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Germany

Germany Long Stay
Freelancer Visa

With a freelance visa in Germany, you can work with different startups, businesses or individuals on a need-based and part-time contracts.
VisaGuide / Europe / Germany Visa / Long Stay Visas / Germany
In this article

To be self-employed in Germany, you will need a so-called Germany Freelancer Visa. This type of visa has risen in popularity in recent years, although the road to getting one is a long and often frustrating process of German bureaucracy.

What is a German
Freelancer Visa?

What is a German Freelancer Visa?
As the name suggests, the German Freelancer Visa allows you to live in Germany and work as a freelancer. The overall “visa” is divided into two components:

Freelancer (Entry) Visa.  

This is a ⦁ National (D) Visa, which you have to apply for at the German Embassy where you live. This is only valid for a few months, but you need it so you can enter Germany and let the immigration authorities know you are entering with the purpose of working. Once in Germany, you trade the visa in for a Freelancer Residence Permit.

Freelancer Residence Permit. 

 This is what allows you to actually live and work in Germany long-term. You have to ⦁ apply for the Freelancer Residence Permit at the Ausländerbehörde (German Immigration Office) after you arrive in Germany with the entry visa. Once you get the Freelancer Residence Permit, you no longer need the visa.

Types of Germany
Freelancer Visa?

There are two types of Freelance Visas for Germany that you can apply for, based on your occupation:

Visa for self-employment (Selbständiger). 

You can receive this type of visa if you are a company founder, a sole proprietor, or managing director/legal representative of a partnership or corporation and:
⦁ There is an economic interest in Germany for your profession/business.
⦁ Your profession/business will have a positive impact on the German economy.
⦁ You have financed your profession/business through equity or a loan commitment.

Visa for self-employment (Selbständiger). 

You can receive this type of visa if you are a company founder, a sole proprietor, or managing director/legal representative of a partnership or corporation and:
⦁ There is an economic interest in Germany for your profession/business.
⦁ Your profession/business will have a positive impact on the German economy.
⦁ You have financed your profession/business through equity or a loan commitment.

Who Can Apply for a Germany Freelancer Visa?

Technically, everyone who fulfills the prerequisites and has an eligible profession can apply for a German Freelance Visa. You are considered a freelancer if you conduct independent scientific, artistic, literary, teaching, or educational activities. This includes, but is not limited to, the following professions:

Kindsof Germany
Freelancer Visa?

There are two types of Freelance Visas for Germany that you can apply for, based on your occupation:

Before you get a Germany Freelance Permit, you must comply with the following prerequisites:

⦁ There must be an economic interest or a regional need for your profession.                         ⦁ You must prove that there are clients interested in working with you. Your prospective clients have to write letters of intent, proving they plan to hire you. This is not a work contract, just a letter showing interest in your services or work.
⦁ You must prove that you have enough money to live comfortably in Berlin. At least €9,000/year.
⦁ You must have legal residence in Germany. You have to find accommodation and register your address at a local registration office, known as Bürgeramt.
⦁ You must have an adequate pension plan if you are over the age of 45. This means that by age 67, you must have either:
⦁ A monthly pension of €1,332.36 for a minimum of 12 years; or
⦁ Assets amounting to at least €194,631.

To get the Germany Freelancer visa, you need to:
⦁ Apply for a Freelancer Visa at a German Embassy.
⦁ Travel to Germany.
⦁ Find accommodation in Germany and register your living address.
⦁ Register with the Tax Registration Office (Finanzamt).
⦁ Get health insurance.
⦁ Apply for a Residence Permit for Freelancing.

To apply for a Freelancer Visa, you have to contact the nearest German Embassy. You must request a National (D-Type) Visa for working or freelancing. The application process is naturally different in each Embassy, but generally, you should follow these steps:
⦁ Locate the nearest German Embassy or Consulate. You can find the German missions abroad listed ⦁ here.
⦁ Make an appointment.
⦁ Collect the required documents. Some of the documents are listed below, but keep in mind that each Embassy may have its own specific requirements.
⦁ Submit the documents on the date of your appointment. You may also have to enter a visa interview on the same day or at another time, as per the Embassy rules.
⦁ Pay the visa fee. You have to follow the instructions of the Embassy regarding payment of the visa fee. It can be online, through a bank transfer, or cash.
⦁ Wait to hear back. It can take several weeks to three months for your visa application to be processed.

⦁ The Freelancer Visa you receive at the Embassy is valid for three months, during which you have to enter Germany and apply for a residence permit, which then replaces the visa.
⦁ If you are from the USA, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, or South Korea, you can simply travel to Germany, get your accommodation, health insurance, and Tax Office registration settled, then apply for a Freelancer Residence Permit at the Ausländerbehörde. You do not need an entry visa.
Once you have your Freelancer Visa, then you can travel to Germany. This is when you can make an appointment at the Ausländerbehörde and start preparing your documents. One of the main things you need to do is find potential clients who can support your application (if you haven’t already done so).
You also have to find a permanent place to live, register your living address, get health insurance, and register your freelance activity with the tax office. See these in more detail below.
⦁ Locate the nearest German Embassy or Consulate. You can find the German missions abroad listed ⦁ here.
⦁ Make an appointment.
⦁ Collect the required documents. Some of the documents are listed below, but keep in mind that each Embassy may have its own specific requirements.
⦁ Submit the documents on the date of your appointment. You may also have to enter a visa interview on the same day or at another time, as per the Embassy rules.
⦁ Pay the visa fee. You have to follow the instructions of the Embassy regarding payment of the visa fee. It can be online, through a bank transfer, or cash.
⦁ Wait to hear back. It can take several weeks to three months for your visa application to be processed.

Registering Your
Living Addres

One of the most important requirements of a Freelancer Visa is having a registered living address in Germany. The procedure of registering your residence is called Anmeldung. What you have to do is:

You can also find accommodation before you travel to Germany, but you have to register your living address within 14 days of moving in.

Your passport.
⦁ The registration form. You can download this online or get it at the Registration Office.
⦁ Rental agreement.
⦁ Confirmation of moving in from your landlord. The confirmation must contain the landlord’s name and address, your move-in date, and your new apartment’s address.
⦁ Civil status documents, such as birth or marriage certificates.
⦁ Submit the documents (in person) at the Bürgeramt on the date of your appointment.
⦁ Wait to get your Meldebescheinigung. This is the document confirming your residence registration, and you usually get the certificate on the same day.
⦁ Wait to receive a Tax ID number. You need this number to register your freelance activity with the German Tax Office. This process could take a few weeks, so make sure to start the application process as early as you can.

Your passport.
⦁ The registration form. You can download this online or get it at the Registration Office.
⦁ Rental agreement.
⦁ Confirmation of moving in from your landlord. The confirmation must contain the landlord’s name and address, your move-in date, and your new apartment’s address.
⦁ Civil status documents, such as birth or marriage certificates.
⦁ Submit the documents (in person) at the Bürgeramt on the date of your appointment.
⦁ Wait to get your Meldebescheinigung. This is the document confirming your residence registration, and you usually get the certificate on the same day.
⦁ Wait to receive a Tax ID number. You need this number to register your freelance activity with the German Tax Office. This process could take a few weeks, so make sure to start the application process as early as you can.

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