Job in Germany for IT specialists

4 Solutions 

You’ve probably heard many times that Germany is in need of qualified specialists. Indeed for such specialists there is a simplified way to get the German residence permit through theBlue Card. However one of the main conditions for obtaining a Blue Card is having a work contract or a binding job offer.

Those who tried to get a job in Germany understand that actually finding it is very hard for a foreigner. Especially if you are not fluent in German. Therefore working and moving to Germany for most qualified specialists becomes an unreachable goal. But don’t lose heart, especially if you are looking for a job in Germany for IT specialists.

In this article we will tell you how being a foreigner you can legally work in Germany and even get a German residence for yourself and your family. This would be an alternative to being hired for a job in Germany for IT professionals. Other highly qualified specialists could find the solutions applicable to their situation as well.

We told you about pros and cons and eligibility criteria for the German Blue Card in detail in one of our previous articles. However for majority of talented people getting a job in Germany becomes an extremely hard and unrealistic task. Some try to find a job remotely and become frustrated getting no replies from potential employers. Some even apply for a job seeker visa, spend plenty of money for staying in Germany and come back home without having found a job. This is true for many fields, including jobs in Germany for IT specialists. Are there any solutions? Yes.

Our company Nexus-Europe GmbH offers experienced IT specialistsa solution that allows them to work in Germany and with time move to Germany. Without depending on any employer.

The algorithm consists of several steps and covers 4 options. We are going to illustrate them as we go. Please read until the end and you’ll certainly find a solution that would suit you. And our company, Nexus-Europe GmbH, will bring it to life.

During almost 20 years of work we have helped over 7000 clients from all over the world. All our projects are guided by certified Project Management Professionals (PMPs). You get optimal solutions with an effective use of the budget because we are well familiar with classical project management, Agile and Scrum.

You can open your own company in Germany, in Berlin. There are some forms of companies that in most cases allow a foreign person to be a shareholder and a managing director themselves, even if he or she is not an EU resident. Check out our article where we explain in detail the structure and requirements for such companies. This way you don’t need to look for a job in Germany for IT specialists and find a company to hire you. But please beware that there are some exceptions that prevent you from being a managing director yourself. Such cases must be checked with a lawyer.

Why Berlin? Because Berlin is the European hub of startups, IT and fintech and therefore such companies are welcome in Berlin. Our company Nexus-Europe GmbH closely works with government organizations in Germany to be a safe and reliable bridge to those who are willing to contribute to the German economy and find a safe place to work and live for themselves and their families.

What does opening a company in Berlin give you: you start working with German and European customers. Due to a lot of data protection regulations and security reasons, many German and EU companies don’t even consider hiring a company or a specialist from a non-EU country to work remotely. Having your own German company opens you doors to German and European customers. Basically, you create your own job in Germany for IT experts that is your perfect fit and expands your horizons.

Watch our video about 4 solutions for job in Germany for IT specialists:

Once the company is formed you can either run it remotely or come to Germany and work there based on a business visa. The business visa allows you to stay in Germany for up to 90 days within 180 days and do your job in Germany for IT specialists or in another field. The exact number of the days your visa will be granted for depends on your personal situation.

The application must be made at the German embassy or consulate in your country. Also there are some countries whose citizens do not require a business visa. However they will not be allowed to work in Germany more than 90 days within half a year without obtaining a residence permit.

Please note that opening a company for a foreign person is much more complicated than for a German resident. There are many nuances one must consider and reasons why the company formation might fail. Many service providers do not tell about possible issues in advance. If instead of a turn-key solution someone offers you just filling out forms or connects you with a variety of external providers (notaries, lawyers, accountants and so on), it means that all communication with authorities and solving possible issues will lay solely on you.

For example only in the process of getting the tax number a foreign entrepreneur can be contacted 5 times by tax authorities with complicated questions. We explained in detail the main risks of company formation for a foreign person in one of our articles.

Our company Nexus-Europe GmbH has developed a complex approach to form a company with minimum risks and minimum effort from you. Only Nexus-approved experts work on the projects. Our team of experts has been put together during 20 years of work one by one from all over Germany. In 9 out of 10 cases we can form a company even without your personal arrival in Germany.

By all means you should think first of the business model and the business itself, not just a company as a tool of getting a residence permit in Germany. Because company formation in Germany does not guarantee getting a residence permit! However if your business runs well and is beneficial for Germany, you have good chances for obtaining a residence permit.

We already told you in detail about the requirements of the residence permit as a self-employed. If you haven’t read this article yet, please do. Here we will focus on the main positions.

