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Your own clients carry the case.
A German client letter proves there is a local market for your work. Your broader practice can still include clients elsewhere in Germany and abroad.
Germany · own clients
Germany Freelance Visa (Freiberufler)
Your own clients carry the case. Build a recognised independent practice in Germany with €11,904 in a blocked account and a letter from at least one German client.
- €11,904blocked account
- 1 German clientletter required at minimum
- 3 yearsinitial permit
What the freelance route gives you
Benefits of the Freiberufler Visa
Independent work is the legal basis of the residence case, so the client evidence and the practice itself matter more than an employer.
Self-employment from day one
The route is built for independent contracting in recognised professional fields.
Berlin knows creative practices
The live page highlights the city's long experience with writers, artists, designers and journalists.
No trade tax for recognised professions
Qualifying freelance income follows the professional tax treatment rather than a commercial-trade registration.
Family can join
A spouse and minor children can join. A spouse who also freelances needs a separate freelance case.
Choose by how you work
Own clients, job search or employment?
The German route follows the work relationship you can document today.
Best forEmployerCore proofMoney or salaryPermanent-residence path
Freelance VisaBest forRecognised independent professionsEmployerNot requiredCore proofGerman client letter and practice planMoney or salary€11,904 blocked accountPermanent-residence pathFrom 3 years
Opportunity CardBest forQualified people without an offerEmployerNot needed to enterCore proofQualification or 6+ pointsMoney or salary€13,092 or €1,091 a monthPermanent-residence pathConvert first
EU Blue CardBest forQualified employeesEmployerGerman contract or payroll companyCore proofEmployment, salary and qualificationMoney or salary€50,700 or €45,934.20Permanent-residence path21 months with B1
We classify the work before building documents, because a real freelance practice and an employment relationship need different German permits.
What counts as recognised freelance work
The profession and the client work must match.
Germany separates recognised independent professions from ordinary commercial businesses. We classify the practice before the client letters are drafted.
Show a recognised professional field
Doctors, engineers, architects, journalists, writers, artists, designers, translators, teachers and scientists are among the live examples.
Describe intellectual professional services
The contracts and portfolio need to show the real expert service, not a disguised commercial operation.
Bring at least one German client letter
The letter or signed contract shows that German clients intend to buy the service.
Prove the practice can support you
Use the €11,904 blocked account, the client pipeline and the wider income evidence as one financial story.
Building a practice in Germany
The benefits of moving to Germany
The live page points to a large independent-work market, flexible insurance paths and established city-level practice for creative and technical freelancers.
A large freelance market
Berlin is strong in creative work, while Munich and Hamburg carry technical and consulting demand.
Clients can be international
The German-client letter proves local demand, but the wider practice can still serve clients abroad.
Insurance has more than one path
Private cover is common, while qualifying artists may use the supported artist-insurance system.
Professional income avoids trade tax
Recognised independent professions use the professional tax treatment instead of ordinary trade registration.
Build the client evidence before the move. The German letter is a minimum, while a broader client base makes the practice easier to believe and sustain.
Fit check
The Freelance Visa fits a real independent profession with client demand.
Use this first filter before funding the blocked account or registering the practice.
The freelance route is worth checking if
- Your work sits in a recognised independent profession
- At least one German client will sign a letter or contract
- You can show €11,904 in a blocked account and a viable practice
- You want to keep working for your own German and international clients
Check another route if
- A specific employer controls the work relationship
- The activity is a commercial trade rather than a professional service
- There is no German client interest to document
- You are over 45 and cannot show an acceptable pension plan
Evidence file
What your Freiberufler file must prove
The profession, client demand, financial viability and local setup must describe the same independent practice.
-
Professional field
Qualifications, experience and portfolio showing a recognised independent profession
-
German client demand
At least one letter of intent or signed contract from a German client
-
Financial viability
€11,904 blocked account plus contracts, invoices or income evidence supporting the practice
-
Practice plan
Services, clients, pricing and a credible plan for operating in Germany
-
Insurance and pension
German health-insurance setup and an acceptable pension plan where the applicant is over 45
-
Identity and residence
Passport, civil and background documents, address registration and local residence forms
From profession check to residence permit
How to get the Germany Freelance Visawith one case manager.
The six live-page stages start with the profession and client letters, then connect tax, insurance and the residence file.
- 1Relovisa
Classify the profession
Before engagementWe confirm that the real work is a recognised independent profession rather than an employment or trade case.
- 2Client + Relovisa
Secure German client letters
Before filingYou obtain at least one letter or contract. We provide the structure and explain what the client should truthfully confirm.
- 3Relovisa + client
Plan address and tax setup
Arrival planningWe coordinate the address-registration steps and the German tax-number application for the practice.
- 4Relovisa + insurer
Set up health insurance
Before residence filingWe help choose the correct private or artist-specific insurance path for the profession and budget.
- 5Case team
Build the full dossier
Before the consulateClient letters, funds, qualifications, insurance, pension evidence where required, translations and forms are checked as one set.
- 6Client + local authority
Complete the local permit
After arrivalWe coordinate the local residence appointment and follow-up for the physical freelance permit.
Your case manager keeps the profession, clients, tax setup and residence file on one plan.
Service scope
One package, from profession review to visa issuance
The package covers the eligibility analysis, local-setup guidance, the full consular file and case management through visa issuance.
