EU Blue Card

If you are entitled to an EU Blue Card, your visa application is usually processed particularly quickly. In some countries, people who require a visa can apply for an EU Blue Card via an online portal. This can be done here be checked here. The EU Blue Card residence permit for employment is applied for at the local immigration authority in Germany after entering the country.

The EU Blue Card enables mobility within the European Union.

Please note: Although the EU Blue Card entitles you to enter and work in other EU countries without a visa, the specific form of mobility is the responsibility of the EU member states. You should therefore find out about the country-specific regulations in advance, e.g. on the information portal of the European Commission here.

It is also easier for family members to join you. They do not need proof of language skills and even parents/parents-in-law can join them.

Early permanent residence is also possible for holders of an EU Blue Card.

The following requirements must be met for an EU Blue Card:

• Concrete job offer: A special feature here is that the desired employment must also correspond to the qualification. This means that the job title and the job description must meet the qualification requirements.

• Recognized university degree or comparable qualification, professional permit if applicable: In the case of a foreign university degree, proof must be provided that it is comparable to a university degree obtained in Germany. comparable is comparable to a degree obtained in Germany.

• Gross salary of at least 50% of the annual contribution assessment ceiling for pension insurance (2025: at least € 48,300).

  NOTE: With the EU Blue Card, persons over the age of 45 are not required to prove that they have adequate pension provision.

The possibility of obtaining an EU Blue Card is open to other groups of people. For these, however, approval for employment must be obtained from the Federal Employment Agency:

• A lower salary threshold of 45.3% of the annual contribution assessment ceiling for pension insurance (2025: €43,759.80) applies to skilled workers in so-called bottleneck occupations . These include, for example, doctors, pharmacists and specialists in the STEM sector. A list of the bottleneck occupations can be found here. It has recently been significantly expanded.

• The lower salary threshold also applies to career starters. This includes anyone who has graduated within the last three years.

• Special regulations also apply to IT specialists. Even without a degree, they can obtain an EU Blue Card if they can prove that they have at least three years of professional experience in the IT sector at a comparable academic level gained in the last seven years.

If you have an EU Blue Card, it is easier to obtain a settlement permit . Prerequisites are that the person:

• Has been in qualified employment for at least 27 months and is currently paying contributions into the statutory pension insurance scheme.

• German language skills at level A1.

• Have a basic knowledge of legal and social regulations and living conditions in Germany.

• Can prove that they have sufficient living space for themselves and, if applicable, their family members.

If you can prove that you have German language skills at level B1, you can obtain a settlement permit after just 21 months.

Anyone in possession of an EU Blue Card from another EU member state may enter Germany without a visa for a stay of up to 90 days within 180 days and work here. Neither a residence permit nor a work permit from the Federal Employment Agency is required. The activity must be directly related to the employment for which the EU Blue Card was issued.

Note: Holders of an EU Blue Card issued by Romania or Bulgaria must also carry proof of the business purpose of their stay.

Anyone who has been in possession of an EU Blue Card from another country for at least 12 months can obtain an EU Blue Card in Germany without a visa procedure if the conditions for issuing it are met. If the person has already held an EU Blue Card for 2 years, no proof of professional recognition or comparability of the foreign university degree is required for work in a non-regulated area.

All EU countries except Ireland and Denmark issue the EU Blue Card.