Being a freelancer is great because you are
your own boss but it can also be complicated to move to a different country and
find work. Here is a list of six things that, in hindsight, would have helped
us out!
Do your Market research
This may seem obvious but we made the
mistake of arriving and assuming that German companies wanted to hire us even
though we didn’t speak German. Just because you are a successful freelancer in
your own country, it doesn’t mean that this will necessarily be the case in Berlin.
Do some research into your field and Berlin. Is there a healthy industry? Do
you need to speak German to do your job? Do you need any German qualifications
or licences before-hand? It’s a good idea to do as much research as possible
and even contact other people who have moved to Berlin. You can do this by
searching for internet forums related to your profession to see what others are
talking about. If you make contacts before you arrive, it will help you smooth
the transition. Some great English language forums about all things in Berlin can be found on ExBerliner and ToyTown.
Make friends with a German!
This has to be the most useful advise we
can give you. If you don’t speak a word of German when you arrive, you will be
at a huge disadvantage when you have to sort out all your paperwork (and there
is a lot to fill in!). In general, Germans speak marvellous English but if you
turn up at a government office and expect everyone to just communicate in
English, you will be surprised at the reluctance of the officials there to
utter even one word. Going through the bureaucratic process with your German
friend by your side will make things a lot smoother and less stressful. There
are many language exchange evenings in Berlin (a good page to start your search) so head along to one of those as
soon as you arrive and start making friends! If you don’t know any Germans,
make an effort to learn a few key phrases and niceties beforehand. Even trying
to apologise for not speaking German, in German, will get you that little bit
further!
Make plans for health insurance.
Health care insurance contributions are
obligatory here in Germany and your employer normally pays on your behalf
whilst deducting it from your salary every month. However, if you are a
freelancer, public health care insurance is your responsibility and it can be
very expensive. A cheaper option is to opt for private health care insurance.
There are some international insurance policies that cover you in Germany and
they can be cheaper than German companies. Find an English-speaking
insurance brooker (Optimum Captial helped us out) to find you the best deals but
be prepared to pay at least 150-200 euros a month in health care.
Find a short-term place to live before you arrive.
If you are lucky enough to know people that
you can stay with when you arrive then well done! If you are not, then read on.
Finding a permenant place to live in Berlin these days is extremely difficult
if you are not already settled here due to the high rate of immigration. Many
landlords expect you to provide a list of papers as evidence that you are
responsible enough and rich enough to live in their house. If you are new to
Berlin, chances are you will probably not have any of these papers yet! Most
places also ask to see a job contract too and for freelancers this can prove
difficult! Make sure you plan ahead and also arrive with enough money to support
yourself for at least a month or two. Consider short-term subletting, couch-surfing or
flat shares before finding your own place. A good place to start a sublet search is WG-Gesucht. It has a lot of options for customising your search and there is an option to translate the page and its contents into English.
Learn German!
In day-to-day activities, you can “get by”
speaking English in Berlin. However, depending on your field, if you want to be
considered as an employable freelance worker in Berlin, learning German will
help you a lot. It will also help you thorough the initial paperwork process as
mentioned above. For me, German seems like a very difficult language to learn,
and I haven’t put aside enough time to practice although I should. I speak Spanish fluently which
is causing problems inside my brain as it pops out as my default language when
I speak to Germans. At least I’m trying! So, do as in point one and make
friends with a German and get them to help you practice! Also, there are many
online resources and mobile apps that can help you with the basics. We'll leave them up to you to find.
Find out what paperwork you need to complete when you arrive (and in which order!)
Depending on your situation you will need
to fill in and apply for a number of things before being allowed to work. For
instance one of the first papers you need to get is the residence certificate.
You need this paper before you can rent a flat or open a bank account, for
example. However, you need to have a rental contract before being able to get
the residence certificate! We solved this paradox (eventually) by finding a temporary place to live and getting a sublet contract. Always ask the person
you want to sublet from if they can actually give you a contract before you
decide to sublet as many people sublet ‘illegally’ and will be reluctant to
give you written proof. You will also need to register as a freelancer and
apply for a tax number (which you have to wait two weeks for). Check out this useful guide to Freelancing in Germany for more info.
Good Luck!
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