Germany EU Blue Card
For people with a higher-education or comparable qualification and a German job offer matching it. There are two salary thresholds, revised annually, and the lower one additionally requires Federal Employment Agency approval.
Core requirements
A German degree, a comparable foreign degree, or a qualifying tertiary credential of at least three years.
make-it-in-germany.com/eu-blue-cardarbeitsagentur.de/blue-card
IT professionals without a formal degree have an experience route: the reduced salary threshold applies, with at least three years of relevant experience within the past seven years and Federal Employment Agency approval.
An employment contract or binding job offer in Germany for at least six months that matches the qualification; regulated professions may also require a licence to practise.
For 2026 the general threshold is at least €50,700 gross a year. At the general threshold the employment conditions are not reviewed.
Shortage occupations and career starters may use the reduced 2026 threshold of €45,934.20, but this additionally requires Federal Employment Agency approval.
A career starter is someone whose degree was obtained no more than three years before the application, which opens the reduced threshold.
The Blue Card is issued for four years as a matter of principle; where the contract is shorter than four years, for the contract duration plus three months.
Not a condition of the application but it shapes long-term planning: after 27 months in highly-qualified employment with continuous pension contributions and basic spoken German, a settlement permit can be applied for; with German at B1 the period is 21 months. Official pages state this timeline inconsistently.
Official sources
- EU Blue CardGerman Federal Government — Make it in Germany · Reviewed 2026-09-03
- EU Blue CardFederal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) · Reviewed 2026-09-06
- The EU Blue CardFederal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) · Reviewed 2026-09-06
How immigration works in Germany — the process in order, the current figures with their dates, and what commonly blocks an application.
General educational information only, not personalized immigration or legal advice. Requirements can change; confirm them with the responsible government authority before acting. Next scheduled review: 2026-12-06.