Germany EU Blue Card: Requirements and How to Apply

The Germany EU Blue Card is a residence and work permit for university-qualified professionals with a German job offer. The 2026 headline requirement is a gross salary of at least €50,700 a year (about €4,225 a month), or €45,934.20 for shortage occupations and some young professionals and IT specialists, with Federal Employment Agency approval. It lasts up to 4 years and leads to a settlement permit after 21 months with B1 German or 27 months with A1. Official source: Make it in Germany: EU Blue Card. Check the official page before you apply; rules change, and we are researchers, not lawyers.

Who qualifies

The Blue Card is for people who have a German degree or a comparable foreign qualification (or, without a traditional degree, a tertiary qualification of at least three years, such as a master craftsman qualification) and a specific job offer lasting at least six months that matches their qualification. If the job is in a regulated profession, such as medicine, the licence must be in place or in prospect when you apply.

Citizens of the US, UK, Canada and Australia can generally enter Germany without a visa and apply for the permit locally, but confirm this with your immigration office. Other nationalities usually apply at an embassy first.

Salary requirement

The official portal gives these 2026 gross annual thresholds:

• €50,700 (about €4,225 a month): the standard threshold.
• €45,934.20 (about €3,828 a month): shortage occupations, such as STEM professionals, doctors and teachers, with Federal Employment Agency approval.
• €45,934.20: young professionals (last degree less than three years old) and IT specialists without a degree, both with Federal Employment Agency approval.

Thresholds are updated, so confirm the current amounts on the portal.

Documents you'll need

The portal page does not list documents. Typically you need a valid passport, a recognised degree (check the ANABIN database or request a recognition), your signed employment contract or binding job offer, proof of health insurance, and proof of address. Your employer or the embassy can supply the exact checklist. Documents not in German or English may need certified translations.

Step-by-step application

1. Confirm your degree is recognised in Germany, and whether your job is a regulated profession.
2. Get a qualifying job offer of at least six months at or above the threshold.
3. Check whether approval is needed from the Federal Employment Agency (shortage and young-professional categories).
4. Apply for the visa or permit. If you need an entry visa, apply at the German embassy; if you can enter visa-free, you may apply at the local immigration office after you arrive.
5. Register your address (Anmeldung) and arrange health insurance.
6. Collect your Blue Card at the immigration office.

Costs and timeline

The official page does not list fees or processing times. German national visas generally cost €75 at embassies, according to German embassy information sheets for related visas; permit fees in Germany are set by local authorities. Processing varies by embassy and city, so ask your immigration office. The card is issued for your contract length plus six months, to a maximum of four years, and can be extended in Germany if conditions are met.

Settlement and long-term residence

You can apply for a settlement permit after 27 months with A1 German, or after 21 months with B1. Germany's naturalisation period is 5 years of residence with B1 German, and dual citizenship has been allowed since June 2024. We understand a 3-year fast-track naturalisation was repealed in late 2025, so verify the current rules. See our Germany country guide.

Taxes once you're resident

You become tax resident once you have a home in Germany or habitually stay there, generally for six months or more, and you are taxed on worldwide income. Income tax is progressive up to 45%, plus a solidarity surcharge for higher earners, church tax for church members and social contributions that come out of your salary. The US has a tax treaty and a totalization agreement with Germany, and US citizens still file US returns. We are not tax advisors.

Family members

The portal says you can live in Germany with your family on a Blue Card but refers to its family-life section for conditions, which we did not read. Ask your immigration office about spouse and child permits, language requirements and work rights.

Alternatives

• Opportunity Card if you do not yet have a job offer.
• Freelance visa if you are self-employed.
• Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant permit or Ireland's Critical Skills permit if you are weighing other countries.
• City guides: living in Berlin and living in Munich, or take our quiz.