How to Apply for the German Freelance Visa at the Immigration Office in Berlin
This page lays out how to apply for the German Freelance Visa in Berlin. Explore our step-by-step guidance on exactly how, where and when to apply for the Freelance Visa in Berlin and read about the exact documentation requirements that are requested by the Berlin immigration office.
Berlin has a vibrant freelance community. Startups are springing up all around the city and employing freelance contractors to work on exciting projects in the fields of fashion, tech, tourism and marketing to name just a few.
💻 As such, there are a growing number of freelance opportunities in the city. If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen and looking to work in Berlin, the Freelance Visa may be a good option as an alternative to the Work Visa, especially if you work in a field like design, software development, teaching or content writing, where freelancing is popular.
Health insurance, letters of intent to hire and address registration (Anmeldung) are the most essential aspects of the Freelance Visa application – find out all you need to know about these aspects below.
❗ Note: We endeavour to keep our visa information up to date. However, before applying, we recommend always cross-referencing our information with the official application information from the Berlin immigration authorities.
Who is this page for?
🌍 If you are from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Korea or Japan, you can apply for a Freelance Visa after you arrive in Germany. If you are from one of these countries, you can enter Germany without a visa for 90 days and apply for a German Freelance Visa at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin during this period.
You can also apply for the Freelance Visa in Germany if you are not from one of the countries listed above but are already resident in Germany on a different visa (Work Visa, Job Seekers Visa, EU Blue Card, Working Holiday Visa, Student Visa, Au Pair Visa) with the exception of the German Language Visa.
🛑 Citizens from all other countries must apply for the Freelance Visa at a German embassy or consulate before entering Germany. Unfortunately, we do not have a separate guide on applying for the Freelance Visa at a German embassy or consulate as the requirements greatly differ between embassies/consulates.
If you are interested in applying for the Freelance Visa before arriving in Germany, then we recommend that you get in touch with your local German embassy or consulate and request details on how to apply.
The German Freelance Visa: General Requirements
In general, the German Freelance Visa can be applied for if you have two or more potential German-based, freelance clients. As a rule, to be considered a freelancer in Germany, a single client cannot account for more than 80% of your total earnings.
While you can apply for the Freelance Visa using 'letters of intent to hire' (see below) from both German and international clients, we recommend you apply with at least two or three German-based clients (although the more the better!).
How to apply for a German Freelance Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
1️⃣ Move to Berlin. Enter Germany visa-free for up to 90 days, officially register at an address (Anmeldung) and find suitable German-based clients to apply for the Freelance Visa
2️⃣ Apply for the Freelance Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
3️⃣ Collect your Freelance Visa from the immigration office in Berlin
1️⃣ Move to Berlin, officially register at an address (Anmeldung) and find suitable freelance clients to apply for the Germany Work Visa.
Once you arrive in Berlin, you must achieve two essential things before you can apply for the German Freelance Visa at the immigration office in Berlin:
🏠 Complete your Anmeldung in Berlin
To apply for any form of visa at the immigration office in Berlin, you first have to officially register at an address, a process that is known as Anmeldung. If you are unable to show an Anmeldung certificate when applying for the Freelance Visa, your application will likely not be accepted by the immigration office in Berlin.
If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
👥 Find suitable German-based freelance clients
As well as Anmeldung, you generally need to have at least 2 or 3 German-based freelance clients in order to apply for the Freelance Visa in Berlin. To help you with your hunt for clients, we have put together some free resources that may come in handy:
These resources will hopefully help you to pinpoint some prospective freelance clients in Germany.
Once you have completed your Anmeldung and landed a few German clients, you are ready to move on to step 2 and apply for the Freelance Visa at the immigration office in Berlin.
2️⃣ Apply for the Freelance Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
The process for applying for a German Freelance Visa in Berlin can take a few months so it is best to apply as early as possible. First off, you need to secure an appointment at the immigration office in Berlin in order to apply
How to book a Freelance Visa appointment at the immigration office in Berlin
Follow the link to book a Freelance Visa appointment on the immigration office's online booking platform.
Once on the booking platform, click on the ‘Book Appointment’ button to start the process.
