Freelance work is more popular than ever, and with the great amount of flexibility that comes with being your own boss, it\u2019s no surprise why. If you\u2019re longing to be in control of your workload and schedule, self-employment might indeed be right for you.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
But as a foreigner living in Germany, or looking to make a move to Germany, are you actually allowed to work as a freelancer? Whether you\u2019re planning to dip your toe in with a few extra hours a week, or you\u2019re ready to ditch your full-time job and go all in, you need to make sure you\u2019re permitted to work as a freelancer in Germany.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ve got you. This article breaks it down and answers all your questions about the visa and permit side of becoming a freelancer in Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n Yes, foreign citizens can be permitted to work on a freelance basis in Germany.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Despite its reputation for endless bureaucracy, Germany is pretty cool when it comes to allowing foreign workers to come and set up shop. While most countries require foreigners to have full-time employment with a local business in order to obtain a visa to live and work there, Germany encourages foreigners to work in Germany in more flexible ways, such as freelancing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As you\u2019ll see below, you may still have to wade through a thick pond of paperwork and bureaucracy to obtain the right permit and get the OK, depending on what country you\u2019re from. But the process is manageable and very affordable.<\/span><\/p>\n Short answer: It depends where you\u2019re from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n EU citizens<\/b> or permanent residents, and people from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, are all allowed to live and work – and freelance – in Germany without needing to obtain any visa or residence permit. You\u2019ll still need to <\/span>register as a freelancer<\/span><\/a> with your local tax office though, which is a different process altogether and shouldn\u2019t be mistaken for applying for a visa.<\/span><\/p>\n Non-EU citizens<\/b> without permanent residency in Germany must obtain a residence permit that allows them to undertake freelance work in Germany. This usually means gathering together some specific supporting documents and information and attending an in-person interview, either at your country\u2019s German embassy, or, if you are from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, or The United States of America, you can apply from within Germany at your local foreigner\u2019s office or <\/span>Ausl\u00e4nderbeh\u00f6rde<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What we English-speakers refer casually to as the \u201cfreelance visa\u201d, or even sometimes the \u201cartist visa\u201d is officially called <\/span>Aufenthaltserlaubnis f\u00fcr selbst\u00e4ndige T\u00e4tigkeit<\/span><\/i>, and the application requires, among other things, proof that there\u2019s a demand for your services. It\u2019s by no means an easy process and requires some networking, planning, and preparation. It might help to gather advice from other foreign freelancers, but remember that each case is different. If anything in your application is insufficient, the foreigner\u2019s office will let you know, and sometimes give you a bit of extra time to work on your application.<\/span><\/p>\n Not necessarily!<\/span><\/p>\n You can check to see if your current visa or residence permit allows you to work as a freelancer by looking for the line \u201c<\/span>Selbstst\u00e4ndige T\u00e4tigkeit gestattet<\/span><\/i>\u201d on the document itself, which is usually in the form of a sticker in your passport. This line can be included on a work visa for full-time employment, and confirms that you\u2019re permitted to work as a freelancer in addition to your full-time job. Keep in mind, however, that the main occupation listed on your visa must remain your primary source of income.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you obtained a working visa as a software engineer, for example, and you\u2019re employed as such in a full-time role, your freelancing activities cannot overtake your full-time job. If you start to generate more income from your freelance work, you\u2019ll need to apply for a separate freelance visa.<\/span><\/p>\n If your current visa does not state explicitly that you can work on a freelance basis – that is, you don\u2019t see the line \u201c<\/span>Selbstst\u00e4ndige T\u00e4tigkeit gestattet<\/span><\/i>\u201d anywhere – you cannot freelance in Germany. In order to start freelancing, you\u2019ll need to visit the foreigner\u2019s office and apply either for an amendment to your existing visa to include freelance work, or apply for a freelance visa (<\/span>Aufenthaltserlaubnis f\u00fcr selbst\u00e4ndige T\u00e4tigkeit)<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n While it is legal to work in Germany with a student visa, it\u2019s somewhat restricted, and excludes freelance work. However, you\u2019re allowed to hold both a student visa and a freelancing visa, so if you\u2019re living and studying in Germany and you want to start freelancing, you may obtain a freelance visa in addition to your student visa by applying for the freelance work permit (<\/span>Aufenthaltserlaubnis f\u00fcr selbst\u00e4ndige T\u00e4tigkeit<\/span><\/i>).<\/span><\/p>\n Just like everybody else, freelancers living and working in Germany are obliged to pay taxes and submit annual income tax returns each year. However, there are a few additional obligations and things to consider when <\/span>managing your taxes as a freelancer in Germany<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Your first step is to obtain your freelance tax number. You\u2019ll receive this automatically after you\u2019ve filled out the <\/span>freelancer registration form<\/span><\/a> and submitted it to your local tax office.<\/span><\/p>\n If you generate less than \u20ac22,000 per year from your freelance activities, you can apply to be considered a small business owner, or <\/span>Kleinunternehmer<\/span><\/i>, which exempts you from charging and paying VAT. Learn more about the small business classification <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n If you don\u2019t fall in the small business owner category though, you<\/span> are required to submit advance estimates of <\/span>monthly or quarterly VAT earnings<\/span><\/a>, as well as an annual summary to confirm or reconcile those estimates. Those VAT earnings also need to be paid to the local tax office (after any <\/span>applicable VAT tax deductions<\/span><\/a>!).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \ud83d\udca1<\/span>Tip from Accountable:<\/b> If you\u2019re not sure what expenses you can deduct as a freelancer in Germany, <\/span>try our handy search tool<\/span><\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n Save a portion of your income for tax<\/b><\/p>\n If it\u2019s your first time freelancing, one of the most important things to know is that you are responsible for ensuring you have enough money to pay your taxes. In most countries, including Germany, employers withhold estimated tax amounts from employee\u2019s salary payments, in order to ensure that they\u2019re able to pay taxes. If this is what you\u2019re used to, it may come as a shock when you receive your first tax bill. Freelancers must estimate their own taxes and keep money aside for it, so that when it comes time to pay tax, the money is there.<\/span><\/p>\n Tax prepayments<\/b><\/p>\n To avoid having to pay one large tax sum once a year, the German tax authorities will estimate the tax you\u2019ll owe and ask for quarterly prepayments. This estimation will usually only happen after your first year of freelancing, once the tax office has a sense of how much income you\u2019re generating. Make sure you\u2019re aware <\/span>when these prepayments are due<\/span><\/a>, to avoid any fines!<\/span><\/p>\nCan I legally freelance in Germany if I\u2019m not a German citizen?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Do I need a visa to freelance in Germany?<\/span><\/h2>\n
I already have a working permit, does that mean I can freelance in Germany?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Can foreign students do freelance work?<\/span><\/h2>\n
What about taxes for freelancers in Germany?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Freelance tax number<\/span><\/h3>\n
Freelance tax reporting<\/span><\/h3>\n
Tax payments and prepayments<\/span><\/h3>\n