Freiberufler — freelancer residence permit in Germany
A residence permit for the liberal professions: IT, design, journalism, consulting. Through the Ausländerbehörde.
Price
On request
Best for
IT freelancersDesignersConsultantsJournalists
Timeline
2–4 months
Tax
Progressive scale + no Gewerbesteuer payable
Format
In person
What the service includes
| A business plan | |
| Letters of intent from clients | |
| Anmeldung | |
| Filing with the Ausländerbehörde | |
| Finding clients— billed separately | |
| Renting an office— billed separately |
What we need from you
- 1A portfolio of clients in Germany or the EU
- 2A business plan
- 3Financial guarantees
- 4Housing
Sources
- Gesetze-im-Internet.de — §18 EStG, the definition of the liberal professions (Freiberufler)
- Gesetze-im-Internet.de — §2 GewStG, the object of the trade tax
- IHK Elbe-Weser — the distinction between Gewerbebetrieb and Freie Berufe
- Bundesverfassungsgericht — decision of 15.01.2008, 1 BvL 2/04 (exemption of the liberal professions from Gewerbesteuer)
Residence permit in Germany: comparison
The difference is not the price — it is who each option suits. The “Best for” column is the business profile the option is built around.
| Option | Best for | Timeline | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freiberufler — freelancer residence permit in Germanyyou are here | IT freelancers, designers, consultants, journalists | 2–4 months | on request |
| Chancenkarte in Germany (the opportunity card) | Qualified professionals, looking for work in Germany | 2–4 months | on request |
| EU Blue Card in Germany | IT specialists, engineers, doctors, researchers | 2–3 months | on request |
| Fachkräfte — residence permit for qualified professionals in Germany | Mid-level technical staff, nurses, construction workers, electricians | 3–5 months | on request |
| Residence permit in Germany for remote workers (the equivalent of a Digital Nomad Visa) | Tech employees with a foreign contract, digital nomads | 2–4 months | on request |
| Residence permit in Germany through family reunification | Families moving to join a sponsor, children under 18 joining their parents | 3–6 months | on request |
| Relocation of IT teams to Germany | IT companies, startups, corporate HR | 3–6 months | on request |
Ready to start?
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