Select the visa you wish to apply for. You will then be shown a calendar with available appointments:
Available appointments show up in blue. Select an available appointment from the calendar and enter your personal details in the appointment booking form to complete the booking.
If there are no appointments currently available, you will be shown the following message:
If you are shown this message, you need to wait for the next batch of appointments to be released by the immigration office. Visa appointments are released sporadically throughout the week so we recommend checking the appointment booking platform multiple times a day from around 7 a.m.
Once you have booked your Freelance Visa appointment, you will be sent a booking confirmation confirming the time and date for your appointment. The confirmation will also include details of where you need to go for your appointment.
The booking period for Freelance Visa appointments in Berlin is generally 1–3 months. Therefore, once you have successfully scheduled your visa appointment, be aware that your appointment date may be up to 3 months away.
📅 For more detailed instructions, see our website guide or YouTube guide on how and when to book a Freelance Visa appointment at the immigration office in Berlin.
Where to apply for the Freelance Visa in Berlin?
Once you have secured a Freelance Visa appointment at the immigration office in Berlin, it is time to prepare and submit your application documents.
🧭 The Freelance Visa is processed at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, 13353 Berlin, which is split into a number of 'Haus' (Houses) depending on where you are from:
Australia – Haus B, 3rd floor, waiting rooms E 1.1 and E 1.2
Israel – Haus D, waiting room E 3.1
Canada – Haus C, 2nd floor, waiting rooms E 2.1, E 2.2, E 2.3 and E 2.4
South Korea – Haus B, 2nd floor, waiting rooms E 4.1 and E 4.2
Japan – Haus B, 2nd floor, waiting rooms E 4.1 and E 4.2
New Zealand – Haus B, 3rd floor, waiting rooms E 1.1 and E 1.2
United States – Haus C, 2nd floor, waiting rooms E 2.1, E 2.2, E 2.3 and E 2.4
On your appointment confirmation, it will specify the exact 'Haus', floor and waiting room that you must go to at the time of your appointment. This information will likely correspond with the 'Haus' details above.
Here is a picture of the immigration office so that you know you are in the right place when you arrive at the address:
❗ We recommend that you have a German speaker with you when applying for the German Freelance Visa in Berlin.
What documents do you need to submit for the German Freelance Visa?
Listed below are the documents you will need to prepare and submit at the Berlin immigration office in order to apply for the German Freelance Visa in Berlin.
Your documents are often sent away to be reviewed so ensure you have the originals and copies of everything listed below.
✅ A valid passport
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the intended stay, have at least 2 free pages, and not be older than 10 years old.
✅ Two current biometric passport photos
Guidelines recommend a 35mm x 45mm frontal shot with neutral facial expression and closed mouth, looking straight into the camera with a light background.
You can obtain biometric photos from the silver photo booths at the main train stations in Berlin. There are three photo booths located at Alexanderplatz train station.
Here is a useful map of all places you can obtain passport photos in Berlin.
✅ Address registration (Anmeldung) certificate.
A pre-requisite for applying for the German Freelance Visa in Berlin is that you have officially registered at an address in the city, a process that is known as Anmeldung.
You cannot apply for any form of visa in Berlin without first registering your address. At your Freelance Visa appointment, you must bring your address registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebescheinigung) with you when applying.
If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
✅ Proof of German health insurance
To apply for the Freelance Visa at the immigration office in Berlin, you need suitable health insurance cover in Germany.
Unfortunately, health insurance for freelancers in Germany is often one big catch-22. By law, you must have a German health insurance policy. But most German insurers often will not cover you unless you already hold a visa that is valid for two or more years. As you have not yet applied for your Freelance Visa, this can make things tricky for you!
Fortunately, there are still options for you to sign up for a German private insurance policy prior to your visa appointment. Notably, Feather is a leading German health insurance brokerage that assists applicants with signing up for a policy prior to obtaining their German Freelance Visa. We like Feather because:
They have a close relationship with a number of leading German health insurance providers and can ensure you sign up for an insurance policy that fulfils all regulatory requirements for your Freelance Visa application.
Their recommended private health insurance policies are accepted and approved by the immigration office in Berlin.
They provide a quick and efficient sign-up process and English-speaking customer support.
To get the ball rolling, you can book a free consultation with Feather.
