CorporateCompany formation
For founders and companies opening in Germany
- GmbH: €25,000 capital, €12,500 paid in to register
- UG from €1 for a smaller start
- 100% foreign ownership; directors can live abroad
With our Berlin partner, Nexus-Europe GmbH
Germany: set up, settle and work
Three routes into Europe's largest economy: forming a German company, the investor and self-employment residence permit, and the EU Blue Card. XIPHIAS runs your side of the case; our partner in Berlin runs the German side.
- paid in to register a GmbH
- €12,500
- paid in to register a GmbH
- investment for the self-employment permit
- No fixed
- investment for the self-employment permit
- EU Blue Card salary in 2026
- €50,700
- EU Blue Card salary in 2026
- to permanent residence on a Blue Card, with B1 German
- 21 months
- to permanent residence on a Blue Card, with B1 German
The routes
Three ways into Germany
Each route has its own page with requirements, costs, steps and official sources.
Corporate
ResidencyInvestor & self-employment residence
For business owners who will move and run their business
- No fixed investment amount: judged on your business plan
- Permit for up to 3 years; settlement after 3
- Spouse joins without German and can work
SkilledEU Blue Card
For graduates and IT specialists with a German job offer
- €50,700 a year in 2026, or €45,934.20 in shortage jobs
- No German needed for the card
- Permanent residence after 27 months, or 21 with B1
Which route fits you?
I want to open a company or a subsidiary in Germany and run it from home
Company formationI want to move to Germany and run my own business there
Company formation + self-employment residence permitI have, or want, a job with a German employer
EU Blue CardI want to look for a job in Germany first
Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)I want residence by buying property or investing in funds
Not possible in Germany: there is no golden visa
Our partnership
XIPHIAS + Nexus-Europe GmbH
XIPHIAS, in Dubai
Your side of the case, from the UAE
- Free first assessment of your profile, family and goals
- Choosing the right German route, or a better one elsewhere
- Your personal and family documents, translations and apostilles
- The visa application at the German mission, and family visas
- One point of contact from first call to arrival
Nexus-Europe GmbH, in Berlin
The German side of the case
- Company formation: notary, commercial register, tax and VAT registration
- Business concept and financing plan in the form German authorities expect
- Lawyers, economists and tax advisers working on the German side
- Questions from German courts, tax offices and authorities
- Practical set-up: bank account help, accountants, insurance contacts
- 1
Free assessment
A XIPHIAS consultant in Dubai checks your profile and goals and tells you which German route fits, if any.
- 2
Partner audit (optional)
A Nexus expert in Berlin audits your plan online, at a partner discount for XIPHIAS clients.
- 3
Two teams, one case
Nexus handles the German side; XIPHIAS handles your documents, the visa file and your family.
- 4
Arrive and settle
Address registration, the residence permit or Blue Card, renewals and, later, permanent residence.
Partner discount for XIPHIAS clients
Start with a Germany audit
Before you spend on a company or a visa file, a Nexus expert in Berlin audits your plan online. XIPHIAS clients get a partner discount on both audits.
Company Set-up Audit
For founders forming a German company
- An analysis of your situation by Nexus business set-up experts
- Requirements, opportunities and possible problems for foreign founders
- The right company structure and legal form
- A step-by-step company formation roadmap
- Bonus: the main legal steps after formation
Does not cover residence permits; for that, choose the Business Immigration Audit.
Business Immigration Audit
For founders who also want to live in Germany
- How German immigration authorities decide
- Your chances through business immigration, with your options compared
- Suggested legal form and structure for the company
- A roadmap that balances the company and the residence application
- How the residence application works, step by step
You answer a short questionnaire after booking so the expert can prepare.
How the discount works
- 1
Request your code
Use the form and tell us which audit you want and a line about your plan.
- 2
We email it with its conditions
A XIPHIAS consultant sends your personal code and the terms that come with it.
- 3
Book on Nexus's website
Choose a time, apply the code and pay Nexus-Europe GmbH directly. Use the code within two weeks.
- 4
Plan the next step with us
After the audit, we turn the roadmap into a plan for your company, visa and family.
Audits are delivered and charged by Nexus-Europe GmbH. Codes are personal to XIPHIAS clients, valid only on the Company Set-up Audit and the Business Immigration Audit, cannot be combined with other discounts and must be used within two weeks of receipt. Nexus-Europe GmbH can cancel a discount used outside these conditions.
Get in touch
Request your audit discount code
Tell us which audit you want. We email you a personal code with its conditions.
Germany in figures, 2026
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GmbH minimum share capital | €25,000 (€12,500 paid in to register)GmbHG §§ 5, 7 | GmbHG §§ 5, 7 |
| UG minimum share capital | €1, paid in full in cashGmbHG § 5a | GmbHG § 5a |
| Corporate income tax | 15% + 5.5% surcharge; 14% from 2028, 10% from 2032KStG § 23 | KStG § 23 |
| Investment for the self-employment permit | No fixed amountAufenthG § 21 | AufenthG § 21 |
| Settlement for a successful business owner | After 3 yearsAufenthG § 21(4) | AufenthG § 21(4) |
| EU Blue Card salary | €50,700 (€45,934.20 shortage jobs, new graduates, IT without degree)Federal Gazette, Dec 2025 | Federal Gazette, Dec 2025 |
| Blue Card to permanent residence | 27 months (A1 German) or 21 months (B1)AufenthG § 18c | AufenthG § 18c |
| National (D) visa fee | €75German missions | German missions |
| Citizenship | After 5 years with B1 GermanStAG § 10 | StAG § 10 |
Why XIPHIAS
Advice you can check, from a team that has done this since 2009
Since 2009
Advising families, founders and professionals on global mobility
Times of India 2022
Named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022
4.7 on Google
From 1,347 Google reviews
39 awards
Awards and recognitions, and ISO 9001:2015 certified
Advising families and businesses since 2009; XIPHIAS Immigration DMCC in Dubai since 2017, from our office in Jumeirah Lakes Towers.
Questions about Germany
No. Germany does not give residence for buying property, funds or bonds. Investors and founders use the residence permit for self-employment under Section 21 of the Residence Act, which requires actively running a business in Germany. There is no fixed investment amount; the decision turns on the business plan, its benefit to the economy and secured financing.
Yes. A GmbH or UG can be 100% owned by foreigners, and the shareholders and managing directors can live outside Germany. You need a German business address and articles notarised by a German notary. Living in Germany to run the company needs a separate residence permit.
€50,700 gross a year, or €45,934.20 in shortage occupations, for graduates within three years of their degree and for IT specialists without a degree. The thresholds change every January.
Our partner in Berlin: a firm that works on business development and investment in Germany. They handle the German side of company formation and business immigration; XIPHIAS handles your side, including documents, the visa application and your family.
Request it with the form on this page. We email you a personal code with its conditions. You book and pay for the audit on Nexus-Europe GmbH's website. Codes are for XIPHIAS clients only, apply only to the Company Set-up Audit and the Business Immigration Audit, cannot be combined with other discounts and must be used within two weeks of receipt.
From the UAE you apply at the German Consulate General in Dubai, which handles visas for all UAE residents; your Emirates ID must have been issued at least six months before you apply. After arrival you register your address within two weeks and collect your residence permit or Blue Card from the local foreigners authority.
No. Germany has allowed dual citizenship since 27 June 2024, but India does not: taking German citizenship ends Indian citizenship under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act 1955. German residence and permanent residence do not affect it.
Talk to our Germany consultants in Dubai
A free first call to find the right German route for you and your family, with the costs and timeline in writing.