Freelancing in Germany: How to Get Started
This page provides detailed instructions on how to get set up as a freelancer in Germany. From visas and insurance to registering your freelance activity and obtaining your freelance tax number, we have broken down a complex set up process into simple, step-by-step instructions that will help kickstart your freelance life in Germany.
👨💻 Freelancing in Germany has been on the rise for years. In an era of workplace flexibility and digital transformation, a growing portion of the workforce is trading in the security of regular employment for the freelance life, drawn in by exciting project opportunities, remote work and a desire for a better work-life balance.
If all this sounds good to you, then you may be eager to join a growing cohort of over 1.5 million freelancers in Germany. From teachers and architects to copywriters and consultants, Germany’s freelance marketplace is ripe and ready. But the process of becoming a freelancer in Germany can be difficult and mired in red tape – we are in Germany after all!
To help you on your way, we have provided a step-by-step approach to setting up as a freelancer in Germany. While the order of the steps may vary from person to person (for example, you may need to obtain a freelance visa before moving to Germany), complete these 7 steps and you will be all set to start life as a Freiberufler in Germany!
1️⃣ Define if you are a freelancer in Germany
🧑🎨 While your work may be defined as ‘freelance’ in your home country, this does not automatically make you a freelancer in Germany. In order to be classified as a Freiberufler (freelancer) in Germany, you actually need to be working in a so-called ‘liberal profession’, which includes:
Creative work (e.g. journalists, translators, photographers, artists, etc.)
Advisory work (e.g. accountants, lawyers, etc.)
Teaching work (e.g. school teachers, language instructors, etc.)
Medical work (eg. vets, doctors, psychologists)
Technical work (e.g. architects, engineers)
You may be unsure if your freelance work fits into these categories. If in doubt, we recommend:
Contacting the Institut für Freie Berufe (Institute for Liberal Professions)
Contacting your local Finanzamt (tax office) in Germany.
Once you are confident that your work is classified as freelance in Germany, you are all set to move on to step 2 below.
⚠️ If your self-employed work does not fall into one of the freelance categories listed above, then you will instead be classified as self-employed (Selbständiger) in Germany. This guide is not for you.
2️⃣ Register your address in Germany
🏠 Once you have ascertained that your work is in fact considered freelance in Germany, it is time to get started with your set up.
Before anything else, you must first officially register at an address in Germany. The process of registering at an address is called Anmeldung. As a freelancer, you need to complete your Anmeldung in order to:
Apply for a Freelance Visa at an immigration office in Germany.
Obtain a German Tax ID.
Obtain a Freelance Tax Number.
⚠️ Without Anmeldung, you will not be able to proceed with your set up as a freelancer in Germany so it is essential to prioritise this when first arriving in the country.
If you are having trouble finding accommodation in Germany where you can complete your Anmeldung, then here are some good places to look:
Smartments (see our review for more details)
ImmoScout24 (see our guide for more details)
For further information on how to find an apartment in Germany, see our German Apartment Hunting Guide.
3️⃣ Open a euro bank account
As a freelancer in Germany, you will most likely want a euro bank account in order to get paid for your work and to avoid poor exchange rates and eye-watering bank fees. To explore your options, check out our German Banking Guide.
Alternatively, a highly popular banking option amongst freelancers in Germany is to open a multi-currency account with Wise. Freelancers generally love Wise because:
The account is completely free to set up and maintain.
You can get paid in EUR, USD, GBP, CAD, NZD, etc., and can hold 40+ currencies in different sub-accounts. This is a great feature if you have freelance clients paying you from around the world, not just from Germany.
You can order a Wise debit Mastercard which is widely accepted throughout Germany both online and in-store.
4️⃣ Take out suitable German Health Insurance
❗Health insurance is mandatory for freelancers in Germany. This is also one of the key requirements for successfully applying for a German Freelance Visa.
In theory, freelancers in Germany can choose between:
However, unlike employees, who benefit from their employer covering 50% of their health insurance contributions, freelancers are required to cover 100% of their insurance contributions. This can make certain health insurance options prohibitively expensive depending on your salary, age and health.
We have provided some information below to help you select the right insurance for your situation.
German Public Health Insurance
In Germany, there are a lot of public health insurance providers (Krankenkassen) to select from; 97 to be specific. They are legally obligated to cover the same public health services including in-patient hospital care, outpatient care, medicines, rehabilitative care and some dental services.
German public health insurance providers all cost the same. They charge a basic rate of 14.6% of your gross salary (plus additional premiums up to 2.4%). Therefore, as your freelance income goes up, your health insurance contributions also go up. This can quickly get very expensive. For example, if you earn €4500 per month, then your basic health insurance will cost €657 per month – ouch!
Even if you earn a much smaller salary (or nothing at all) when freelancing in Germany, you are still required to pay a minimum monthly insurance contribution, which currently equates to around €180 per month.
Despite the high price tag, German public health insurance definitely has some advantages for freelancers in Germany:
✅ Your health insurance contributions are not affected by your age or health.
