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Freelancer & Self-emploment

Freelancer & Self-emploment

Freelancer & Self-emploment

We support families and students with all immigration matters – from entry to long-term prospects in Germany.

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All prices incl. 19% VAT

In summary

Would you like to work independently in Germany, start your own business, or continue an existing self-employed activity? Find out which residence permit may be suitable for your activity and which requirements you need to meet.

German residence law distinguishes between freelance activities and self-employed entrepreneurial or commercial activities. Although both are commonly referred to as “self-employment”, they apply to different types of professionals and are subject to different requirements.

Freelance or Self-Employed - What Is the Difference?

  • To determine the appropriate residence permit, the first step is to establish how your specific activity is legally classified.
  • Freelance activities generally involve individuals providing their own professional, scientific, artistic, literary, teaching or comparable personal services. This may include, for example, artists, language teachers, lawyers, journalists, doctors, engineers and other members of the liberal professions.
  • Self-employed or commercial activities, on the other hand, generally concern entrepreneurs, founders and business owners who establish or operate their own business, offer goods or commercial services, or run a company.
  • What matters is not how you describe your own work. In particular, simply referring to yourself as a “freelancer” does not determine which residence permit you require under German law.

What Does the Residence Permit Allow You to Do?

  • A residence permit for freelance or self-employed activities allows you to pursue your professional activity independently in Germany without being tied to a specific employer.
  • For freelancers, this generally means being able to work for different clients and structure their professional activities independently.
  • Entrepreneurs and business owners, on the other hand, can establish or operate their own business and develop their business idea in Germany on a long-term basis.
  • If your activity is successful, the residence permit may be extended. Depending on the type and duration of your activity, you may also become eligible for a permanent residence permit at a later stage.

Requirements

  • The requirements depend significantly on whether you intend to work as a freelancer or pursue an entrepreneurial or commercial activity.
  • For a freelance activity, the authorities will generally consider:
  • whether your activity qualifies as freelance work,
  • your professional qualifications and experience,
  • existing assignments, fee agreements or Letters of Intent,
  • your expected income and expenses,
  • whether your living expenses are secured,
  • any professional licences or permits that may be required.
  • For a self-employed or commercial activity, the assessment is generally more extensive. Particular consideration is given to:
  • the viability of your business idea,
  • your business plan,
  • the financing of your business,
  • your previous entrepreneurial experience,
  • the expected economic development of the business,
  • the economic interest or regional demand for your activity,
  • where applicable, business registration, articles of association or commercial register documents.
  • The exact documents required will always depend on your specific business model and personal circumstances.

How We Support You

  • We first assess the nature of your planned activity and determine which residence permit is appropriate for your individual situation.
  • For freelance activities, we review in particular your qualifications, existing and prospective clients, fee agreements or Letters of Intent, and your financial planning.
  • For entrepreneurial or commercial activities, we additionally review your business model, business plan, financing and financial projections to ensure that the individual documents present a clear and consistent overall picture.
  • We then prepare your application in full, submit it to the competent authority and handle further communication throughout the procedure.

Costs

Unlike many law firms, we do not charge on an hourly basis. This means that you know from the outset what costs to expect.

Freelance activity:
Our fixed fee for comprehensive legal support is EUR 1,749.00 gross.

Self-employed / commercial activity:
Our fixed fee for comprehensive legal support is EUR 2,249.00 gross.

Applications involving entrepreneurial or commercial self-employment generally require a more extensive assessment than applications for freelance activities. In addition to the residence-law requirements, the business model, business plan, financing and financial projections must be reviewed in detail and aligned with one another. Due to this additional level of legal review and consultation, our fixed fee for these cases is higher.

VISALABS: Your Path to Self-Employment in Germany

VISALABS supports clients who wish to pursue either freelance or self-employed activities in Germany.

The distinction between freelance and self-employed commercial activities is not always straightforward. We therefore begin by assessing your individual circumstances and your specific professional or business plans to determine which residence permit is suitable for you.

Through our intuitive application portal, we collect and organise all required documents. Once we have received the necessary documentation, our specialised lawyers carefully review your application and help you present your professional or business plans to the immigration authorities in a clear and complete manner.

