Visa Acquisition

Being a country of possibilities and the fourth largest economy in the world, Germany has become home to world-renowned corporations and companies that have their roots not just in Europe but also in faraway lands. Partners and employees, seeking to enter Germany for business purposes, or non-Germans, who want to work and settle in the country, have to obtain a German Business Visa.

In Germany, people with good business ideas are in demand and once you have decided to set up your own business here, you can apply for a residence permit for self-employed business purposes. It is valid for three years and can be extended if the business is successful. In order to receive the visa you will have to have

• a viable business plan
• relevant experience
• be fully financed by a bank loan or your own capital
• show how your business will benefit the region economically

In Germany, there are two easy ways of setting up a business as a full liable personal company: Either you are self-employed (Gewerbetreibender), or you are a freelancer (Freiberufler). 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 and tax aspects.

There is another way to start a limited liability company as a GmbH or an UG too. An Unternehmergesellschaft (UG), commonly known as a “mini-GmbH”, can be established with capital of only one euro, or any other sum up to the €25,000. For a regular corporation (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, GmbH) it is required to invest €12,500, which can be immediately used for any corporate purposes. As a legal entity the mini-GmbH is much the same as a corporation however one quarter of a mini-GmbH’s annual profit has to be contributed to its capital reserves until they reach €25,000, at which point the UG can become a regular GmbH. On the tax side there is no difference between a mini-GmbH and a GmbH. However, a regular GmbH is more likely to be favored by the German government, since it is the most widely used form for corporations and has better social and public acceptance.

Over the years our team has acquired skills and knowledge that can support you in dealing with all of the issues mentioned above. Our professional experts will help you to collect all of the documents, write a business plan – that would be eligible according to the German law – and submit your papers to the local authorities to facilitate the process.