EU Blue Card

Description

Visa procedures

If you are a national of a third country (i.e. not the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland), you will generally require a visa to enter Germany for the purpose of employment, which must be applied for at a German diplomatic mission abroad.

A visa is not required for nationals of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.

After entry

You must first register your residence at the Citizens’ Office.

Application for an EU Blue Card

You must apply for the EU Blue Card before your visa or residence permit expires. If you are able to enter the country without a visa for this purpose, you must apply for a residence permit at the Foreigners Office within 90 days of your arrival.

Please submit the application form and the required documents online or by post. Once you have submitted your online application, you can download a completed document as a PDF for your records. This document confirms your application and the authorisation/continuation of your current residence. Once your application has been assessed, we will contact you to arrange an appointment for a face-to-face interview.

Period of validity

The EU Blue Card is valid for a maximum of four years. If you have an employment contract for less than four years, the EU Blue Card will be valid for the duration of the employment contract (plus six months).

Notification of a change of employment

Holders of an EU Blue Card must notify the relevant Foreigners Office of any change of employment within the first twelve months of employment. To do so, please send us the following via our online service or by post

• the notice of termination of your previous employment contract,
• your new employment contract with a detailed job description, and
• the completed form ‘Declaration of Employment’

You do not need permission to change jobs and can start your new job immediately. However, the Foreigners Office may suspend the change of employment for 30 days and reject it within this period if the conditions for granting an EU Blue Card are not met with the new employment. In this case, you will receive a written notice from the Foreigners Office regarding the suspension of the change of employment. After the first 12 months, you do not need to notify the Foreigners Office when changing jobs

Requirements

• You have the following qualifications:
  • You have a German university degree or
  • A foreign university degree that is comparable to a German university degree (see anabin H+ for university and degree or a certificate assessment from the Central Office for Foreign Education - ZAB) or
  • A tertiary educational qualification recognised in Germany at level 6 of ISCED 2011 or level 6 of the EQF (European Framework of Reference) such as master craftsperson, business administrator, technician, educator, curative education nurse (training period of at least three years, equivalent to a university degree) or
  • 3 years of professional experience in the IT sector within the last 7 years as an IT specialist.
• You currently have a gross annual salary of at least 50,700 euros. Your gross salary must be at least 45,934.20 euros if the Federal Employment Agency has approved your employment and
  • You work in a bottleneck occupation or
  • You have obtained your university degree within the last 3 years as a young professional and the salary limit must be reached regardless of the working time model. There is no pro rata calculation for part-time positions. The salary limits apply for the year 2026 and may change each year.

• The duration of your job offer must be at least six months.
• Your job must be appropriate to your qualifications (university degree).
• Valid visa to enter the country for employment with an EU Blue Card (if required).

Required documents

• Fully completed application form
• Valid passport or passport substitute
• Valid visa to enter the country for the purpose of qualified employment and entry stamp (if required, only for initial application)
• current biometric passport photo submitted digitally by a certified photo studio or drugstore. Alternatively, you can use one of the photo terminals at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Office for a fee.
• Employment contract or a concrete job offer
• Fully completed insurance for the exercise of employment(please upload together with the employment contract)
• Current and fully completed "Declaration of employment"
• In the case of an extension: Proof of salary for the first two and last two months

Qualifications (for initial application)

• University degree certificate: In the case of a foreign certificate, you must submit a certified German or English translation and an extract from anabin(H+ for university and degree) or a certificate evaluation from the ZABO for recognition
• Certificate of completion of a tertiary education programme and recognition of the degree ( KMK certificate assessment or anabin extract)Or
• For IT specialists without a formal qualification: Proof of at least 3 years of professional experience within the last 7 years in the IT sector and a CV
• Professional licence (for regulated professions)

Please note

• The documents submitted (such as proof of identity and language certificates) are checked for authenticity. We will report any forgeries to the police.
• Further documents may be required in individual cases.

Legal basis

EU Directive 2009/50/EC (Highly Qualified Persons Directive)
§ Section 18g Residence Act