Residence permit for a freelance employment - Issuance

Prerequisites

• Freelance employment
  
  It must be a self-employed academic, artistic, literary, teaching, educational or other self-employed professional occupation in accordance with s. 18 (1) Income Tax Act (see section "Further Information").
• Adequate pension plan (only if you have already completed the 45th year of life)
  
  The following applies to 2024:
  Perspectively, at the age of 67, you must have
  

  • either a monthly pension of 1,503.34 euros (for at least 12 years)
  • or an asset amount of 216,481.00 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.)
• Main residence in Berlin
• Personal appearance by appointment is required

Documents required

• Form "Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels" (Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit)
  
  Only required for first-time application
• Valid passport
• 1 current biometric photo
  
  35mm x 45mm, frontal shot with neutral facial expression and closed mouth, looking straight into the camera, light background
• Revenue forecast
  
  see section "Forms"
• Regarding artists and language teachers: Proof of other regular income
  
  E.g. own assets, regular transfers from dependent parents, submission of a declaration of obligation by a solvent third party
• If you want to work on a fee basis: Letter of intent for the collaboration
  
  Submission of at least two declarations of intent (with information on type, scope and description of the occupation)
• Fee contracts
• Resume / Curriculum vitae
  
  Details of professional career, qualification certificates, diploma, references/sponsors
• Professional permit
  
  If a permit is required for the freelance occupation, e.g. a license to practice law (original)
• Health insurance
  
  Proof of a secure livelihood must also include sufficient health insurance. Those with statutory health insurance are sufficiently insured. Those with private health insurance must consider the type and extent of their health insurance. For more information, please read the leaflet "Health insurance" (see section "More information").
• Lease or proof of home ownership
  
  Original
• Rental cost / expenses for property
  
  Proof of the monthly rental costs (e.g. current account statement) or costs of the inhabited property; in each case in original form
• 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:
  

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

  More on the topic in the section "More information"

Forms

• Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit) - in German, English, French, Italian
• Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit) - in German, Greek, Turkish, Vietnamese
• Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit) - in German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian
• Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit) - in German, Serbian, Bosnian
• Revenue forecast

Fees

• 100.00 euros

• Up to the age of 24 years: 22.80 euros
• From the age of 24 years: 37.00 euros

Legal basis

• Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 21 Abs. 5

Average time to process request

Around 5–6 weeks
A personal visit four to six weeks before the existing temporary residence title expires is best. If possible you should book an appointment for this.

More information

• Definition of the freelance-employed person according to s. 18 Income Tax Act
• Leaflet "Health insurance"
• Bescheinigung über die Anmeldung einer Wohnung (Meldebestätigung) (Dienstleistung)
• Example: confirmation of occupancy from the landlord
• Niederlassungserlaubnis für Freiberufliche (Dienstleistung)

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