Am I allowed to start a business with my residence permit?

You have freedom of movement in Germany, so you do not need a residence permit or permission from the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) to start a business. All that remains are the normal steps that apply to everyone: registering a trade (Gewerbeanmeldung) or registering as a freelancer, the tax office (Finanzamt) and, for some professions, a licence.

Both are permanent residence permits without any restriction on economic activity. So you may pursue economic activity, including self-employment, and you do not need any separate permission for this.

§ 24 AufenthG contains no restriction on economic activity, so the basic rule applies: you may pursue economic activity, including self-employment, and additional permission from the immigration office is not provided for.

Residence permits under § 24 that were still valid on 1 February 2026 automatically remain valid until 4 March 2027. In July 2026 the EU extended the protection beyond this date, and your immigration office can tell you what happens to your card after that. Also check what your permit says about economic activity.

§ 25 Abs. 1 and Abs. 2 AufenthG contain no restriction on economic activity, and this is no accident: subsections (Abs.) 4, 4a and 4b of the same section expressly state that the residence permit does not entitle the holder to pursue economic activity. So the legislator restricts where it wants to restrict, and in Abs. 1 and 2 it does not. In the case of Abs. 4, 4a and 4b, however, the immigration office may permit economic activity.

§ 21 Abs. 2a AufenthG applies to you, and it is the most important rule on this page. In the words of the law, you “should be granted a residence permit for the purpose of self-employment, by way of exception to subsection 1”. This refers to a degree from a state or state-recognised university or university of applied sciences (Hochschule) in Germany, or a residence permit as a researcher or scientist.

“By way of exception to subsection 1” means that three hurdles do not apply to you: you do not have to prove an economic interest, positive effects on the economy or secured financing. One condition does remain, however: your business must show a connection with what you studied or researched. In addition, you must as a rule be able to live without state support, and if you are older than 45, you need adequate pension provision. The permit is initially valid for a maximum of three years, and because “soll” (should) is stronger than “kann” (may), the authority must as a rule grant it if everything else is in order.

The EU Blue Card is issued for a specific job as an employee. Under § 4a Abs. 3 Satz 4 AufenthG, “the pursuit of any other economic activity is prohibited as long as and to the extent that the competent authority has not permitted the pursuit of the other economic activity”. So to start a business alongside your job, you need permission. If you want to switch to self-employment completely, § 21 Abs. 2a may apply to you, because the EU Blue Card is mentioned there, and your business must then fit your studies or your research.

Your residence permit does not cover self-employment, because § 16b Abs. 3 AufenthG allows up to 140 working days a year “only for the pursuit of employment”, and this means work as an employee, not starting a business.

Starting a business is still possible, but you need permission from the immigration office. Anyone who holds a residence permit for another purpose “may be permitted to pursue self-employment while retaining that purpose of residence”, and the authority decides on this case by case. A thoroughly worked-out business plan helps here. As soon as you have completed your studies, you can apply for a residence permit under § 21 Abs. 2a, and then it becomes considerably easier.

Your permit entitles you “to take up the research activity at the research institution named in the hosting agreement and to take up teaching activities”. Self-employment is not covered by this, but there are two ways: either permission under § 21 Abs. 6, with which you remain a researcher and start a business on the side, or a switch to a permit under § 21 Abs. 2a, which expressly mentions researchers.

§ 27 AufenthG contains no restriction on economic activity, so as a rule you may pursue economic activity, including self-employment. There are, however, special rules for certain family reunification situations, and what always counts is the entry in your permit, so you should check it in any case.

This is the most difficult situation. As long as you have to live in a reception centre (Aufnahmeeinrichtung), you are initially not allowed to work at all. Three months after your asylum application has been registered, however, you will in most cases get permission to work as an employee if the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) agrees, although there are exceptions, for example if you come from a so-called safe country of origin. What is permitted is expressly only “the pursuit of employment” (Beschäftigung), that is, work as an employee, and self-employment is not covered by this.

So as long as your procedure is ongoing, starting a business is as a rule not possible. You can still prepare, though, by taking part in our programme, developing your idea, writing your business plan and building a network. Then, once your status has been clarified, you will not be starting from zero but will be ready, and this is exactly the path we expressly walk with you.

A Duldung (temporary suspension of deportation) is not a residence permit, so the basic rule does not apply, and you need permission from the immigration office for any economic activity. For work as an employee, the office should as a rule give you this permission if the Federal Employment Agency agrees. For a business of your own, it decides case by case, and in some cases it is not allowed to give any permission at all. Get in touch with us and we will give you the name of an advice service that knows about Duldung, for example at Flüchtlingsrat MV.