About the Blue Card 

The Blue Card is a residence title that can be issued by a member state of the European Union. This card allows third-country nationals with a university or tertiary education degree or IT professional experience to take up gainful employment in an EU member state – provided that the relevant requirements are met.

You apply for the residence title Blue Card for employment in Germany at the local foreigners authority in Germany. For this purpose, you need an entry visa in advance, which you can apply for online in the foreign portal or on site at your competent foreign representation. If you meet all the requirements, your visa will state the purpose of entry that entitles you to receive the residence title Blue Card.

Online application for a Blue Card (EU) visa

1. Blue Card for professionals with a university degree 

What you need:

• a university degree recognized or comparable in Germany,
• a contract of employment in Germany appropriate to your qualifications and
• a minimum annual gross salary of 45,300 euros and in MINT and health professions of 41,041.80 euros (as of 2024). An explanation of these occupational fields can be found below.

2. Blue Card (EU) for skilled workers with a tertiary education qualification

What you need:

• a degree from a tertiary education program equivalent to a university degree,
• a contract of employment in Germany appropriate to your qualifications and
• a minimum annual gross salary of 45,300 euros and in MINT and health professions of 41,041.80 euros (as of 2024). An explanation of these occupational fields can be found below.

Special regulations concerning the requirements

If you are employed in a bottleneck profession, you can also obtain an EU Blue Card with a lower gross annual salary of at least €41,041.80 (as of 2024) if the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) has approved your employment.

The salary thresholds are published annually by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community.

• The following occupations are considered to be bottleneck professions in Germany:
• Manufacturing, mining, construction and distribution managers
• Information and communications technology service managers
• Professional services managers, such as childcare services, health services and education managers
  Academic STEM professionals
• Academic professionals in architecture, spatial planning and transport planning
• Medical doctors
• Veterinarians
• Dentists
• Pharmacists
• Academic and comparable nursing and midwifery professionals
• School and out-of-school teachers and educators

More information on the professions can be found here.

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