AtlasCarta
Pathways/Germany
🇩🇪

Germany · National (Germany)

Business Investor

Freelance / Self-Employment Visa (§21 AufenthG)

For non-EU freelancers (Freiberufler) or self-employed founders (Selbständige) with a genuine German business case.

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Pathway overview

For non-EU freelancers (Freiberufler) or self-employed founders (Selbständige) with a genuine German business case.

Verified directly from make-it-in-germany.com: you need a business plan demonstrating genuine German client interest and economic benefit, health insurance, and sufficient funds to support yourself — commonly cited guidance is around €9,000 in funds and €1,000-2,500/month in expected income depending on your city and family size, though no single authoritative figure could be confirmed, so this tool checks a general self-declared yes/no for sufficient funds rather than a specific number. Initially granted for up to 3 years; converts to settlement after 5 years of self-sustaining activity.

Eligibility requirements

Intended applicant
Not yet confirmed in structured format
Job offer
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Age
Not yet confirmed in structured format
Language
Not yet confirmed in structured format
Experience
Not yet confirmed in structured format

Costs and financial requirements

Main financial requirement
Not yet confirmed in structured format
Government fee
Not yet confirmed in structured format

Application process

Apply at a German mission abroad, or convert an existing residence permit at your local Ausländerbehörde

Status, validity and rights

Current status
Open
Initial validity
Not yet confirmed in structured format
Renewal
Not yet confirmed in structured format
Work rights
Not yet confirmed in structured format
Study rights
Not yet confirmed in structured format

Family inclusion

Not yet confirmed in structured format

Permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residence

Not yet confirmed in structured format

Citizenship

Not yet confirmed in structured format

Eligibility to apply for permanent residence or citizenship never guarantees approval.

Required documents

An official pathway-specific document checklist has not yet been confirmed in structured format.

Official sources and verification

No reviewer-confirmed official source is available for public display yet.

Last published
2026-09-05
Last source verification
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Effective from
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Effective to
No end date published

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AtlasCarta explains published immigration requirements for research and comparison. It does not provide immigration advice or predict an application outcome.

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