Are you a freelancer who is thinking of living and working in Germany? Well then, there’s a dedicated Freelancer Visa called a Freiberufler visa that you’re going to want to know more about. Although it doesn’t cover every single type of freelance profession, it is the most prominent freelance visa in Germany.
So, without further ado, let’s dive in and find out more!
Are German Freelance Visas Open to All Industries?
Funnily enough, you have to be from a liberal industry or profession to be able to apply for the German Freelance Visa. This is pretty unusual, as freelance visas in many countries aren’t normally huge fans of liberal professions.
If you’re a freelancer who works in a more commercial field, like a business consultant, you’re categorized as a businessman. Freelancers, or Freibe Berufe in German, are categorized as being in a liberal profession.
That’s the definition of freelance in Germany, so if you’re a commercial industry freelancer, you need to get a different kind of visa.
Which Professions Are Eligible for German Freelance Visas?
Interestingly enough, the list of freelance industries that are categorized as “liberal” isn’t exactly what you might think. There is an official list of the professions and industries, but in all honesty, it comes down to the German tax office to decide if your profession is eligible.
Some of the industries that can make you eligible for a German Freelance visa are:
- Healthcare
- Law
- Tax Consultant.
- Scientific
- Technical
- Linguistic
Importantly, you need to be self-employed within any of these industries to apply. If you have an employed role, you’re going to need to get a sponsored work visa instead.
Can I Get a Freelancer Visa if I’m Already in Germany?
The majority of the time, if you want to get a German visa, you need to apply from outside Germany. However, there are a few exemptions to that rule when you want to swap over to a Freelancer Visa.
If you’re on a graduate visa after your student visa has run out, you can switch to a Freelance Visa while you’re still in Germany.
The same goes if you’re on a German Artist Visa, if you’re working as a researcher or scientist in Germany, or if you’re in Germany on a temporary visa and meet all the necessary criteria for a freelance visa.
Do I Need to Register as a Business on the Freelancer Visa?
One of the main differences between registering as a Freelancer and registering as a business is that you need to go to the tax office, rather than going to the trade office. Part of the registration process is going to the Finanzamt (tax office), registering your business, and submitting all your tax reports.
Essentially, you’re going to be filing and paying tax directly to the Finanzamt, so knowing how the German tax system works is super important. There are plenty of services that can help you navigate the system and help you pull together all the correct information for your tax reports.
What Criteria Do I Need to Meet for the German Freelance Visa?
So, now you know all about the broad eligibility for applying for a German Freelance Visa, let’s get a little bit more specific.
As you might expect from the German bureaucracy, there is a pretty comprehensive list of documents that you need to have ready during the application process.
There are quite a few documents on this list that you’re going to need for other expat purposes, like starting a job, getting a rental apartment, or opening a bank account. With this in mind, make sure that you have multiple copies of all the paperwork on this list.
Here’s the grand list of paperwork that you’ll need:
- A completed application form
- A valid passport
- Two recent biometric photos
- Proof that you’ve paid your visa application fee
- Proof of travel insurance
- Recommendation letters from previous employers
- An up-to-date CV or resume
- A cover letter explaining why you want to come to Germany and how it’ll benefit the economy
- A portfolio of your previous work
- Proof of any professional license or authorization
- Any educational certificates
- Proof of financial means. This could be your bank statements, a blocked bank account, a profit/loss sheet showing your freelance activity, or proof of your pension plan if you’re over 45
- Your freelance business plan
- At least two commitment letters or contracts from future customers or employers
It might sound like a lot, but you’ll likely already have the majority of these items if you’ve been working as a self-employed freelancer for a while.
You’ll need many of these to submit your taxes back home or in Germany, so it’s all about taking some time to pull all the documents together into one easy-to-find folder.
How Much Does a German Freelance Visa cost?
Like any visa, there’s an application fee of 75 Euros for the Freelance Visa itself. If you’re getting your residence permit, you need to pay an additional 140 Euros for that, and another 260 Euros for your final settlement permit.
Remember that you’ll have to spend the 140 Euros within three months of moving to Germany, so make sure you have 215 Euros to hand when you’re sorting out your move.
This is in addition to any copies of documentation that you need to get sorted or any tax consultants that you might want to hire along the way.
How Long Does it Take to Apply for a German Freelance Visa?
So, there’s no hard and fast rule for how long the German Freelance Visa application process will take. On average, the rules say to start the application process around three months before you’re due to move to Germany.
