Photo by Christin Hume / Unsplash
It is difficult to pay bills and other expenses on a single job, especially for migrants coming to Germany’s way of life. This is where side hustles come in. They can help you earn more and lighten your financial burden a bit. If you are on a working visa in Germany, you will have the opportunity to pursue side hustles depending on the visa type.
This guide examines which side hustles can be pursued by tech employees under different German visas, using real-life examples of how it works in practice.
Visa Types and What They Allow
EU Blue Card
The EU Blue Card is one of the most popular work permits for skilled tech professionals moving to Germany. It’s designed for high-demand fields like IT, but it comes with some important restrictions when it comes to side hustles.
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- First year: You’re tied to your employer. No self-employment is allowed.
- Two years later: You’re more flexible. You can take on other highly qualified work in your own field, but side hustles are still off-limits.
Example: Suppose you’re a Blue Card software developer. For the first year, you can’t start freelancing on Upwork or start a side coding bootcamp. But after two years, you could take on part-time developer work with another tech company, provided it doesn’t conflict with the primary job, and you adhere to working time laws.
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Key takeaway: The Blue Card is great for stability, but restrictive if you want to establish your own freelance or business ventures.
Here’s all you need to know about the German EU Blue Card
The German EU Blue Card is a type of residence permit designed to attract talented workers.
Skilled Worker Visa
This visa aims at non-EU citizens possessing recognised qualifications and an employment opportunity in their field of expertise. For tech experts, it’s less restrictive than the Blue Card; freelancing and even setting up a business can be within reach with the right licenses.
- You can apply for self-employment permission alongside your skilled worker visa.
- Proof of funds, a clear business plan, and evidence of demand for your skills are required.
- Freelancing in non-regulated fields (like software development, design, or translation) is much easier than in regulated fields (like teaching or healthcare).
Example: If you’re a cloud engineer in Berlin on a Skilled Worker Visa, with the correct extension of your residence permit, you may be able to freelance for international clients building server infrastructures, if you’ve registered yourself as self-employed with the tax authorities.
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Key takeaway: This is your visa of choice if you have to balance freelancing with employment, as long as you channel this through official registration.
German Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)
German Opportunity Card visa is meant to give time for non-EU skilled workers to find full-time employment for up to one year. Side hustles in such a scenario are prohibited.
- No self-employment or freelancing.
- In some cases, trial or part-time work is allowed (up to 20 hours a week) to help with living costs.
Example: If you’re a data analyst searching for full-time employment, you can have a part-time job at a shopping store for bill payment, but legally, you can’t sell analytics services as an independent contractor.
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Key takeaway: Use this visa as a stepping-stone, obtain a decent job first before taking side jobs.
Self-Employment and Freelancer Visas
These are the visas for side hustles, but they’re really meant to be your primary hustle. Tech people working in “liberal professions” like programmers, designers, and consultants usually qualify for the Freelancer Visa.
- You need proof of financial stability, health insurance, and clients in Germany.
- If you are over 45 years of age, you need to submit pension arrangements too.
- Whatever you do is deemed your primary self-employed business.
Example: A machine learning specialist in Munich could apply for a Freelancer Visa with contracts lined up from local startups. Their “side hustle” (consulting on AI projects) is actually the core of their visa.
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Key takeaway: If freelancing is your goal, skip employment-based visas and go straight for these.
Common Side Hustles in Germany
German expats prefer to step into established routes. Some take a dip into e-commerce, opening Etsy stores offering home-made goods, experimenting with print-on-demand products, or executing dropshipping shops. Others bank on digital skills, offering translation, web development, or tutoring services using Preply or Superport.
Delivery jobs through the likes of Lieferando are another favorite, especially for those who prize flexibility. And then there are the YouTubers, podcasters, bloggers, and content creators who build audiences for tech, culture, or stories about their own migration experiences, frequently selling passion projects.
What to Watch Out For
While the potential is there, side hustles come with responsibilities. Taxes cannot be avoided; you have to report all euros that you earn to the Finanzamt, Germany’s equivalent of the tax department. Neglecting to do this could result in costly penalties. However, income from side hustles below a certain amount is sometimes not taxed.
Employers, too, may need to be informed; contracts often require approval before you engage in paid side work, especially where there is a risk of conflict of interest.
A second area of focus is working time. Germany enforces quite stringent limits on the number of weekly hours you can work, regardless of how many jobs you have. Working more than those limits can put you in legal trouble with labour authorities. And at all times, always ensure your side business does not contradict your main employer. A developer working freelancing for a competing company, for instance, could be in legal as well as professional difficulty.
Conclusion
A part-time job can work miracles for migrants in Germany, especially if you are in the tech industry, where there are numerous opportunities for freelancing. From teaching coding, designing online, to working part-time jobs to get by, part-time jobs can erase some of the financial stress while you settle into the local economy.
Most important is to remain within your visa restrictions, keep your employer in the loop, and always consult immigration officials if unsure. By doing things right, your sideline business won’t only finance additional expenses, but it might also be a stepping stone for ultimate financial freedom or even a long-term business in Germany.
