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Frage

I would like to open a professional pastry. Your company can help me to get a certificate and a visa to work.

Antwort

Thank you for your request and your interest in setting up a business in Germany.

In order to set up your own business, special rules apply for craft professions, including the profession “Konditor” (in English: Confectioner or pastry cook). Therefore, you will usually need a master craftsman’s certificate (“Meisterbrief”), which you can obtain on the basis of an advanced training course. If you have obtained your professional qualification abroad, you can have its equivalency assessed. This means that if you hold a professional qualification, which is deemed to be equal to a German Meister qualification, you can set up your own business in a trade that is subject to authorization. If you hold a professional qualification, which is equivalent to the normal German qualification without the Meister title, you can embark on an advance-training course to obtain your Meister title. For more individual advice concerning the recognition of your qualification, we recommend you to get directly in touch with the Chamber of Crafts, which is in charge of the recognition procedure.

Regarding further information on setting up a business, please check out the website "Make it in Germany" for useful advices on business plan, financing and funding, etc.: http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/working/setting-up-a-business-in-Germany

Please note:
If you are a citizen of the European Union, you are free to set up a business in Germany.
If you are not a citizen of the European Union and you do not hold a permanent resident permit you should get in touch with your competent authority regarding your residential status: http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/visa

If you are not yet living in Germany, you need to apply for a visa for the purpose of self-employed occupation at the competent German Mission in your current country of residence. You will find the local contact here: http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/visa/local-contacts. Please note that there are several criteria which need to be fulfilled in order to apply for a residence permit for the purpose of self-employment. For further questions regarding the visa process please contact the German Mission in your country of residence – especially for questions concerning the required documents: http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/working/setting-up-a-business-in-germany/visa#general-information-on-the-visa-process-for-citizens-of-other-states

For personal advice, you can also contact the hotline “Working and Living in Germany” under the telephone number +49 30 1815 - 1111.

Source: Justina Alichniewicz
Projekt „Make it in Germany“
Internet: www.make-it-in-germany.com
Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln e.V.
August 2017

Tips from the Editor:

• English version of the business start-up portal
  
• Germany Trade & Invest: Investment Guide to Germany
• German Federal Central Tax Office: Foreign Investors Help Desk