Residence permit for freelance self-employment (liberal professions)
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | Aufenthaltserlaubnis zur Ausübung einer freiberuflichen Tätigkeit (§ 21 Abs. 5 AufenthG) as of 2026-08-08[1] |
|---|---|
| Official name (English) | Residence permit for freelance self-employment (liberal professions) as of 2026-08-08[11] Federal portal's English framing ('work as a freelancer'); translation of the statutory term 'freiberufliche Tätigkeit'. |
| Legal basis | Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 21 Abs. 5 as of 2026-08-08[1] |
| Instrument type | residence permit as of 2026-08-08[1] |
Permit terms
| Initial duration | up to 3 years as of 2026-08-08[11] |
|---|---|
| Renewable | Yes as of 2026-08-08[11] |
| Renewal duration | Not established from a qualifying source |
| Work rights | Not established from a qualifying source |
Permanent residence and citizenship
| Counts toward permanent residence | Yes as of 2026-08-08[7] Standard sec. 9 settlement rules (five years) apply. The sec. 21(4) three-year acceleration does not apply to freelancers (sec. 21(5) s.4); the portal offers the three-year settlement option to business founders only. |
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Requirements
| Minimum capital | Not applicable[1][11] No capital requirement; proof of sufficient funds to finance the projects is required (portal; sec. 21(5) disapplies the sec. 21(1) criteria). |
|---|---|
| Business plan required | Not established from a qualifying source |
| Endorsement required | No as of 2026-08-08[1] |
| Innovation criterion | No as of 2026-08-08[1] Sec. 21(5) grants the permit by way of derogation from sec. 21(1); the economic-interest/innovation assessment factors do not apply. |
| Jobs to be created | Not applicable[1] |
| Own means requirement | Recorded at the source, but not reducible to a single value[1][11] |
Process
| Where to apply from | either as of 2026-08-08[8] |
|---|---|
| Fees |
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Physical presence
| maximum consecutive absence | 6 months · to keep the permit as of 2026-08-08[6] Sec. 51(1) no. 7 AufenthG: the permit lapses if the holder leaves Germany and does not re-enter within six months (or a longer period set by the foreigners authority); it also lapses on departure for a reason that is not temporary by nature (no. 6). |
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Your next step
Read the requirements above considering your own situation: the income multiple, the absence limits, who you can bring. Check the country record for the reference figure those amounts are calculated from, and for anything that has changed recently.
The next step is your own case. That assessment is legal work. Create profile for our assistance in this.
Profile benefits
- A 30-minute call with our consultant, who reads your profile first.
- An offer for legal support built around your case, covering the whole process.
Verification
| Sources cited | 11 |
|---|---|
| of which official (tier 1) | 11 |
| Oldest as-of date | 2026-08-08 |
| Newest as-of date | 2026-08-08 |
| Reviewed on | 2026-08-11 |
| Schema version | 1.1 |
Sources
- [1] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 21 – Selbständige Tätigkeit (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy - [2] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 29 – Familiennachzug zu Ausländern (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [3] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 30 – Ehegattennachzug (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [4] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 32 – Kindernachzug (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [5] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 4a – Zugang zur Erwerbstätigkeit (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [6] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 51 – Beendigung der Rechtmäßigkeit des Aufenthalts (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [7] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 9 – Niederlassungserlaubnis (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy - [8] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 41 – Vergünstigung für bestimmte Staatsangehörige (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [9] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 45 – Gebühren Aufenthaltserlaubnis (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy - [10] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 46 – Gebühren Visum (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [11] Visa for self-employment
Make it in Germany (Federal Government portal for skilled workers) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy