Contractor experience counts the same as permanent employment here. The key thing the Auslanderbehorde looks at is whether the work was skilled and continuous, not the legal structure of your contract. I've seen people get approved with freelance and contractor backgrounds as long as they had the paperwork lined up.

For the IT specialist visa, they want to see that your skills match the field and that your salary is above the threshold, which is around 43k euros for IT roles right now. The blue card is trickier without a degree, but the new rules for IT specialists let you substitute 3 years of relevant experience in the last 7 years, so you're covered on that front. Just make sure your reference letter from the client spells out the technical tasks clearly, not just vague job titles.

One thing people often miss is that the ZAV (the federal employment agency) might need to check if your role qualifies as a shortage occupation. That's standard for IT specialist applications, and it can add a few weeks to the process. If your salary is above 50k, you skip that step and it moves faster.

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tbh the biggest hurdle isnt the contract type, its proving the work was at a degree-level skill set. the auslanderbehorde has a checklist and if your reference letter doesnt mention specific technologies or frameworks they might push back. i'd ask your contractor agency or client to write it in german if possible, or at least have it notarized.

also worth noting that the burgeramt or Lageso often asks for the original contracts and all payslips for the whole 6 years, not just the last 3. missing a month can stall everything. if your salary is under 50k expect the ZAV check, which took a friend of mine 8 weeks last year. not a dealbreaker but plan for the wait.

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honestly contractor experience counts the same as permanent for the IT specialist visa. the Ausländerbehörde cares about the actual work you did and your pay, not the contract type. just make sure your contracts and payslips are clean and you have a reference letter from the client.

for the blue card you need a degree or specific proof of 3 years of relevant work in the last 7 years, so your 6 years should cover that. the tricky part is convincing them the skills match a degree-level role without the paper. if your salary is above like 43k for IT specialists you should be fine at the Lageso or wherever your Burgeramt sends you.

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yeah the guide's got the main stuff down, one thing i'd add is that the späti culture is legit for saving money but specifically the ones in kreuzberg near kottbusser tor have the cheapest beers, like 0.80 eur for a can of sterni. also if you're doing the sunday museum thing, skip the pergamon queue and go to the hamburger bahnhof instead, it's way less crowded and has cool contemporary art plus the building itself is a converted train station so it's a vibe

for food, i'd say the best budget move is not the döner but the falafel at yafa on sonnenallee, 4 eur for a massive plate and it's open till late. and tbh the reichstag booking is a pain but if you miss it, the rooftop at the kollhoff tower near potsdamer platz is like 4 eur and gives you a solid view without the hassle

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solid write-up, one thing i'd add is that the 7-day ticket is actually 41 eur for AB but you can get a 4-trip ticket for 12 eur if you're only here a couple days and it works out cheaper than single trips. also the museum sunday freebie is great but it gets packed, like at the pergamon you'll be queuing for 30 mins minimum. for a quieter free option, try the brücke museum in grunewald on a weekday afternoon, it's small but has killer expressionist art and no crowds. oh and for a cheap meal, hit up mustafa's gemüse kebab at mehringdamm, that line is long but it's worth the 5 eur for the hype tbh

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honestly the cash tip is huge, a lot of tourists don't realize how many places are still cash only here. something the guide missed is that you can get a really cheap coffee at most bakeries for like 1.50 eur if you stand at the counter instead of sitting down, way cheaper than the hipster cafes. also if you're near a späti grab a beer for like 1 eur, way cheaper than bars obviously

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