Self-employment
Review your business idea
Prepare a business plan
Financing & public support
Business or liberal profession
Legal structure
Taxes & Accounting
Company insurance
Social insurance
Networks & contacts
Self-employment
Are you really an entrepreneur?
The most important part of any business or self-employment is… you, the person who runs the business! Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Can you stand up to the challenges and demands of self-employment?
Do you have the necessary professional and commercial qualifications?
Can you fill any gaps in your professional or commercial qualifications with further training, with business partners or with your network?
Do you have the support of family and friends?
Do the people around you (family, friends, partner etc.) support what you plan to do? Be realistic in your assessment: Experience shows that self-employment takes a lot of time and dedication.
Here you can find some tests to help you do a self-assessment:
Business start-up portal of the
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs (BMWi)
www.existenzgruender.de
Special Feature: Questions specifically for migrants
Is your German good enough?
To be successful on the German market, it is extremely important to have a good command of German. If your German is poor, it is almost impossible to communicate freely with customers and suppliers, but also with authorities and banks. All official documents published by the authorities are usually available only in German, for example. And the business plan you prepare for banks and business partners also has to be in German. Would you like to improve your German? Or do you need to start learning it as a beginner? Take advantage of the language courses on offer!
Specific support services
More information and details of language courses:
City of Munich, IBZ Language and Vocationd Vocation
https://stadt.muenchen.deIntegreat App: Local information for Munich’s newcomers
integreat.app/muenchenIntegreat App: Find free German language practice meetups in Munich
integreat.app/muenchenDo you have a valid residence permit that allows you to go self-employed?
Citizens of a member state of the European Union (EU) or an EFTA country (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), do not need a special permit to go selfemployed. Citizens of a non-EU or non-EFTA country will need to clarify
whether their residence status/permit entitles them to go self-employed. If not, they must apply to the Foreigners Office for an additional permit. Please note: If the residence permit bears the words “Erwerbstätigkeit gestattet” (“Employment permitted”), or “Niederlassungserlaubnis” a special additional permit is not required.
For more details of your residence status and information about applying for a license to go self-employed, please go here:
City of Munich, Department of Public Order
Foreigners Office
Migrant Economy Unit
(many languages available)
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) for Munich
www.ihk-muenchen.deDo you need official recognition of (higher) education certificate/professional qualifications from abroad?
Find out whether you need official recognition, who is responsible for providing it and how the recognition process works.
Information on the recognition of certificates of higher education:
City of Munich, Social Services Department
www.muenchen.de/rathausInfo portal on the recognition of foreign certificates of education
www.anabin.kmk.orgInformation on the recognition of professional qualifications:
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) for Munich
www.ihk-muenchen.deChamber of Skilled Crafts for Munich
www.hwk-muenchen.deInfo portal for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications
www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.deInformation on the recognition of certificates of school education:
Bavarian Ministry of Education and
Culture, Certificate Recognition Department
[Zeugnisanerkennungsstelle]