If Feather’s offerings do not take your fancy, then a good alternative is Ottonova’s private health insurance. Ottonova is a modern ‘disruptor’ in the German health insurance market, combining a sleek app, 24/7 English-speaking customer support and a policy that meets all the requirements for a Freelance Visa in Germany.
What happens if I am not eligible for German private health insurance?
If, after contacting Feather and Ottonova, you are not eligible for private German health insurance, then your next best option is to sign up for an expat health insurance policy. For this, we like Feather’s expat health insurance policy.
While the immigration office in Berlin is not officially accepting expat health insurances for Freelance Visa applications, they know that it can be difficult for freelancers to take out a private German health insurance policy prior to their visa being approved.
Therefore, if applying for a German Freelance Visa with Feather's expat insurance, you will most likely be approved by the immigration office in Berlin but only for a 1-year Freelance Visa. They will then instruct you to take out a German health insurance policy as soon as possible – if you fail to do this by your visa renewal deadline, you will likely not be approved for a second Freelance Visa for Germany.
✅ Financing plan
Document your total savings both overseas and in Germany. This can be laid out in a very simple table just showing what savings you have at your disposal.
✅ Revenue forecast/profit and loss statement
Here you need to provide your total projected business earnings and costs for the year. This is just an estimation but you want your earnings to be more than your expenses while also being realistic. There is no set amount for this.
✅ Full professional CV
It is highly recommended that you provide a copy of your CV in German in your Freelance Visa application so that the immigration office in Berlin can assess your experience. If your CV is written in English, the immigration office may not understand what freelance work you will be carrying out. If you need help translating your CV into German, then we recommend using LingoKing. They offer an efficient and affordable translation service for your documents.
It is also recommended that you provide a German role description (can be found online) for the freelance job that you will perform. This will help the immigration office in Berlin understand more about what type of freelance work you will be performing if your Freelance Visa is approved.
✅ Qualifications (original and copy)
Include copies of any qualifications you have obtained. This may include a degree certificate, TEFL qualification, etc. Bring both the original copy and a photocopy of each qualification to your appointment. It is a good idea to also bring a copy of your results transcript.
As with your CV, it is recommended that you also have your qualifications translated into German. Again, we recommend LingoKing for this purpose.
✅ Letters of intent to hire/Freelance contracts
Letters of intent to hire are arguably the most important part of your Freelance Visa application. These are letters from companies/clients stating that they intend to hire you once your German Freelance Visa has been approved.
As a minimum, the letters of intent to hire should state:
the name and address of the freelance client
your name
your freelance job title
your hourly rate
an estimate of how many hours you will work for the client per week/month
points about why the company/client specifically wants to hire you, e.g. for your native English writing skills, which are required for your role as an English content writer.
The letters of intent should be written or translated into German. We recommend that you have at least 3 letters of intent to hire from German-based clients to give you a high chance of being approved although 2 letters can be sufficient if the stated salary in the letters is high. It is also possible to apply with a combination of German and overseas clients. However, some of the immigration office workers may not accept letters of intent to hire from overseas clients.
Importantly, letters of intent to hire are not legally binding, i.e. if a company writes you a letter, they are not legally obligated to hire you as a freelancer once your German Freelance Visa has been approved. This is a good point to let companies know, as they may not be open to offering you a freelance contract if you do not already have a Freelance Visa, but will most likely be happy to write you a letter of intent to hire you in the future.
If you are lucky enough to already have freelance contracts, you can bring these in place of letters of intent to hire.
✅ Rental agreement + proof of rental payment
The immigration office may also require you to show a rental agreement as well as a bank statement showing payment of your monthly rent.
✅ Completed 'Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit' form (Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels)
You can download the form here.
Additional documents to help support your Freelance Visa application in Berlin
The below documents are not strictly required but help you demonstrate to the immigration in Berlin that you have sufficient savings to sustain yourself until you get your freelance work up and running, and that your expenses are not greater than your income.
✅ Personal budget
It can be useful to provide a document showing your expected monthly expenses (rent, utilities, general expenses, etc.). You can also show your expected monthly earnings from each freelance job to show that your earnings will be more than your expenses.
