German Freelance Visa: Requirements, How to Apply and Freiberufler Professions

Eligibility Criteria For The German Freelance Visa

The German “Freiberufler” visa is not a generic digital nomad visa. It is a permit issued specifically for liberal professions - or “Freie Berufe”. To be eligible, you need to show that Germany has an economic interest or at least a regional need for your services, and that you can support yourself financially from your freelance income.

The legal logic is:

• Germany only wants to issue this visa if what you do is useful to the German market,

and

• You must prove you can make money from it before they let you move there.

Who Can Apply for the Freelancer Visa in Germany?

International citizens who work in the “liberal professions” can apply. These liberal professions are professions that are considered intellectual or artistic and do not require forming a GmbH (limited company).

For example:

• software engineers, product developers
• designers (graphic, UX, UI)
• photographers, filmmakers, video editors
• marketing specialists, SEO specialists
• writers, journalists, translators
• consultants
• teachers (language teachers, tutors)
• psychotherapists

Professional Background And Experience Requirements

Germany does not require a specific degree from a German university, but you must demonstrate that you are a serious professional and you have training or licensing to practice the activity.

There are two ways to do this:

1. Formal proof using degrees, diplomas, certificates, university qualification;
2. Portfolio proof may also be accepted in some professions, such as past client invoices, published work, an existing freelance activity in your home country, or letters of intent from potential German clients.

For most creative freelancers and tech gigs, the portfolio may carry more weight than the degree. This is not to say that the university degree is optional: you need one, regardless of what you do.

But, ultimately, the case officer must be able to look at your documents and conclude you are a professional in the field and you can actually make income in Germany as a freelancer.

Freelance Status In Germany

Before you touch the visa paperwork at the Ausländerbehörde, Germany forces you to classify what kind of freelancer you are.

This determines how you are taxed, how you register, and what documents you need.

In Germany, there are two different categories of self-employment: Freiberufler and Gewerbe. Both are self-employment, both can get you a visa, but they follow different routes in terms of administration.

Freiberufler: Liberal Professions

Freiberufler means your work is intellectual or artistic, and it clearly falls under the German “catalog of liberal professions” (the Katalogberufe).

If you are Freiberufler:

• you do not have to register a business (no Gewerbeanmeldung)
• you deal only with the tax office (Finanzamt) directly
• your taxation is simpler
• you are usually exempt from trade tax (Gewerbesteuer)

This is the category that the vast majority of international freelancers want and should aim for, because it is the cleanest and smoothest way to operate.

Gewerbe: Commercial Activities

Gewerbe means you’re seen not as an intellectual profession but as a tradesperson. Think of activities like: dropshipping, e-commerce stores, selling physical goods, acting as an intermediary, or doing business that is more about transactions than intellectual output.

If the tax office classifies you as Gewerbe, you must register a business (Gewerbeanmeldung) at your local city office, you will pay trade tax (Gewerbesteuer), your accounting obligations are heavier, and you will need enough resources to start, such as equity capital.

​​Required Documents for the Freelancer Visa

The officer must be able to look at your file and conclude two things: first, that Germany needs what you do, and second, that you can support yourself financially and are not a risk to public funds.

Personal Identification and Application Form

For the personal identification, you will need the following documents:

• valid passport (with enough empty pages and validity that covers the intended stay)
• biometric passport photos (German embassy-standard format)
• completed national visa application form
• a CV, ideally written in the German format
• a short cover letter describing what you do, why Germany, and who your target clients are

Client Contracts or Letters of Intent

These contracts or letters of intent can make or break your visa application as a freelancer. This is the way you show the visa officer you can make it Germany as a freelancer and you can sustain yourself. You will need either:

• signed freelance contracts with German clients,

or

• signed letters of intent - “Absichtserklärungen” - from German companies saying they intend to hire you once you get the visa.

If you’re wondering if the clients can be remote: yes, clients can be remote clients. But visa officers strongly prefer at least some clients with registered German addresses.

Business Plan and Income Forecast

You must show that what you’re doing is financially viable and that you can sustain yourself. You must include:

• 12-month revenue forecast (realistic, conservative, and something that you can either prove through a contract or back up with your previous earnings with a client)
• proof of funds already in your blocked account
• a spreadsheet with your projected expenses

There is no required minimum earning for the freelancer visa as costs vary from one city to another, it will be up to the visa officer to decide if you will be approved.

Proof of Accommodation and Health Insurance

You must show where you will live and that you have valid health insurance. You will need:

• a rental contract
• German health insurance valid from the day you arrive
• travel health insurance

German public insurance (Statutory = GKV) is often difficult for brand-new freelancers, so most applicants start with a reputable private German plan.

You should take into account the following: health insurance plans will be more expensive for a freelancer, and any deductibles are higher. The costs are higher for rent, too: you will most likely need a higher deposit, and even if you can cover the higher costs, it will be harder for you to find a place to live.

How to Apply for a Freelance Visa in Germany

You need to apply from your home country at the embassy/consulate and you receive a national D visa that authorizes entry and freelancer activity.

Where to Apply for the German Freelance Visa

You must apply at the German embassy or German consulate responsible for your current legal residence (not your nationality, but your current residence address)

Application Steps and Appointment Booking

1. Collect the full documents (all the documents we listed previously)
2. Book an appointment via the embassy/consulate online system
   (this is usually the most time-consuming bottleneck)
3. Submit your documents at your appointment, and don’t forget to bring an original passport, your complete printed application, and all evidence in physical form + copies

After arrival, you will need to convert that entry visa into the residence card (eAT) at your assigned Ausländerbehörde.

Processing Time and Visa Fee

The first stage, from the embassy to the final decision takes typically 6 to 12 weeks, but depending on the backlog you can see an additional 2 weeks. In terms of fees:

• German national freelance visa fee: €75
• Residence permit issuance (in Germany after arrival): around €100

Financial Viability and Tax Registration

Your visa approval is directly linked to whether Germany believes you will be financially stable as a freelancer. After you enter Germany, you should also formally register your self-employment with the German tax office, because the state needs to assign you a tax ID for invoices and for your annual tax returns.

Minimum Income Requirements

Germany does not publish a fixed number. There is no official “€X per month” minimum in law. But there is a practical limit to this. If the officer cannot see a realistic path to you covering your basic living costs in Germany, they will reject.

For most single applicants, in most cities, the unofficial rule-of-thumb is:

• enough funds per month for rent, health insurance, and living costs

• some savings buffer in your bank account (to survive the slower months)

Since there is no minimum, this is at the discretion of the visa officer, and depends on the city you want to live in. Your forecast needs to look like you can reach a comfortable life with your freelancing income.

Letters of intent and contracts that clearly show expected earnings are persuasive and can result in you getting the visa approved.

Tax Registration with the Finanzamt

Once you enter Germany with your approved visa, you must register your residential address (Anmeldung) and file the Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung (Questionnaire For Tax Registration).

This is submitted to your local Finanzamt (tax office). If you are classified as Freiberufler, this is enough. If the Finanzamt classifies you as Gewerbe, you will also need to do a separate Gewerbeanmeldung (commercial registration) for your business at your city office.

After the Finanzamt reviews your questionnaire, they will send you your freelance tax number “Steuernummer”. This is what you must put on invoices. Without this number, you cannot legally invoice clients in Germany.