EU Blue Card

If you are entitled to an EU Blue Card, your application will usually be processed very quickly. If you are still abroad and require a visa, you can apply for an EU Blue Card in some countries via an online portal. You can do this here check. You apply for the EU Blue Card residence permit for employment at the immigration office after entering the country.

The EU Blue Card allows you 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.

You must meet the following requirements 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, even 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. You can find a list of the bottleneck occupations here. It has recently been significantly expanded.

• The lower salary threshold also applies to career starters. This includes you if you have obtained your degree within the last three years.

• Special regulations also apply to IT specialists. Even without a degree, you can obtain an EU Blue Card if you can prove that you 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, you can obtain a settlement permit more easily. The requirements are that you:

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

• Have German language skills at level A1.

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

• Be able to prove that you have sufficient living space for yourself and, if applicable, your 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.