✅ Pre-existing conditions are covered and do not affect the cost of your insurance.
✅ Your family members can also be covered by your public health insurance.
Therefore, if you are slightly older, have a family or have pre-existing health problems, German public health insurance may be suitable for you.
❗ Note: If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen and have not recently had public health insurance in the EU/EEA, then you will not be eligible for German public health insurance as a freelancer in Germany. In this case, you will need to opt for private health insurance.
Which German Public Health Insurance should I sign up for as a freelancer?
Our absolute favourite German public health insurance provider for freelancers is TK Health Insurance. Here is why TK is our no.1 choice:
✅ They offer high-quality English customer support as well as English policy documents.
✅ They have a straightforward, simple online sign-up process.
✅ Their policy is accepted by the German immigration authorities when applying for a Freelance Visa.
✅ They provide straightforward access to care. You just need to show your TK health insurance card when receiving health care. The health care provider will then arrange payment with TK.
TK is the largest public health insurer in Germany – by opting for TK, you can rest assured that you have chosen an insurer that is trusted by millions of German residents and is consistently rated among the best insurers in Germany.
German Private Health Insurance
Due to the often exorbitant price of German public health insurance, freelancers often opt for German private health insurance instead.
While public health insurance always costs a fixed portion of your monthly income (14.6%), private health insurance varies depending on your risk profile, which includes your:
Age
Health and pre-existing conditions
Occupation
If you are young and fit, this makes private health insurance considerably cheaper than public health insurance. Especially if you are a high earner, a much smaller portion of your income will be going towards private health insurance than if you have a public health insurance policy.
As well as often being more affordable, private health insurance has various other advantages for freelancers in Germany:
✅ You can access a wider range of treatments.
✅ You can adjust your policy to suit your treatment needs and budget.
✅ You generally benefit from shorter waiting times for healthcare services.
✅ You usually get comprehensive dental coverage and travel cover.
If you are interested in signing up for a private health insurance policy, then we recommend signing up for a policy via Feather.
Feather is an English-speaking brokerage with a close relationship with a wide range of German insurers. They will clarify your options and ensure you sign up for a suitable policy. Better still, their services are completely free of charge!
❗ Note: If you earn a low income or have pre-existing health conditions, then you may be rejected by private health insurers in Germany. In this case, your only option may be expat health insurance.
5️⃣ Apply for a Freelance Visa for Germany
Before you can start freelancing in Germany, you will need a freelance visa unless you are a citizen of the EU or EEA.
Where exactly you can apply for your freelance visa is dependent on your nationality:
Applying for a Freelance Visa in Germany
🌎 If you are from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, or the United States, you can enter Germany without a visa for 90 days. During this 90-day period, you can apply for a freelance visa at your local immigration office in Germany.
For full application information, explore our guide on how to apply for a freelance visa in Germany.
🛑 Applying for a German Freelance Visa overseas
If you are not from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, or the United States, you must either:
apply for the freelance visa at your local German consulate or embassy before arriving in Germany. The application process and requirements will be detailed on your local German consulate/embassy website.
OR
apply for a job seekers visa at your local German consulate or embassy before arriving in Germany. The job seekers visa will allow you to move to Germany to live for up to 6 months. During this 6-month period, you can then apply for a freelance visa at your local immigration office in Germany.
⚠️ Whether you apply for your freelance visa before or after arriving in Germany, the application process tends to be long. Expect the process to take 3 – 6 months.
6️⃣ Get a Freelance Tax Number
After successfully registering your address, opening a bank account, taking out suitable health insurance and obtaining your freelance visa, you are almost there – freelancing in Germany is within touching distance!
The next step is to register your freelance activity with your local tax office (Finanzamt) in order to get a freelance tax number. Known as a Steuernummer in German, you need a freelance tax number to invoice clients in Germany and file your freelance taxes.
There are two ways to apply for a freelance tax number, an easy way and a hard way:
👍 The easy way
In Germany, there is a brilliant company called Sorted. They offer a free registration tool for obtaining your freelance tax number. The service is super simple and in English – you can access the registration tool here.
Sorted will even take care of submitting your application for a freelance tax number to your local tax office.
👎 The hard way
If Sorted’s service does not take your fancy then you can take the traditional route. Here you will need to complete an 8-page German form called the Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung – it must be completed via ELSTER, the official online tax tool of the German tax authorities.
📬 Whichever route your choose, you can expect your freelance tax number to arrive in the mail at your registered address within 3 – 6 weeks of applying.
For further details about the freelance tax number, explore our guide to the German Steuernummer.
7️⃣ Reap the fruits of your labour!
🎉 Once your freelance tax number (Steuernummer) arrives in the mail, you are ready to start freelancing in Germany. You have now ticked off the key bureaucracy to becoming a freelancer in Germany and can finally start bringing home the bacon!
We hope this brief article has helpful and that you now have a clearer understanding of how to get started freelancing in Germany. For further tips on moving to and living in Germany, see our homepage and other blog posts.