Germany Freelance Visa
from €3,990 + €1,900 per family member
- Professional-eligibility assessment
- Address-registration guidance
- Health-insurance setup guidance
- German tax-number registration guidance
- Personalised strategy and initial consultation
- Ongoing chat with a dedicated advisor
- All required forms completed
- Pre-submission document double-check
- Consulate booking where the jurisdiction allows it
- Case management through visa issuance
For artists, journalists, doctors, translators, qualifying IT consultants and other recognised independent professions.
Check my case for free
GermanyOWN CLIENTS - €11,904 in a blocked account
- At least one German client letter or signed contract
Government, translation, insurance, tax-registration and blocked-account costs are separate. The signed engagement confirms scope and payment terms.
Other German routes
If you want employment instead
The Blue Card starts with a qualifying contract. The Opportunity Card gives you a year in Germany to find one.
For qualified employees with a German contract or payroll-company setup.
Germany Blue Card
Clear the 2026 salary floor and use the 21-month permanent-residence route with B1 German.
- Salary
- €50,700 or €45,934.20
- Employer
- German employer or payroll company
- IT degree
- Experience can replace it
- EU mobility
- After 12 months
- Permanent residence
- 21 months with B1
01 DE · EMPLOYMENT For qualified people who need time in Germany to find a job.
Germany Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)
Live in Germany for up to a year, work part time while searching and convert after a qualifying offer is signed.
- Funds
- €13,092 or €1,091/mo
- Employer
- Not needed to enter
- Work
- Up to 20 hours/week
- Validity
- Up to 12 months
- Next route
- Blue Card conversion
02 DE · JOB SEARCH Relovisa in numbers
99.2% of our clients get their visa or residence permit.
Residence, work, founder and family cases.
Clients across Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East and the CIS.
Immigration, tax and in-country specialists in the wider network.
The live route duration, subject to the practice and local authority decision.
Global Relovisa results across every country and route. The three-year figure is specific to the German freelance route.
People behind your case
The people who move your case forward.
Every case is led and coordinated by Relovisa. We bring in the immigration consultants, lawyers, payroll and tax specialists the route needs, while Relovisa remains your single point of contact.
One coordinated case team, built around the route you actually need.
Vlad Shipilov
FounderLeads strategy for founder, business and non-standard cases, connecting the route with the client's business, family and long-term plan.
Olia Nemirovski
COO & Chief Case ManagerLeads client and partner operations so case teams, local specialists and next steps stay coordinated from assessment to completion.
Evgenia
UK Immigration Lawyer · Specialist PartnerSupports UK immigration and Talent Visa case management where licensed legal input is required.
Vladimir
Germany Immigration Consultant · Specialist PartnerSupports German work immigration cases across process planning, local requirements and case coordination.
Daniela
Portugal Immigration Lawyer · Specialist PartnerSupports Portuguese residence matters that require legal review, representation or procedural escalation.
Petra
Portugal Immigration Consultant · Specialist PartnerSupports Portugal D2, D3, D7 and D8 cases, including clients with different income structures.
Marilia
Portugal Immigration Attorney · Specialist PartnerSupports global mobility for self-employed, founder and highly skilled cases through Portugal D8, D2 and D3 routes.
Thiago
Portugal Immigration Attorney · Specialist PartnerSupports highly qualified professionals and procedural cases involving residence delays and AIMA proceedings.
Vladislav
International Tax Advisor · Specialist PartnerAdvises on international tax structures and non-standard cross-border situations across Europe, Asia and the United States.
Thomas
Crypto & Tax Advisor · Specialist PartnerSupports clients whose move intersects with crypto assets, international business and tax planning.
Our wider specialist network60+
immigration consultants and lawyers
Local coverage for routes and services that require authorised in-country specialists.
Freelance Visa questions
Germany Freiberufler questions
The live-page questions that decide the profession, client proof and local setup.
What counts as a recognised freelance profession?
The live examples include doctors, dentists, vets, lawyers, tax advisors, engineers, architects, journalists, writers, artists, designers, translators, teachers, scientists and IT consultants delivering intellectual professional work. A commercial trade needs a different route analysis.
How many German clients do I need?
At least one German letter of intent or signed contract is the minimum. A broader client base makes the practice stronger, and we help structure the outreach evidence.
Can I work for clients outside Germany?
Yes. The German letter proves a real German market for the services. The permit does not otherwise restrict the practice to German clients.
Do I need to speak German?
German is not a universal visa requirement on the live page. The practical language need depends on the city, clients and authority appointments, while stronger German supports later settlement and citizenship.
What health insurance do I need?
Health insurance is mandatory. Private cover is common for freelancers and the live orientation range is €200 to €500 a month. Qualifying artists may use the supported artist-insurance system.
How much money do I need?
Use €11,904 in a blocked account as the owner-canon planning anchor. The local office also looks at client contracts, invoices and whether the practice can realistically support you.
What changes after age 45?
Applicants over 45 need an acceptable pension-provision plan. The arrangement can vary by profession and local office, so it is checked before filing.
How is this different from the Blue Card or Opportunity Card?
The Blue Card is qualified employment. The Opportunity Card is a one-year job search. The Freiberufler route is for genuine independent professional work with your own clients.
Your German freelance case
Bring the profession and clients. We will test the route.
We classify the work, review the German client evidence, funds and local setup, then name the first gap before you commit.
Check my case for freeFree written check first · €40 live session, credited to your package