Residence permit for the purpose of freelance or self-employment - extension

Prerequisites

• Residence permit for the purpose of freelance or self-employment
  
  The residence permit must still be valid and issued in accordance with section 21 AufenthG.
• Adequate pension plan (only if you have already completed the 45th year of life)
  
  The following applies from 1 July 2024:
  Perspectively, at the age of 67, you must have
  

  • either a monthly pension of 1,565.03 euros (for at least 12 years)
  • or an asset amount of 225,364.00 euros.

  Proof of a pension plan is not required for these nationalities: Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the United States of America
  (Note: An adequate pension is always necessary for the issuance of a permanent settlement permit - regardless of age or nationality.)
• Adequate health insurance
  
  You have health insurance in Germany, either in the statutory health insurance system or a comparable private health insurance.
  Foreign health insurance is generally not sufficient. For more information, please read the leaflet (see section "More information").
• Main residence in Berlin
• Personal appearance by appointment is required
  
  • To make an appointment, please contact the relevant department using the contact form (see section "More information").
  • If possible, please send your appointment request 8 weeks before your current residence permit expires.

Documents required

• Valid passport
• 1 current biometric photo
  
  • From May 1, 2025, biometric passport photos may only be taken digitally directly in the authorities or in photo studios and transmitted by secure electronic means.
  • Please check the website of the Berlin Immigration Office (see “More information”) in good time before your appointment for the current status.
• Entrepreneurs and self-employed (residence permit in accordance with section 21 para. 1 or para. 2a AufenthG): form "Prüfungsbericht" (Audit report form)
  
  • The audit report form must be prepared by a tax consultant, auditor or a lawyer with relevant professional experience (e.g. a specialist lawyer for tax law).
  • It should bear an official stamp.
  • Together with the documents mentioned in the audit report form
• Freelancers (residence permit in accordance with section 21 para. 5 AufenthG): Proof of a secure livelihood
  
  Freelancers (e.g. artists or language instructors) are not required to provide an audit report form, but need to provide proof of a secure livelihood through their occupation with other documents:
  

  • Tax assessments,
  • Net profit determination of a tax consultant,
  • Bank account statements that show a regular inflow and
  • Invoices,e.g. from galleries and auction houses and the like.

  Please put the documents in original and sorted.
• Lease or proof of home ownership
• Housing costs (Original)
  
  Proof of the monthly rental costs (current account statement) or cost of the inhabited property; each in the original.
• Proof of your health insurance
  
  • If you have statutory health insurance: electronic health card and a current confirmation from the health insurance company stating the contribution to be paid
  • In the case of private health insurance: certificate from the insurer regarding the scope and costs of the insurance in accordance with § 257 Para. 2a SGB V. V. Please point out to your insurer that you need the certificate for a residence permit for self-employment
• Adequate pension plan (only if you have already completed the 45th year of life)
  
  You can provide evidence of adequate retirement benefits (see section "Prerequisites") by:
  

  • a private pension or life insurance,
  • own assets,
  • acquired pension rights or
  • operating assets
• Proof of main residence in Berlin
  
  • Certificate of registration at the main residence or
  • lease and written confirmation of occupancy from the landlord

  More on the topic in the section "More information".

Forms

• Audit report form ("Prüfungsbericht") for entrepreneurs and self-employed persons

Fees

• 93.00 euros

• From the age of 24 years: 37.00 euros
• Until the age of 24 years: 22.80 euros

Legal basis

• Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 21

Average time to process request

After the appointment, it takes at least 4 weeks until the residence permit is issued as an electronic residence permit and can be collected.

More information

• Contact forms for making an appointment (Berlin Immigration Office)
• Digital passport photos for residence documents from 01.05.2025 (Berlin Immigration Office)
• Health insurance leaflet (Berlin Immigration Office)
• Permanent settlement permit for self-employed persons (service)
• Permanent settlement permit for Freelancers (service)
• Certificate of registration at the main residence (Melde-Bestätigung)
• Example: confirmation of occupancy from the landlord (Wohnungsgeber-Bestätigung)

Notes on responsibility

This service can only be taken advantage of in the Berlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung – LEA) at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer.

Your point of contact

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