[_delirium]

Germany's bureaucracy is more cumbersome than many in the EU I think. It's not the worst, and has the advantage that it does follow its own rules and is not corrupt. But they really like requiring many forms on paper, and in-person visits to a variety of offices. There are other EU countries with more streamlined processes.

In Denmark the situation is not that different from the US. You can legally operate as a sole proprietor simply by filling out an online form registering for a CVR number (a business tax ID). It's free and instant. Setting up an ApS or IVS (roughly equivalent to an LLC) is also pretty easy, and can be done online.