking events such as "hei.frühstück" and "hei.gründerinnen", which is specifically for female entrepreneurs. The focus is on solopreneurs. Parts of the website are available in English. On January 1, 2026, the Johann Daniel Lawaetz Foundation took over the sponsorship of hei., whose offerings also include workshops and seminars on the topic of starting a business.
Startup Port
Startup Port brings together the support services offered by ten universities and research institutions in the Hamburg metropolitan region for students, researchers, and graduates preparing to launch technology- and knowledge-based foundings. Knowledge on topics relevant to startups is imparted in consultation sessions and numerous events, some of which are held in English and are therefore explicitly aimed at an international audience. Regular events for finding co-founders are also open to anyone who wants to start a business, regardless of whether they are affiliated with a university.
Social Entrepreneurship City Hamburg has set itself the goal of strengthening entrepreneurship oriented towards the common good. It does this by providing advice, for example on support programmes, knowledge transfer, and networking. The network extends far beyond the country's borders, reaching as far as Ghana and Hong Kong, for example. All content on the website is also available in English.
With its StartHope@Home and Arrives programmes, Social Impact Hamburg targets people with a history of displacement and migration who want to start a business in their original home countries. Nationwide, there is the RESTART for newcomers programme for starting a business in Germany.
The Wirtschaftssenioren (Senior Business Leaders) is an association of former entrepreneurs and executives motivated to strengthen the economy in the Hamburg region. Its members have a wealth of experience and a large network, and are actively involved as advisors and mentors. The website is mainly in German, but consulting is also available in English.
Startup City Hamburg
Startup City Hamburg is the central platform for startup founders in Hamburg. It brings together all the important information and services for founders in one place. Our platform is available in German and English.
Experienced startup guides accompany you through the process of founding a company in Hamburg and provide practical startup advice and individual support in German, English, and Chinese. As the network owner of the Hamburg startup ecosystem, we connect you with the right people and organisations — from financing and industry contacts to universities, programmes, and administrations. At the same time, we see ourselves as a mouthpiece for your concerns: if you have challenges, need guidance, or have specific needs, you can contact us at any time. We will pass on your issues and make sure they are heard.
In the service section of our website, you will also find detailed information for entrepreneurs with a migration background.