Throughout the procedure, we remain available to answer your questions at no additional cost. If the authorities request further documents or have additional questions, we handle the communication on your behalf.

If you would like to work as a freelancer or establish your own business in Germany, you can contact us at any time for a free initial consultation. We will be happy to assess which option is appropriate for your activity and explain the next steps.

Processing Steps

Your path to citizenship or a residence permit – step by step

1. Free Self-Test

3 Minutes

Find out in a few minutes whether you qualify. Free and without obligation.

  • Check eligibility requirements
  • Fill in the contact form
  • Schedule a free call

2. Free Phone Consultation

15 Minutes

In a personal call, we review all requirements together and clarify the next steps.

  • Review eligibility requirements
  • Discuss the process
  • Discuss the costs

3. Preparing Your Application

1 - 2 Days

Upload your documents via our application portal and we take care of preparing your application.

  • Upload documents
  • Documents are reviewed
  • Application is submitted

4. Authority Reviews the Application

3 - 6 Months*

We handle all communication with the authorities and keep your case on track.

  • Answering inquiries
  • Regular updates
  • Decision received

*Processing times depend on the responsible authority and may vary in individual cases.

What our clients say

More than 1,000 cases handled in immigration and citizenship law.

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
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 Daria Shingareva 
 
 
 
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I am incredibly happy with the support I received from Daniel. He offers a free initial consultation, which was extremely helpful and honestly quite rare to find. Throughout the whole process he gave me valuable advice, always went the extra mile, and supported me in such a friendly and reassuring way. After waiting almost a year for my citizenship application with no progress, Daniel managed to move things forward and make it happen in less than two months. I cannot recommend Daniel enough, truly outstanding personality and service!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 David Adusei 
 
 
 
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Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. The less said the better. His work ethic, dedication and integrity is something to write about.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Naga Sanagapalli 
 
 
 
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I had meeting with Daniel regarding the residence permit. His experience and explanation makes your worries go away. Proactive in response and sound knowledge in immigration Law.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Valerie Lee 
 
 
 
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I'm really grateful for all the information and for clarifying all the questions regarding visa procedures and citizenship. It was so easy to book an initial consultation with Daniel and discuss my case. Thanks a lot!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 leophers chamarime 
 
 
 
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Daniel was incredibly helpful, and he took his time to explain everything clearly. I'm very grateful for his support and would highly recommend Daniel to anyone seeking expert consultancy. He is ther best.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Nidhi Patel profile picture 
 
 
 Nidhi Patel 
 
 
 
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Daniel is an amazing lawyer who really understands your case and understands that expats really require help while trying to set up a life here in Germany. From a lawyer one expects great communication and trust- both of which I got from Daniel in my short 30/40 mins call.
Definitely recommend his services.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Florde Zevallos 
 
 
 
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Daniel was very professional and supportive. He explained everything clearly, gave me answers I couldn’t get from the authorities in Germany, and took the time to listen to my concerns. His honesty and knowledge gave me a lot of confidence. I definitely recommend him!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Katharina profile picture 
 
 
 Katharina 
 
 
 
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Absolut top! Ich hatte eine Frage zum Visum fuer eine Cousine und anstatt mir im Erstgespraech etwas aufzuquatschen, hat Daniel mir genau erklaert wie der Prozess ablaeuft und dass ich den auch eigenstaendig durchfuehren kann. Hat mit pragmatischen, auch fuer Laien-tauglichen Tipps nicht gegeizt. Bei einer Nachfrage via Email kam sofort eine Antwort. Werde den Visumsprozess jetzt allein anstossen, aber sofort auf Visalabs zurueckgreifen sollte ich doch noch Rechtsbeistand brauchen. Ganz toll.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Luciana Lopez profile picture 
 
 
 Luciana Lopez 
 
 
 
 Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I had an excellent experience working with Daniel on my German citizenship process. From the very first consultation, he explained everything clearly and made the whole process easy to understand. It was immediately clear that he is highly competent and experienced in this area.

Throughout the entire process, Daniel was always available, extremely supportive, and quick to answer any questions I had. Thanks to his guidance, I received my citizenship in a very short amount of time, and I truly believe Daniel played a major role in making that possible.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Daniel to anyone looking for professional, reliable, and effective legal support.
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