Economical interest and regional need for your business activity are very important. We made a detailed video about beneficial business directions in Germany. In general, IT solutions, products and startups are very welcome in Berlin. Therefore if you are an IT specialist with good experience and ready to work, opening an IT company, especially if it is a startup, is a good step to the German residence permit as a self-employed.

1. You have to provide a solid business plan, clearly indicating why your product or services will be special.

2. Clearly explain why your presence in Germany is required more than 90 days within half a year.

3. Proof that you have a sufficient knowledge and experience to realize the business idea.

4. Proof that you have sufficient funds to realize your business idea.

There are other criteria as well. We spoke about most of them in the video we previously mentioned. Here let us focus on the last two positions.

Sufficient knowledge and experience to do your job in Germany for an IT specialist

A. If you have an own company in your home country,

you most likely already have experience and therefore once you have established a company in Germany, getting a residence permit is generally easier in such a case.

B. You are an IT specialist without business experience?

In such a case we suggest to find a partner experienced in business development and open a company together with him or her. Look around in your own country. There are many experienced business people you probably already know. It is very common, especially in the startup field, to come into partnership with people who have different skills.

Important is, if you want to apply for a residence permit yourself, you should have at least 50% of the shares and be a managing director of the company you are going to establish in Germany. This way, you don’t only get a nice job in Germany for IT specialists but also have a chance for obtaining a residence permit.

Proof that you have sufficient funds

It is crucial to prove that you have funds to realize the project, not just an idea of creating a job in Germany for IT field. What amount of funds is required should be clearly seen from your business plan and the so-called liquidity plan. Also you have to keep in mind that in order to be eligible for a residence permit as a self-employed, you (your German company) is expected to pay yourself a salary of at least 24 000 euro per year plus the cost of health insurance. The salary must cover all your leaving expenses as well. We have a detailed article about living costs in Berlin.

If you do not have a lot of available funds, it is another good reason to cooperate with someone with a business background, funds and experience. It helps you to not only meet the financial requirement, but also mitigate risks.

Further on we will talk about two more situations, so please keep reading.

Especially for investors and entrepreneurs who intend to not only create themselves a job in Germany for IT specialists but also get a residence permit in Germany we have developed the 5-step Nexus Smart Immigrate Technology. It is a complex approach to preparation, finalization and approval of the application documents. Nexus Smart Immigrate Technology was developed by Premium class experts: lawyers, economists, subject matter experts with support of government officials.

The approach essentially increases the chances for success and makes the application processes maximally smooth. We explained in detail what the Nexus Smart Immigrate Technology gives you and how the process runs stage by stage in our article.

Back to our model of jobs in Germany for IT professionals.

С. You found a partner to finance and establish the German company, but he or she is not willing to give you 50% of the shares?

Then you can form a company as a shareholder with minority of the shares and have an active position related to your education in this company. If your diploma is recognized in Germany AND the company you form pays you a salary sufficient for the Blue Card (as of 2022 it is 56 400 euro per year), you can apply for a Blue Card. This way you can get a job in Germany for IT specialists without being the majority shareholder.

However you should bear in mind that if you are not a self-employed (have less than 50% of the shares and aren’t the managing director), both you as an employee and the German company must pay taxes and social contributions that are quite high in Germany.

In comparison, when you apply as a self-employed, as a rule neither you nor the company have the obligation to pay social contributions, you pay only the income tax and your health insurance. So you have to compare all options carefully both from the business and immigration point of view.

D. What if you are an experienced IT specialist, but have no business experience, no business partner and no funds to support your business idea for creating your own job in Germany for an IT specialist?

You can still open an IT company in Germany, start working remotely or based on a business visa and get customers in Germany. Then you wait until the company starts bringing profit to pay yourself the required salary and cover all business expenses. This at least lets you work with German and other European customers and get essentially higher payments than in many of the non-EU countries and have a good chance to move to Germany when your business grows.

We’ve reviewed 4 different options of creating your own jobs in Germany for IT specialists. Now you know that if you can’t find a job in Germany for IT experts, there are other, maybe even better options to work and relocate to Germany. Without depending on any employers. And our company Nexus-Europe GmbH will help you turn your dream into reality.

Unlike getting services from different providers, with us you get a solution where all steps are coordinated with each other: we plan and implement the whole process from application for the German residence permit to company formation. We can even Project Manage your business and make you a true part of the German business society.

During almost 20 years of work Nexus has gathered a team of specialists from all over Germany and Europe: business consultants, lawyers, economists, subject matter experts, tax advisers, and project managers. We closely work with German government organizations and constantly exchange experience with different German structures that are responsible for attracting foreign investments to Germany.