Immigration Services for Artists now Living Abroad

When you are a freelancing artist and want to live in Germany as a self-employed artist, we will help you obtain the entry visa and/or residence permit in several steps and accordingly invoice you. In other words, we will invoice you step by step upfront. If you diligently follow our instructions, I would like to guarantee that you can get the permit on the spot at the appointment. 

Our Services

Step 1: Preparing the Application

This step is the most crucial and here we both have to be correct at the most! We will supply you with the following services:

1. supplying a checklist for any documents to be submitted, except for your CV,
2. instruction at which office they are to be submitted,
3. general instruction on the application proceedings (duration, fees, opening hours, etc.) two-step procedure, in order for you to know what will happen when and why,
4. We will brief you how to prepare your appointment at the consulate which is practically the greatest barrier for your successful immigration,
5. provide the mandatory application (prefilled out for your convenience), resp. prepare the online appointment service from the consulate, German authorities hate sloppiness and chances decline when the application form evidently misses important information,
6. P&L forecast for the next three years. This forecast must show that you can live off your work here in Germany.

Bear in mind carefully, that you have to prove that you are an artist! German authorities think very formally! If you do not have a diploma, you will have to show this by other means. These "other means" will have to be very persuading. We will help you persuade the authorities.

Step 2: Chasing and Arguing with the Authorities

In this phase, we have to remain patient and kind. Officials are known to be slow. This slowness has the main reason that they are overworked because of an understaffed department, training requirements, etc. Our focus in this phase is to help you acquire your entry visa on time:

1. actively chasing the consulate and Germany based immigration office, within periods inside our discretion,
2. answering their legal questions in order to give them the proper understanding and not something harmful for you or your application,
3. providing a summary of your new legal status after receiving the entry visa,

Step 3: Registrations after Receiving your Artist Residence Permit

You have finally got your permit, and we want to now quickly set you up so that you are registered with the tax office and the artists' social security agency (aka Künstlersozialkasse) and can start earning money. We will prepare the registration forms for you so that you only need to sign them. We will further provide you with a nutshell on business taxes in Germany — the very first information you need daily to understand your tax situation and duties.

Step 3.1: Registering with the Tax Office

After receiving the residence permit, we will also register you for taxation. I will gladly assist with that as well. The setup fee includes registering you for taxation purposes with the tax office and discussing whether or not to bill with VAT. It also includes instructions on how taxation works in Germany in a nutshell and applying for VAT-ID. We also provide the most important hints for deductions in a nutshell, double-check the correctness of your first invoice and if it meets VAT regulations so you do not lose your face with your clients etc...

Step 3.2: Registering with Artists' Social Security

After you have received your residence permit, I will take care of your health insurance in Germany. I will introduce you to the statutory health and old-age insurance plan for artists in Germany and register you with them. Being insured by them is in your best interest. This approach will ensure that you enjoy the privileges of being an artist in Germany. Under certain conditions, artists' social security agency authority co-sponsors your health and retirement insurance premiums. They very carefully test that you are a fully-fledged artist. Our goal is to ensure that.

Hints for US Clients

A hint for our American clients: Since you now live in Germany, you have become fully subject to German taxation – parallel to the US. This means that you are subject to dual taxation; next to your annual “1040” to the IRS and FBAR to the Department of Treasury, you must file an "Einkommenssteuererklärung".

Our services will be:

1. providing a checklist of what you need to report to each office,
2. via a handout informing you on the benefits of being with artists' social security and your ongoing duties,
3. filling out the application form on your behalf to make sure the entries are correct; German authorities despise incorrectly filled forms and easily turn them down when not timely and correctly catered,
4. formally submitting the permit on your behalf.
5. negotiating legal follow-up questions from the authorities to ensure that they only hear the relevant and correct information,

Services for Spouse and Minor Child(ren)

A trailing spouse and minor children do not automatically come into Germany with the candidate. Just because the candidate applies does not mean they will get a permit at all. They have to apply themselves for a family reunion with you. In contrast to your needed support, they themselves usually do not require much attention. However, they greatly impact the financial needs the candidate might have to show. As we highly value the family, we will not bill for minors. This stands under the condition that both your “better half” and the children will travel with you, and no special attention is needed.

Are you 45 years or older?

If you are 45 years or older, you also have to receive a salary of at least € 4015 in western Germany resp. € 3905 for eastern Germany. If your salary will be lower than that threshold, you will have to show an adequate pension plan or other retirement provisions. This coverage can be either the state pension plan from home, private savings, or closing a German pension plan or a mixture of all. The government wants to make sure that you will not be dependent on welfare upon retiring.

N.B. This is only relevant for the very first permit!

Our Fees

We intend to invoice you step by step. The first step will be for you, your better half, and any minor children. All fees are ex VAT; 19% VAT will be added for step 3 because you will then be in Germany.

How to hire us

Please book an initial consultation to discuss your situation using the button below.