If you come from a non EU-country and wish to start your own business or open a branch of your company in Germany, you need to first apply for a respective visa or residence permit that allow you to pursue these activities. An overview of the most important questions regarding residence issues of entrepreneurs and business start-ups or more established companies, i.e. the employment of foreign staff, can be found in our leaflet “The residence and gainful activity of foreign citizens and businesses in Germany”.
Also, if you have a job offer in a company in Germany and you are neither a German citizen nor a national of an EU-member state/ EEA state, you need to apply for a work permit before starting your new job in Germany.
The answers to the most important visa-questions concerning the relocation of foreign businesses / entrepreneurs to Germany and entering employment in Germany either for nationals from outside the EU (third countries) or for nationals of EU-member-States/ EEA- States can be found by clicking on the following buttons:
