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Freelancing in Germany

AeroProDrive

Hello Guys,

My wife is already working in Germany and having all papers set including the working visa.

This summer I plan to move with the kids and join her in Germany.

I am a senior software engineer and I am already working as a freelancer for a Swiss company.

My question is about the status of freelancers over there. May I have some issues with the authorities or something like that cuz in reality (officially) I will be unemployed.

Note: I don't plan to use the social help and such. I just want to be able to live there without hassles.

P.S. Do I need to pay taxes since I will be practically not enjoying any benefits of the German country?

Thank you so much for any info

See also

Getting married in GermanyEntry requirements for GermanyBritish Citizen with US Social Security and move to GermanyStudying in Germany; blocked accounts, student health insuranceCommercial lease
beppi

You better apply for a family reunion visa to join your wife, which usually includes a work permit.
Whether you will be classified as freelancer, or have to register your own business, is a complicated matter. Get professional help here!
In any case, you are tax-liable in Germany on your entire world income from the moment you reside in the country, and you also need to have (and pay for) your own German health insurance (which can be costly). It does not matter in this respect whether you think you do not benefit from staying in Germany. Taxation is another complicated topic (especially for freelancers/self-employed) that you should get professional advise for.

AeroProDrive

Hmm maybe I need to rephrase my Q for a while!?

I just need to be there for my kids supporting my wife. I don't want to take health insurance and such. Meaning I will be only living there, buying food, picking up my kids from school and work at home in the meantime.
Everything else will be doing my wife in sense of paying taxes, health insurance for her and the kids etc. etc.
Will I have any issues if for example I get stopped by police?

Thank you so much in advance

beppi

What visa are you planning to have?
Unless it‘s a tourist visa (short term) you will need German health insurance, which is compulsory for anyone living in Germany. If you work (any work, incl. Freelancing for a foreign company), you need a work visa.
What you describe only works if you enter the country illegally. Then, yes, you will get into trouble with the police!
I recommend you do things correctly!

beppi

If you do not work and have no own income (anywhere - foreign income counts, too!) and your wife joins the public health insurance scheme, you and the kids can be covered free of charge as dependents under her insurance.
If she joins the private scheme, or you (or the kids) have income, you have to pay induvidually.
There is no way around this - nobody can stay in Germany without insurance!

AeroProDrive

Thank you so much for replying. It's greatly appreciated.

As a freelancer staying temporarily in Germany, I found out that it's highly suggested to take private health insurance as getting public one can be more demanding.



And it's pretty cheap actually.

Btw, of course I do not plan to enter the country illegally. People from ex-yu countries can enter EU without visas and stay for 5 months.

I am not a immigrant in that way. I just don't want to mess with taxes and all those things.

However, I think you already gave me some very useful info. Thank you again

beppi

Sorry, but you cannot just take any foreign, travel or °µÍø½ûÇø insurance.
It must be an approved private or public insurer, which this Mawista is not.
Their tariffs also do not filfill the statutory requirements, thus have no chance to be approved.
(Or course they don't tell you this in their website and ads!)
Here is a list of public and private insurers that are approved:

beppi

I suggest you stop gaming the system (which might work in your home country, but not in Germany) and follow the normal flow instead:
- After entering Germany with the appropriate visa (the 5 months visa-free you mentioned only work if you do not work - locally or remotely!).
- You register with the local town hall within a week.
- The tax authority will assign you a tax number and tax class automatically.
- If you want to work, you contact the local Arbeitsamt fo a work permit (this is required even if you have a work visa, as far as I know).
- You join a (public or private) health insurance within three months (they will charge you retroactively from the day you arrived, so no point delaying!).
- You declare, yearly before May, your entire world income to the tax authority (they, not you, will decide what of it is taxable and what not - not or wrongly declaring is a criminal offense!).

JennScheer

Baumer is a private insurance you and your wife can take a look at. It's what we are on as a family. I am American, kids are American and Hubby is German. What Beppi says is correct. There are formalities when residing here, such as registering with Town Hall, being assigned a number, etc. These are legalities here that must be followed. Even my dogs are registered with the Mayor's Office. You have so many days after you move to a town to register yourself otherwise it's an offense. Your income will not be undiscovered. There is no "under the table" here so to speak as there is in the states. And, as an American, do you have that tax situation under control?

All the best with your move! I absolutely love it here!

TominStuttgart

I have to agree with the above comments. Your intentions might not be bad be even if not trying to get social assistance or anything yet one still has to follow the rules. This means registering, getting insured and reporting any kind of income and paying tax on it if due whether one is self-employed or not.

The idea of simply going around all of the rules not to get hassled is delusional and counterproductive; it will not work and the attempts will get you hassled. And while there are both public and private insurance options, there are strict rules about which you can join. 90% people are under public option and 10% private. But  very few people fit the conditions that they can just choose one or the other, usually one is required which one they have to take.

One not wanting to follow such rules should not come to Germany. And the rules for someone say from Serbia is that they can stay up to 90 days in a 180 day period. So they can stay 90 days, leave for 90 days, comeback for 90 more days and have to leave again for 90 days. One cannot just stay 5 months and say that is the time allowed for the year  because one cannot stay more than 3 months in a row. You should read the information on the government website for immigration before you get yourself in trouble with all of this misinformation and poorly thought out strategies.

AeroProDrive

Thank you so much for all your replies. It's greatly appreciated  :)
Btw, I am not intending to fool the system at all. As beppi mentioned there, I plan to apply for a family reunion visa.
I am just not sure if there are some rules about minimum period after which your family can apply for reunion, and I was wondering if anybody knows the answer.
My wife is already 1 year in Germany (working in a bank in case it matters somehow) and so far we didn't want to stress our sons moving to another country, another school etc. etc.
Thanks to all good people out there. Cheers