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Frage

I would like to work as a freelancer in an English teaching program. Please let me know, how best I can go about it.

Antwort

If you are a citizen of the European Union, you are generally free to work as a freelancer in Germany. If you are not a citizen of the European Union and you do not hold a permanent resident permit (http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/visa), you should get in touch with your competent authority (“Ausländerbehörde”) regarding your residential status (you should check whether your current work permit allows a freelance activity or you may have to change to another residential status before taking up the freelance job). To get some personal advice, you can also contact the hotline “Working and Living in Germany” under the telephone number +49 30 1815 - 1111.

Teaching a language is generally based on a teaching activity and thus on a freelance profession. However, this is different if your activity is limited to the management for example of the language school or a teaching program and the teaching activity is carried out exclusively by employees. In this case, a commercial activity must be assumed, so that you will be working as a self-employed entrepreneur (“Gewerbe”). Being self-employed or a freelancer makes a difference with regard to certain formalities and also has an impact in your company’s legal structure: http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/working/setting-up-a-business-in-germany/startup-types-ways-of-setting-up-your-business#legal-structures

Furthermore, there are many public information centres, which will advise you as you set up your own business. On the Startup Portal, under “advice and information”, you will find the contact information of regional and national information centres for entrepreneurs with a migrant background (https://www.existenzgruender.de/DE/Service/Beratung-Adressen/Linksammlung/Gruender-innen-Migrationshintergrund/inhalt.html). A general contact list is available on the Startup Portal (http://www.existenzgruender.de/DE/Weg-in-die-Selbstaendigkeit/Entscheidung/Beratung/Beratung-finden/inhalt.htm). Furthermore, the service website of Baden-Württemberg (also available in English) provides detailed information on setting up a business in Baden-Württemberg: https://www.service-bw.de/en/web/guest/lebenslage/-/lebenslage/Freelancers-5001440-lebenslage-0
Step-by-step information regarding setting up a business in Germany are available on the website "Make it in Germany": http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/working/setting-up-a-business-in-Germany

We wish you all the best.

Source: Justina Alichniewicz
Projekt „Make it in Germany“
Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln e.V.
August 2017

Tips from the Editor:

• English version of the business start-up portal
• Checks and Overviews
• Serviceportal Baden-Württemberg: English Version