About the Immigration Program
There are many misconceptions about these types of visas and residence permits. The first is the belief that Germany has a "digital nomad residence permit." People often confuse the freelancer residence permit with it. Yes, digital nomad residence permits exist—for example, in Portugal and Spain—but they differ significantly from the German freelancer residence permit. A digital nomad permit implies you can work remotely (without location constraints), receive a salary, and—if that salary meets requirements—live in the country where you hold the permit. In Germany, however, residence permits (including the freelancer permit) are tied to German companies.
So, if you want to freelance in Germany and obtain the corresponding residence permit, you must have a visa or residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) for the purpose of self-employed work. This type of visa is for those who qualify under the "liberal professions" (to check the list, search for freie Berufe Liste).
Business residence permit?
If you don’t fall under any of the liberal professions (freie Berufe), you cannot be a freelancer in Germany or apply for the corresponding visa/residence permit. In this case, you are considered an entrepreneur, and you’ll need a business visa/residence permit.
It’s important to understand that this is one of the most difficult residence permits to obtain. Starting this process while already in Germany under another residence category is dozens of times easier than applying from abroad. The reason is simple: if you’re already living in Germany, you can easily register any business form—for example, a sole proprietorship (Gewerbe) without minimum capital requirements.
But if you’re not yet in Germany, obtaining this type of residence permit is quite difficult. First, you must enter the country on a tourist or business visa (Schengen C), then establish a company in Germany (sole proprietorships are only available to residents). This requires a certain amount of capital, meaning this relocation path inherently involves significant upfront investment.
After drafting the company formation documents, writing the articles of association, and obtaining approval from the Chamber of Commerce (IHK), you’ll still need to handle additional tasks—such as insurance, tax registration, and more.
Only after completing this process can you return to your home country to apply for the visa. At this stage, you must convince officials that your presence in Germany is essential for running the business—in other words, what unique advantage does your business gain from being based in Germany?
It’s far simpler to first relocate under another program (e.g., a job-seeker), establish yourself, and then start a company while already in Germany.
