Work-related Residence Permits

The EU Blue Card is a special form of residence permit for foreign professionals with a university degree or equivalent academic qualification who want to pursue work in Germany that is suited to their field of professional qualification.

You are qualified for an EU Blue Card if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You hold a university degree from Germany or a foreign degree which is either recognised in Germany or is comparable to a German degree.  
• You hold a tertiary education degree from a degree programme of at least three years’ duration which corresponds to at least Level 6 of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) or Level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework.
• You do not have a formal qualification, but you have multiple years of experience as an IT specialist or an IT manager. Please note the further requirements in the other FAQs below.

Along with the necessary educational qualifications, you must meet the following requirements to acquire an EU Blue Card:

• You have a concrete job offer from an employer in Germany.
• The period of employment will be six months or longer.
• The job corresponds to your qualification, that is, to your degree. If you want to work in a regulated occupation, for example in a field such as medicine or law, you also need authorisation to work in that occupation, which you must submit along with your application. On the Federal Government’s “Anerkennung in Deutschland” website about the recognition of foreign academic qualifications, you can find out whether your occupation is regulated and, if so, how you can obtain authorisation to work in that occupation.
• Your job in Germany provides an annual gross salary of at least 48,300 euros (as at 2025).
  • In the following cases, you can acquire an EU Blue Card with a lower annual gross salary of at least 43,759.80 euros (as at 2025). Please note the additional requirements in the FAQs below.
    • IT specialists with multiple years of work experience
    • People employed in occupations with a labour shortage
    • Entry-level professionals

If you wish to apply for an EU Blue Card as an IT specialist or IT manager without a formal educational qualification, you must demonstrate that you have a concrete job offer in this field in Germany. It is also important that

• the period of employment will be six months or longer,
• your gross salary will be at least 43,759.80 euros per year (as at 2025), and
• in the last seven years you have gathered at least three years’ experience as an IT professional at a comparable level to that required for your work in Germany.
   

Yes, if you are employed in an occupation with a labour shortage (PDF) in Germany, you can acquire an EU Blue Card with a lower gross annual salary. In this case, your gross annual salary must be at least 43,759.80 euros (as at 2025). However, the Federal Employment Agency must approve your intended employment. 

Occupations with labour shortages are those that urgently need skilled workers. In Germany, these occupations include:

• Supervisors and managers in the production of manufactured goods and in mining, construction and logistics
• Supervisors and managers in the rendering of services in the field of information and communications technology
• Supervisors and managers in the rendering of special services, for example in child care and in the health and education sectors
• Degreed professionals in the fields of mathematics, science and technology
• Degreed professionals in the fields of architecture, spatial planning and traffic planning
• Doctors
• Veterinarians
• Dentists
• Pharmacists
• Degreed and comparably qualified specialists in healthcare, nursing and obstetrics
• Teachers and educators in the school and non-school sectors

Yes, however, three conditions must be met:

• You received your degree or equivalent qualification within the last three years.
• You have been offered a job with an annual gross salary of at least 43,759.80 euros (as at 2025).
• The Federal Employment Agency must approve your intended job.

• Recognized vocational or academic qualification (with formal recognition, if applicable)
• A concrete job offer in Germany
• Sufficient income and, if applicable, language skills
• For regulated professions: official recognition and professional license

Depending on the type of permit: 

• employment contract
• proof of qualifications
• possibly recognition notice
• proof of health insurance and financial means for living expenses

• Academic degrees: ANABIN
• Vocational training: BQ-Portal.de and Anerkennung in Deutschland

Professions that legally require authorization or official recognition in Germany (e.g., healthcare, education, medicine).

Further information: anerkennung-in-deutschland.de

Yes, in certain fields (e.g., IT), if you have at least three years of relevant work experience and a job offer.

Yes, simplified procedures apply for so-called shortage occupations. The current list is maintained by the Federal Employment Agency.

Not necessarily. What matters is whether your income covers your living expenses. Minimum salary thresholds only apply to certain permits.

Yes, with a visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications (§16d AufenthG) You will need a recognition notice and a qualification measure in Germany.

Yes, with a residence permit for job-seeking (§20 AufenthG) – provided you have a recognized qualification and sufficient funds to support yourself.

Yes, with a residence permit under §21 AufenthG, if your business concept is viable, financed, and economically meaningful.

With a contract or hosting agreement from a recognized research institution, you can apply for a residence permit under §18d AufenthG.

Usually for the duration of your employment contract. Extensions and later transition to a permanent settlement permit are possible.

You must notify the immigration authority. In general, you will have 3 to 6 months to find a new job.