Expanding into Germany? Easier than you thought!
Debunking some common misconceptions about expanding your business into Germany.
1 Do I need an entity to employ staff?
No! In principle, you don’t need to establish a new legal entity in Germany to hire staff: you can hire employees based in Germany either directly from abroad (e.g. through your current company) or by establishing a simple “branch office” in Germany. Find out more in this article we posted some months ago.
2 Do I need a visa to form a legal entity in Germany?
No! Being the owner (shareholder, stockholder…) of a legal entity in Germany (alone or with others) is a bit like owning property: you don’t actually need to be in Germany for that, so you don’t need a visa.
3 Does the managing director of the German entity need to be in Germany?
No! There’s no requirement in that sense. The managing director could very well be spending some or most of her/his time elsewhere. She/he should, however, be abe to travel to Germany whenever needed.
4 Can I employ myself as a managing director (and get a visa)?
Yes. If you create a company formally it’s the company who’s hiring you as a managing director. That’s absolutely fine and common: you can also grant yourself a salary for your activity as an MD. On top of that, if all requirements are met, you can - if you need - also apply for a visa based on your employment as your own company’s MD.