You should try to calculate it so that you have a minimum of €400 left over after all your expenses are paid and your monthly earnings should be more than €1200. This document should be in German.
Example monthly budget:
Monatlicher Finanzierungsplan
Miete (rent) - €400
Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel (public transport) - €81
Krankenversicherung (health insurance) - €100
Einkommen vom freiberuflichen Kunden (income from customer) - €2400
Einkommen - Ausgaben (Income - expenses) - €1819
✅ Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation from previous employers, teachers, etc., help build a case that you have experience in your field. Include contact details for your references.
✅ Bank statements
You should provide screenshots or printouts of your most recent bank account statements showing that you have enough money to support yourself while you are setting up as a freelancer in Germany. Just the balance page with your name and date on it is sufficient.
There is no required amount and you should include savings that you have in both your German account and overseas accounts. The level of savings you need to show can be less if you are able to provide promising letters of intent to hire with a good hourly rate or existing freelance contracts.
In short, you want to paint a picture to the immigration office in Berlin that you have sufficient savings to cover you while you set up as a freelancer and that you have enough potential work to be able to cover your expenses.
✅ Cover letter/Motivational letter
It is very beneficial to provide a cover letter/motivational letter in German as it clearly summarises the important information the immigration office needs to know.
The letter should be written in a formal tone, it should state your freelancing profession, your clients, what you will make per month, your total expenses and a note about why you want to freelance in Germany. This is the main information the immigration office in Berlin is looking for and will provide them with a quick reference summary.
✅ Portfolio (if you are in a creative field)
If you are applying as an artist, writer, etc. you should bring a printed portfolio to your appointment. It does not need to be your full portfolio but should include examples of your work and screenshots of your website or anything that proves that you have experience in your field.
For example, if your art was showcased in an exhibition then photographs of this could support your application.
Notes about documents
🗎 As a minimum, letters of intent to hire and your CV should be translated into German. While it is advantageous for the rest of your documents to also be in German, it is generally OK if they are in English. As mentioned above, if you are needing help with translating your documents into German, then we recommend getting in touch with LingoKing, who offer efficient and affordable translation services.
Label each application document with a post-it note with a German description on it to make it easier for the immigration office to sort through the documents. Put the documents in a clear folder with a table of contents listing the documents you have provided and your freelance job title in German.
3️⃣ Collect your Freelance Visa from the immigration office in Berlin
For most applicants, Freelance Visa processing takes between 3 weeks and 3 months from the date you submit your application. If you are a freelance language teacher or an artist, your Freelance Visa may be issued on the spot.
📩 Once a decision has been made on your application, the immigration office will email you regarding the collection of your visa. When you receive approval, you are required to return to the immigration office at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24 to have your Freelance Visa issued.
The fee for the Freelance Visa is €100. You must pay by cash or German EC card – credit cards or foreign cards are not accepted.
🎉 Congratulations, you are now legally permitted to start working as a freelancer in Germany!
For further information about how to freelance in Germany, including information about getting a freelance tax number, invoicing, bookkeeping, setting up a bank account, etc., check out our guides on:
Frequently Asked Questions about applying for the Freelance Visa in Berlin
✔️ Why might my German Freelance Visa be declined and what should I do if this happens?
Whether or not your German Freelance Visa is approved is sometimes dependent on what caseworker you get and their interpretation of the rules. Caseworkers at the immigration office often place importance on different aspects of your application – while some will fixate on potential incoming work, others will be more interested in your current finances or previous experience.
In any case, they will advise you what documents you are missing or what they want to see more of. You will either be permitted to email them to the caseworker or you can reapply on another day.
The most common reasons for being declined are:
Not having German health insurance.
Solution: Sign up for German private health insurance via Feather or Ottonova, both of which will ensure you have comprehensive German health insurance that meets all the legal requirements for the German Freelance Visa.
If you are not eligible for German private health insurance, your next best bet is Feather’s expat health cover. While not private German health insurance, it is often accepted by the immigration office for initial Freelance Visa applications.
Not having enough German-based clients.
Solution: Reapply for the Freelance Visa with additional letters of intent from German clients.
Projected income is not high enough.
