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- Compare the permitted work, contracting name and hiring rules.
- A freelance permit and a residence visa are different things.
- Choose a route that fits your next stage, as well as today’s budget.
Are you selling your own work or building a team?
That is a useful first question. A designer working alone has a different setup brief from two founders planning an agency. Write down who will own the business, whose name will appear on contracts and whether you expect to employ anyone.
Do not decide only from a comparison of licence fees. Include the permissions you need and the cost of changing the arrangement later.
What does a specific freelance scheme allow?
For example, GoFreelance’s published FAQs say its licence is issued in the freelancer’s own name and does not allow hiring or sponsoring staff. Those are useful details for that scheme, not rules to copy automatically to every permit advertised as freelance.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which work is permitted? | Your main service must fit the approved activity. |
| Who signs the client contract? | Customers may have supplier-onboarding requirements. |
| Can you add partners or staff? | A solo route may not fit an agency plan. |
| What does the visa package include? | A work permission is not itself residence approval. |
When should you compare a company instead?
Compare company structures if you want an ownership split, a business name or employment capacity that the permit does not offer. The legal form, authority and package still need checking. A company licence alone does not settle every hiring or premises requirement.
Use a one-year planning example
Imagine you are a video editor with two regular clients. You expect to stay solo and deliver editing work yourself. Start by checking an appropriate individual permit. If your plan is to hire editors and bring in a co-founder within months, compare a company at the same time. This is a planning example, not a recommendation that every editor needs the same route.
Ask how a later change would work
Before paying, ask whether moving to a company would mean a fresh licence, new contracts or a visa change. Keep the answer with your cost comparison. A modest saving at launch may be less useful if it creates a second setup shortly afterwards.
