Germany offers the EU Blue Card (Section 18g of the Residence Act) as a special residence title for qualified foreign workers who want to take up employment in Germany. This residence permit applies to academics and individuals with comparable qualifications. As of 2025, there are specific requirements that must be met to apply for the EU Blue Card.

Requirements for the EU Blue Card

To obtain the EU Blue Card, the following conditions must be met:

1. Educational Qualifications

   • You must have a German academic qualification or a foreign qualification comparable to a German academic qualification. If you do not have a traditional academic degree, you must have completed at least three years of tertiary-level education.

   • This qualification should correspond to at least level 6 of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011) or level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework. Non-academic qualifications, such as “Master craftsman training,” may also be considered valid in Germany.

2. Job Offer

   • You must have a specific job offer from a company in Germany for at least six months.

   • The job must be aligned with your academic qualifications, and if required, any licenses or permits (e.g., regulated professions) must be in place or expected by the time of the visa application.

3. Salary Requirements

   • To apply for the EU Blue Card, your gross annual salary must be at least €48,300 (as of 2025).

   • However, for certain sectors with “qualified workforce shortages” (bottleneck professions), you can apply with a lower salary of at least €43,759.80 (as of 2025). These sectors include fields with labor shortages.

Bottleneck Professions

There are specific professions in Germany where there is a shortage of skilled workers, making it easier to apply for the EU Blue Card in these sectors. These professions include:

• Manufacturing, mining, construction, and distribution managers

• Information and communications technology (ICT) service managers

• Professional services managers (e.g., childcare, health services, education)

• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) academic professionals

• Academic professionals in engineering, architecture, and urban planning

• Medical doctors, veterinarians, dentists, pharmacists

• Academic and comparable nursing and midwifery professionals

• School teachers and educators

For New Graduates

For those entering the labor market, it is also possible to apply for the EU Blue Card. If you obtained your degree or equivalent qualification less than three years ago, you can apply with a gross annual salary of at least €43,759.80 (as of 2025). This applies to entry-level jobs in all professions. The approval of the Federal Employment Agency is also required for these applications.

Special Case: EU Blue Card for IT Professionals without a Formal Qualification

IT professionals who do not have a formal academic qualification can also apply for the EU Blue Card under specific conditions:

• You must have a specific job offer for an IT professional role in Germany, with a minimum contract duration of six months.

• The job must allow you to earn a gross annual salary of at least €43,759.80 (as of 2025).

• You must have at least three years of experience in IT within the last seven years, and this professional experience must be relevant to university-level qualifications.