Of course, depending on your documentation and where you’re applying from, it can take longer or shorter, so it’s best to leave plenty of time before you’re due to start working!
It’s also worth noting that it can take quite a while to get all your documentation in order, so make sure that you factor in that time when you’re planning to move to Germany.
Essentially, build a big buffer into your plans so that you don’t get into hot water further down the line.
How Long Do German Freelance Visas Last?
So, the German Freelance Visa itself only tends to last for three months. This might not sound like a long time, but when you arrive in Germany, you need to register for a Residence Permit within the first three months of being there.
You can only legally work in Germany after you have a Residence Permit, so the earlier you do it the better! Before you can get your permit, you need to have a German bank account, a Tax ID number, and a permanent address with a signed rental agreement or proof of ownership.
You can renew the Residence Permit as a Freelancer for up the three years, and then you can apply for your Settlement Permit. Obviously, to get these extensions, you need to show that you’re having continual success in your freelance business.
What Do I Need to Do Once I Arrive in Germany as a Freelancer?
So, you’ve arrived in Germany with your approved Freelance Visa, now what do you do? Let me help you out with a step-by-step process of what to do once you arrive in Germany as a Freelancer.
Register your address
First things first, you need to find a place to live. This might sound like a no-brainer, but you need to find a permanent place to live.
You can’t register your address as a hostel, hotel, or temporary Airbnb. It needs to be a situation where you’ve signed a contract, so it’s time to look through all the listings for a place to stay!
Once you’ve found a permanent place to stay in Germany and have an address with rental or purchase paperwork, you need to go through Anmeldung, otherwise known as the process of registering your address. This needs to be done at the Resident’s Registration Office or Bürgeramt in your local town or city.
You need to do this as soon as you get a place. Once it’s processed, you’ll get a confirmation of your address registration.
You’ll need this to get your Residence Permit further along in this process, so hold onto this confirmation and make multiple copies just to be on the safe side.
Settle in, though, because this is the first of many bureaucratic steps that you’re going to have to take before you can start working in Germany!
Get a German bank account
Without a German bank account, you won’t be able to work in Germany and pay your taxes, so this is a super important step. It’s also a little backward sometimes because some letting agents will require you to have a German bank account or proof of funds in a German bank account before agreeing to rent to you.
However, you can’t get a German bank account without a local address. So, it’s a catch-22. Different districts deal with the order in different ways, but either way, you need to have both of these things to live in Germany as a freelancer.
Register with the Tax Office
I’ve gone into this a little bit further up, but you need to register with the Finanzamt when you arrive with all your tax information and records. This is how you get your Tax ID number, which will make it possible for you to pay taxes and you’ll need it to invoice and charge your clients or employers along the way.
Essentially, without a German tax ID, you can’t work as a freelancer in Germany.
Get Health Insurance
Health insurance is a requirement for everyone in Germany, and while many people access their health insurance through their employer, as a self-employed freelancer, you need to sort yourself out.
There are a ton of reputable insurance providers out there, and you can find plans that vary from under 20 euros a month up to super comprehensive – and expensive – health insurance plans.
Apply for a Freelance Residence Permit
So, as your Freelance Visa technically only lasts up to three months, you need to apply for a residence permit to be able to stay in Germany for up to a year. You’ll need to show your proof of address, a completed application form, and any other supporting documentation that the Foreigner’s Registration Office, or Ausländerbehörde, asks for.
Once you have your residence permit, you can live and work in Germany as a freelancer! You can renew this residence permit for up to three years in total, provided that your business is succeeding. After that point, you can apply for a more permanent settlement permit.
Start working!
It’s time to get in touch with all your local clients and tell them that you’re open for business! Now that all your paperwork is in order, you need to start working and putting that freelance business plan into action.
Final Thoughts on the German Freelance Visa
So, if you’re a self-employed freelancer in specific liberal fields, there’s a definitive path for you to be able to live and work in Germany. That’s an amazing thing considering how hard it can sometimes be to get a visa as a freelancer.
It might sound like a lot of hoops to jump through to be able to move and work in Germany, but honestly, it’s so worth it in the end. When you work as a freelancer in Germany, with a long-term residency permit, you can work with clients and customers all over the European Union. That’s a huge pool of potential customers that you can tap into!
All in all, it’s a journey that will take a few months to complete, but it’s going to open so many doors and create so many more opportunities in the long run! What are you waiting for? Jump right in!