How Does the EU Blue Card Work in Germany? (2026)
The verdict
The EU Blue Card is the work permit for graduates whose German job pays at least EUR 50,700 gross in 2026. Shortage occupations, recent graduates and IT specialists without a degree qualify from EUR 45,934.20, with approval from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. It runs up to four years and leads to settlement after 27 months, or 21 with German at B1.
Legal basis: AufenthG section 18g, settlement under section 18c(2) · Blaue Karte EU
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Do You Qualify?
- You hold a German degree, a recognised foreign degree or a foreign degree comparable to a German one. A tertiary programme of at least three years at EQF level 6 counts too.
- You have a concrete job offer in Germany that fits your qualification and runs for at least six months.
- Standard route: the salary is at least EUR 50,700 a year in 2026, and no approval from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit is needed.
- Reduced route: EUR 45,934.20 with the agency's approval, if your job is in ISCO-08 groups 132, 133, 134, 21, 221, 222, 225, 226, 23 or 25, or your degree is at most three years old.
- IT without a degree: ISCO-08 groups 133 or 25, at least three years of relevant experience gained in the last seven, the same EUR 45,934.20, and the agency's approval.
The Steps, in Order
- 1
Confirm that your degree is recognised or comparable, and get the professional licence first if your job is a regulated one.
- With
- The recognition body for your degree; for regulated professions, the authority that issues the licence to practise
- Bring
- Degree certificate, transcripts and certified translations
- Fee
- None at this step
- Takes
- Set by each body, not nationally. Start before you sign the contract.
- 2
Get a written offer that states the gross annual salary, the job and a term of at least six months, and check it against the threshold for the year you apply.
- With
- Your employer; for the reduced threshold, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit must also approve
- Bring
- Signed employment contract or binding job offer
- Fee
- None at this step
- Takes
- Depends on the employer
- 3
Apply for the national visa for the EU Blue Card at the German mission in your country of residence.
- With
- The German embassy or consulate responsible for where you live
- Bring
- Passport, the application form, biometric photos, and the proof of funds for this route; Your own mission's checklist: there is no national document list, each mission publishes its own
- Fee
- EUR 75
- Takes
- Not centrally published. Appointment and decision times are set per mission and vary from weeks to months, so book the appointment before anything else.
- 4
Convert the visa into a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) after you arrive and register.
- With
- The Ausländerbehörde of the city you registered in
- Bring
- Meldebescheinigung from the Anmeldung, passport with the visa, biometric photo, proof of health insurance
- Fee
- EUR 100
- Takes
- Set by each city, not nationally. Apply before the visa expires: a booked appointment is what protects your status if the date falls later.
After you arrive: The Anmeldung within two weeks, the Steuer-ID by post after it, and the residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde before the visa expires. Every deadline of the first 3 months.
What You Must Prove
A salary of at least EUR 50,700 a year, or EUR 45,934.20 on the reduced route (2026)
Your employment contract. The salary is the proof, so no blocked account is required.
Work and Duration
Working
Employment that fits your qualification. Changing employer needs no permission from the Ausländerbehörde. In the first twelve months the authority may suspend a change for 30 days and refuse it within that time if the Blue Card conditions are not met.
Duration
Up to four years, or the contract term plus six months where that is shorter (section 18(4)). If the job ends early and the permit is shortened, at least six months of validity remain from the end of the job (section 18(5)).
What It Turns Into
A settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) under section 18c(2), after 27 months of Blue Card employment with pension contributions and German at A1. With German at B1 the wait drops to 21 months. The general conditions of section 9(2) apply as well. Applying from inside Germany is covered by AufenthV section 39 no. 1.
What This Route Does Not Allow
- It is not open without a degree, apart from the narrow IT route for ISCO-08 groups 133 and 25.
- A job offer of under six months does not qualify, under section 18g(3).
- The threshold is not frozen. The BMI publishes new figures every year, so an offer that cleared last year's figure can fall short this year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum salary for an EU Blue Card in Germany in 2026?
EUR 50,700 gross a year on the standard route. The reduced route needs EUR 45,934.20 and approval from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, and covers listed shortage occupations, degrees at most three years old and IT specialists without a degree. The BMI notice of 2 December 2025 sets both figures.
Does the over-45 salary rule apply to the Blue Card?
No. Section 18(2) no. 5 of the Residence Act sets the over-45 floor only for first permits under sections 18a and 18b. The Blue Card has its own thresholds in section 18g, whatever your age.
Can you change jobs on a German Blue Card?
Yes, without permission from the Ausländerbehörde. During the first twelve months of employment the authority may suspend the change for 30 days and refuse it within that time if the new job does not meet the Blue Card conditions.
How soon can a Blue Card holder get permanent residence?
After 27 months of Blue Card employment with pension contributions and basic German at A1, or after 21 months with German at B1. That is section 18c(2), and the general conditions of section 9(2) still apply.
The Other Routes
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