After three months of uncertainty, I’m SO excited to share that I received my freelancer’s visa! Here’s what I’ve been up to lately, plus what comes next.
In case the title of this post didn’t clue you in, I’ve been on Cloud 9 all week. Because, yes, after three months in Germany I GOT MY VISA! Oh my goodness, that feels so good to say aloud. The lead up to my visa appointment was stressful and full of uncertainty. It took me ages to figure out the letter of intent dilemma. In fact, I didn’t have all my paperwork completed until two days before my appointment! I’m very type A, so getting things finalized at the very last minute did NOT sit well with me, but in the end it all worked out.
As I’m writing this, I’m trying to remember the last time I was this nervous about something. I always got pretty nervous before school musicals, and I was sweating bullets when my college acceptance (and rejection!) letters started pouring in. But when you’re in a musical, you’ve had weeks to prepare for the role and know deep in your bones that the show will run smoothly. And when opening college acceptance letters I at least knew I’d be accepted somewhere — if it wasn’t my top choice it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
So yeah, I’m pretty sure the lead up to my visa appointment is the most nervous I’ve been in my entire life. I was a sweaty, trembling mess. I brought a book with me to keep me entertained in the waiting room, and I could barely keep my eyes focused on the page. I can’t tell you how glad I am that phase in my life is over!
For you curious souls who want the nitty gritty details on how the last few months have progressed, here you go:
What’s Happened This Month
Yes, I got a visa (hallelujah!). But in the two months since I last updated you on my Germany situation, I’ve also done some wildly exciting adult stuff, like sign up for health insurance and open a German bank account. Riveting stuff, I know. I actually had lots of loose ends to tie up before my visa appointment; things I’d half completed or had downloaded the forms for, but hadn’t gotten around to doing. Things like updating my resume so it fit the proper German formatting, creating a finance plan for my freelance business, and printing off articles from my portfolio.
Side note: in Germany, you’re supposed to include a head shot, your birthday, and your place of birth on your resume. Call me American, but that seems like it could be grounds for discrimination to me. Leave me a comment down below if you have insight into why these details are required on a resume!
I’m also happy to report that I have an actual social life now. I’ve been on at least a dozen Bumble BFF dates by now, and I’ve met some really incredible ladies. I’m forever surprising myself when making new friends. I’m naturally quite introverted and it’s easy for me to get stuck in my own friend bubble, but when I go on these friend dates I always come away feeling so energized and happy. It’s like I’m in Kindergarten again — my first impulse is to call my mom and tell her about the new friend I just made. Ha!
What Happened at the Visa Appointment
Right, back to my visa situation. Lots of people have asked me how the freelance visa process works, what all I had to do to prepare for it, etc. Here’s the basic rundown of how the appointment panned out for me (obviously, this is just what happened to me. My freelance friends in Berlin have all had various experiences).
After three months of prep — finding an apartment, registering my address, opening a bank account, compiling about a dozen different forms — it was finally time for my visa appointment. I’d made my appointment the first week I moved to Berlin. It’s tough to get an appointment at the foreigner’s registration office, so I had to log into the site at 8am on the dot every morning until a time slot opened up within the next three months.
During the week leading up to my appointment, I printed off all my application materials and arranged everything neatly in a massive folder. I arrived at the foreigner’s registration office 30 minutes ahead of time, because I’m a Nervous Nancy in that regard. I paid for an interpreter to accompany me, because I was nervous I wouldn’t understand government-related vocabulary auf Deutsch. Spoiler: totally didn’t need the interpreter, but whatever.
I got called into my appointment room 5 minutes ahead of schedule (see, good thing I arrived early!). The government employee uttered approximately 10 words to me — all of which were the names of the forms I’d filled out in preparation for the meeting. After asking for half of the paperwork I’d prepared, he told me to go back into the waiting room and await his call.
The 20 minutes I spent in the waiting room were grueling. I had no clue what he was doing — was he reviewing my paperwork, calling the authorities to haul me away, or doing something else equally mysterious? My interpreter and I made small talk during the wait, then next thing I know we’re being called back into the appointment room and I’m being handed my passport, complete with a shiny new visa proclaiming my status as freelance writer. I was then ushered down the hallway to pay my visa fee. Everything was done on a machine, no actual person took my money. So odd!
By 9:20am on Monday morning, I had my answer and spent the rest of the day celebrating. I treated myself to a few books (I brought a Kindle with me to Germany, but nothing compares to real paper!), then saw The Lion King in theatres. What a day!
What Happens Next
What now, you ask? Well, I’m allowed to stay in Berlin for 2 years, and after that I’ll either have to renew my visa or move back home. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet, so I’m not sure if Germany is going to be my forever home or not. For now, I desperately want to find my own apartment. In my last Germany update, I mentioned that I didn’t love my current apartment. It was never intended to be my long-term home, but I want to find a place of my own now more than ever. In short, my apartment is filthy (not my fault). And I’m living with three college guys (also not my fault). My flatmates are nice, but they’re COLLEGE GUYS. Do you know how gross college guys are? The worst. If anyone knows of a cute flat in Berlin that’s for rent, let me know!
Over the next two years, I also need to find steady work in Germany. To renew my visa, I’ll have to prove that I’ve found ample work in country. I plan on keeping my US clients as long as I can, but I’m also going to start looking for more work here. But first, I want to fully settle down in my own apartment and sort my life out. One stressor at a time, you know?
I hope you’ve enjoyed my Germany updates! I don’t anticipate writing more now that I have my visa. But if you’d like these updates to continue, please let me know what you want to know moving forward. My life doesn’t feel all that thrilling, so your input is helpful!
Tell me: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
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