# Business Registration



## Darryn (Dec 4, 2017)

Hi All,

I am going through interview processes currently for jobs in Munich.

I have an existing business in South Africa and would like to know if one can register a business in Germany as an expat if I am getting a working Visa to work full time at an employer in Munich.

I currently work full time as an employee of a company in South Africa and have my business as well and want to be able to do the same in Germany.

Is this possible?

Thanks


----------



## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Presumably yes, you can set up some sort of simple business structure as a self-employed consultant with your one South African client, then reporting your income for German taxes and so on. (Unless your business is some other sort of thing, in which case I have no idea.)

However I would be a little cautious, if you take a regular job in Germany the terms of your work permit may prohibit any other type of paid work, even if it were working remotely for a client outside the country. Your employment contract might also forbid this.

In which case the logical thing would be to say nothing, continue working remotely in your spare time, and keep the money in South Africa.


----------



## Darryn (Dec 4, 2017)

Nononymous said:


> Presumably yes, you can set up some sort of simple business structure as a self-employed consultant with your one South African client, then reporting your income for German taxes and so on. (Unless your business is some other sort of thing, in which case I have no idea.)
> 
> However I would be a little cautious, if you take a regular job in Germany the terms of your work permit may prohibit any other type of paid work, even if it were working remotely for a client outside the country. Your employment contract might also forbid this.
> 
> In which case the logical thing would be to say nothing, continue working remotely in your spare time, and keep the money in South Africa.


Thanks for your feedback but perhaps some further clarity. The business in South Africa has multiple clients and my business partner will continue to run the South African operations. I would however like to open a separate business in Germany offering the same service to German companies. I will check the terms of the employment contract when the time comes to ensure I am not breaking any rules


----------



## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Ah, yes, that makes more sense now. 

In this case, to repeat:

1. Would your employment contract allow you to work on the side?

2. Would your residence/work permit allow you any other form of paid employment apart from your job?

In the unlikely event that the answer to both question was yes, then presumably you could set up a business in Germany. It would probably be a bureaucratic nightmare for which you would require professional help (plus linguistic help if you don't speak good German) and the taxes won't be cheap, but it's something you can investigate.


----------



## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Darryn said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I am going through interview processes currently for jobs in Munich.
> 
> ...



Employer-sponsored residence/work permits usually exclude self-employed activity.


----------



## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

And if you really wanted to do things by the book, you would probably need to report any passive income from the S. African business on your German taxes, though presumably you could avoid double taxation somehow. How by the book you'd want to be would depend in part on how long you planned to stay in Germany.


----------

