Self-Employment Visas and Residence Permits
These routes require a real business or professional activity connected to the destination. A foreign remote salary on its own usually will not qualify.
Expect scrutiny of the business itself: what you will do, who your clients are, whether you are qualified to do it in that country, and what the activity adds locally. Several of these routes appear in commercial “digital nomad visa” lists, which is misleading — the eligibility tests have almost nothing in common with a remote-work permit.
| Country | Route | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | VLS-TS Entrepreneur / Profession Libérale | self-employment route, not a dedicated digital nomad visa | active |
| Germany | Residence Permit for Self-Employment | self-employment alternatives, not a dedicated digital nomad visa | active |
| Netherlands | Residence Permit Self-Employed Person | self-employment route, not a dedicated digital nomad visa | active |
| Switzerland | Authorisation for Gainful Self-Employment | restrictive self-employment route, not a digital nomad visa | active |
Thresholds and assessment criteria change, and some of these routes are decided regionally rather than nationally. Open a country guide for its review date and official source links.
France Profession Libérale Visa
Learn more →Germany Freelance and Self-Employment Visas
Learn more →Netherlands Self-Employed Residence Permit
Learn more →Switzerland Self-Employment Residence Permit
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
Why are these listed separately from digital nomad visas?
Because the test is different. A dedicated remote-work route is designed around foreign employment or foreign clients. A self-employment route asks whether your activity benefits the destination’s economy — business viability, local clients, professional licensing and sometimes a minimum investment. Applying under the wrong label produces the wrong document pack.
Can I use one of these routes if I just work remotely for a UK employer?
Generally no. Remaining an employee of a company abroad is usually the opposite of what a self-employment route is for. If your income is a foreign salary, look at the dedicated remote-work routes instead.
Is France's Profession Libérale route a digital nomad visa?
No. It is a self-employment route. France has no general digital nomad visa, so an applicant who prepares a remote-work file for France is preparing the wrong file.
Are these routes harder than a remote-work permit?
Usually, yes. Business plans, professional qualifications and economic-interest tests introduce discretion that an income threshold does not. Switzerland in particular is restrictive for third-country nationals, which now includes most UK nationals.