Solution: Your projected income should be at least €18,000 a year. However, there is no set figure for this and what is considered 'sufficient' is largely down to the discretion of the immigration office caseworker. You should try reapplying with a higher projected income.
No proof of address in Berlin.
To apply for any visa in Berlin, you must first be officially registered at an address, a process that is known as Anmeldung. Currently, the demand for flats in Berlin is far outstripping supply, so it can be difficult to find a place to register.
If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
✔️ I am approaching the end of my 90-day visa-free period, do I still have time to apply for the Freelance Visa in Berlin?
If you are approaching the end of your 90-day visa-free period in Germany and are only just applying for the Freelance Visa, you will receive a Fiktionsbescheinigung when you apply at the immigration office in Berlin – this is a bridging visa that allows you to stay in Germany while your Freelance Visa is being processed.
You cannot work on a Fiktionsbescheinigung. The Fiktionsbescheinigung costs €20.
✔️ How do I apply for the German Freelance Visa as an artist?
If you are applying for the German Freelance Visa as an artist, you should also supply proof of your work such as screenshots of your website, letters from collaborators, lists of projects you have worked on, etc. You should also bring a copy of your printed portfolio, which should include examples of your work.
Often called the 'Artist Visa’, it is in fact just the same as the Freelance Visa but processed slightly differently. If the immigration office is fully confident that you fall under the artistic category, your Freelance Visa will likely be issued on the spot.
If you are applying as an artist, it is best to focus on only one or two freelance categories (e.g. painter or sculptor) and you should not apply for any additional category that is not in an artistic field if you wish to be issued the Freelance Visa on the spot.
If you do apply with a non-artistic category (e.g. as a painter and online marketer), your application will likely be processed like any other Freelance Visa (i.e. in 3 weeks to 3 months).
✔️ Can I work in multiple different fields with a Freelance Visa for Germany?
Depending on what freelance work you will be doing, you can apply for the German Freelance Visa under multiple different job categories. For example, you can apply as an English teacher and an online marketer.
You need to show letters of intent to hire/freelance contracts and proof of your skills and experience for each category. Make sure you write each different category of freelance work you wish to work in on your application paperwork. You can only work in the category/categories in which you applied.
✔️ Can I add on a category to my German Freelance Visa?
Once you have your Freelance Visa, if you want to start working in a different category not listed on your visa, it is possible to add on a category. To have a category added on, you need to supply letters of intent to hire/freelance contracts to the immigration office from the companies/clients who wish to hire you.
For example, if you have a Freelance Visa for teaching English but a company would like to hire you as a content writer, the company should write you a signed letter of intent to hire stating that they wish to employ you as a freelance content writer and the reasons for this.
To add on a category, you need to re-submit all of the documents you originally applied with in step 2 above. You can book an appointment to add on a category to your Freelance Visa here.
✔️ Can I apply for the German Freelance Visa if I only have overseas clients?
If you only have overseas clients, your Freelance Visa application may be denied on the basis that you do not need to reside in Germany in order to perform your freelance work.
While you can still apply with just overseas clients, we highly recommend that you delay your application until you have at least 2 or 3 German-based clients.
✔️ Can I take a part-time job on a Freelance Visa?
No – you can only work as a freelancer in the field stated on your Freelance Visa. To switch to regular employment, you will need to apply for a German Work Visa.
✔️ Can the German Freelance Visa be renewed?
Yes – it is likely you will initially be issued a 1–2 year Freelance Visa which you can renew when your initial visa is close to expiry.
✔️ What if I get a full time job while on a Freelance Visa?
You will need to switch to a German Work Visa. If you are employed full time, you may also be able to keep freelancing on the side if this is stated on your Work Visa.
✔️ What happens if I am declined for a German Freelance Visa?
The immigration office will specify the reason you are declined and you may reapply with additional documents, e.g. additional letters of intent from German-based clients.
✔️ What if I am still waiting to be approved for a German Freelance Visa and it is nearing the end of my 90-day visa-free period?
You can visit the immigration office where you applied and they will give you a bridging visa (Fiktionsbescheinigung). You cannot start working on the bridging visa but it allows you to continue residing in Germany while your Freelance Visa application is processed.
If you have questions specific to the Freelance Visa, you can message the relevant department at the immigration office via their contact form.