Apply for residence permit for self-employment

How do you get a residence permit for your self-employed activity?

You work as a freelancer and want to stay in Germany? Then you can apply for a residence permit for your self-employed activity. The authority decides on a case-by-case basis whether you receive it. The prerequisite is that your activity is expected to have positive economic or cultural effects. Self-employed activities include, for example, art, writing, language teaching, or independent work as a doctor, engineer, auditor, interpreter, or architect.

You must meet certain requirements. You are already legally residing in Germany — for example with a national D-visa or a residence permit. A Schengen visa (C-visa) for short stays is not sufficient. You also need a primary residence in Berlin. A secondary or additional residence in Berlin is not enough. You must also have health insurance in Germany — either statutory or comparable private health insurance. Foreign health insurance is generally not sufficient.

If you are already 45 years old or older, you must additionally provide proof of adequate retirement provision. As of 1 July 2025, the following applies: at age 67, you must either have a monthly pension of at least 1,612.53 euros for at least 12 years or assets of at least 232,204.00 euros. This requirement does not apply to nationals of the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

There are also personal requirements for the application. You must not have any grounds for expulsion. Even fines or ongoing investigations can prevent the issuance. You must also not pose a threat to the free democratic basic order or the security of Germany. And you must not pursue political or religious goals through violence, call for it, or threaten it.

You submit the application online under the title "Residence permit for self-employed or freelance persons". Prepare all documents as PDFs if possible. You can also photograph documents with your smartphone and upload them. Permitted formats are PDF, JPG, JPEG, and PNG. The total size of all files may not exceed 100 MB. A single file may be a maximum of 7 MB. You can interrupt the application at any time, save it temporarily, and continue later. Before submitting, you must pay the processing fee — by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or PayPal. At the end, you receive a PDF confirmation. This certifies that your current residence title remains valid — even beyond the previous expiration date. However, this does not apply if you have a C-visa or your residence title has already expired on the day of the application. Be sure to save and print this confirmation. The State Office for Immigration (Landesamt für Einwanderung, LEA) then reviews your application and contacts you by email as soon as possible. Regularly check your spam folder as well. If your application has been positively reviewed, the LEA invites you to a personal appointment. Bring all the documents listed in the invitation letter with you.