Today, representatives of many professions whether they are translators, writers, artists or programmers prefer to work as freelancers. This type of employment has several advantages: the ability to plan independently a work schedule, there is no connection to the office, the choice of those projects that are really interesting, etc. It is quite possible to immigrate to Germany by using a freelance visa but this type of migration is still poorly understood and not very popular. The official name of this kind of visa is “Visa for doing independent business and freelance work”.

First, let’s look at types of freelance. There are 2 of them in Germany, and you need to understand the difference between them, especially when the question is about health insurance and the VAT collection. The first type of freelance involves doing business related, for example, to construction. The second type of freelance applies to people in creative professions such like writers, journalists, translators, designers, etc.

How to obtain a freelancer visa?

The package of documents for obtaining this type of national visa is significantly different from others. Why is that? In order to convince officials that it is you who deserve a visa you will need to make a lot of effort.
In addition to the standard set of documents (i.e. travel passport, application, copies of diplomas and other necessary certificates) is also needed a proof of work experience in the field of your activity. If you are a successful photographer you should prepare a portfolio, if you write books you should indicate their names and it is even better to have a letter of recommendation from the publisher with whom you cooperate. The availability of guarantors will not be superfluous; these may be your friends and acquaintances who will be able to confirm your experience.

Be sure to draw up a detailed business plan. Indicate why you want to immigrate to Germany, what you are going to do, what income do you expect to obtain from your business activities. It will not be superfluous to indicate how and where you will search for customers. The more detailed information is presented the greater chances for approving decision will be gained. Also, it is worth to have a support of future partners from Germany confirming they would like to cooperate with you in the future. Naturally, after immigrating to Germany you will not receive profit from the first day of your stay, and therefore you need to have a livelihood. You should take care of this in advance and open a bank account. Firstly, this will show that you already have customers and you are able to make money with your craft. Secondly, anyway this money will be spent in Germany that will undoubtedly affect positively the local economy. Besides, we would like to note medical insurance – this is a mandatory legal requirement for a registration as a freelancer. In conclusion, let us dwell on such an important and frightening issue for many migrants as the payment of taxes. In Germany it’s impossible to just deal with translations, website development or interior design. You must pay tax for your business. The law requires the preservation of all bills, receipts from the very beginning of employment. If this is overlooked then difficulties may arise during the filing of the tax return. Many beginning freelancers address to tax consultants who get assistance to avoid many problems and unnecessary stress. The examples shown in this article are just a part of what you will encounter on the way to your goal. Each specific case is individual and therefore before starting a visa we recommend you to be consulted by a lawyer. We wish you success in obtaining a freelancer visa for Germany!