The EU Blue Card for Graduates Working in Germany

This guide is for international graduates who have recently moved to Germany and want to understand how the EU Blue Card works. After reading it, you will be able to check the main conditions, follow the application steps after arrival and see how the card can lead to permanent residence.

• Who can get the EU Blue Card
• Degree and salary conditions
• Shortage occupations
• Applying after you arrive
• Family members
• The faster route to a settlement permit
• FAQ

Who can get the EU Blue Card

Handbook Germany describes the EU Blue Card as a residence permit for people who want to work in Germany as qualified professionals. Its legal basis is Section 18g of the Aufenthaltsgesetz (Residence Act), which is based on EU Directive 2021/1883. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) calls it a permit for university graduates and for third-country nationals with specific professional experience.

Under the current rules, the following groups can apply if they have a binding job offer or a current employment contract in their field:

• people with a German academic degree
• people with a foreign academic degree that is recognised in Germany
• people with a comparable higher education qualification
• people who have completed a tertiary education programme of at least three years that is equivalent to a university degree and reaches at least level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework. Examples include master craftspeople and nursery school teachers.
• IT specialists without a degree who have at least three years of professional experience within the past seven years. This route needs the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).

Applicants do not have to prove German language skills. According to BAMF, anyone who meets the conditions is legally entitled to the card.

Degree and salary conditions

The degree and the job

The job must be “qualification-appropriate”. It has to be related to the applicant’s university or tertiary qualification, and it cannot be a job for which vocational training under Section 18b of the Residence Act would be enough. Degrees obtained abroad must be recognised in Germany. Some professions, such as doctors and lawyers, also need a separate professional licence. The contract or job offer must cover at least six months.

The salary thresholds

The pages describe two salary thresholds. Both are set as a share of the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze in der allgemeinen Rentenversicherung (the annual contribution ceiling in the general pension insurance). Most applicants must meet the standard threshold. A lower threshold applies to the following groups, provided the Federal Employment Agency approves:

• graduates who obtained their university degree within the past three years
• skilled workers in shortage occupations
• IT professionals who qualify through experience

Both amounts are tied to the contribution ceiling, so the pages give them for a specific year. The Ausländerbehörde (foreigners’ authority) decides whether a salary meets the threshold in force when the application is made.

Shortage occupations

The German terms for shortage occupations are Mangelberufe and Engpassberufe. For these jobs, the Federal Employment Agency must approve the recruitment. Its check makes sure that foreign workers are not employed on worse terms than German workers, that the job fits their qualifications and that they actually work in Germany.

Handbook Germany links to a separate list of shortage occupations. The pages themselves do not name any occupations, so the authorities decide whether a particular job counts. To shorten the approval procedure, an employer can apply for approval at the Central International and Specialist Placement Service (ZAV) before the worker enters Germany.

Applying after you arrive

People who live outside the EU generally need a visa for the purpose of gainful employment from a German diplomatic mission. They then apply for the Blue Card in Germany before the visa expires. Nationals of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States can enter without a visa. BAMF states that they must apply within three months and may only start work once the card has been issued.

Handbook Germany sets out these steps after arrival:

1. Complete your Anmeldung (address registration). Registration offices are run locally, so the procedure depends on your city or municipality.
2. Within three months, report to the Ausländerbehörde at your new place of residence and apply. The BAMF office finder at bamf-navi.bamf.de shows which office is responsible.
3. Submit your recognised degree, the contract or binding job offer, a “Declaration of Employment” signed by the employer and, in principle, a police registration certificate and a rental agreement.

People who already live in Germany with another residence title apply at their local Ausländerbehörde.

The card is normally issued for four years. If the contract is shorter, the card runs for the length of the contract plus three months. It can be extended if the conditions are still met. Changing jobs does not need permission. However, a change within the first twelve months of employment must be reported. During that period, the authority can suspend the change for 30 days and reject it within that time.

Family members

According to BAMF, the families of Blue Card holders face less strict conditions for family reunification. Spouses are entitled to a residence title without having to show any knowledge of German. They also receive immediate and unlimited permission to work.

The pages do not explain the rules for children or list the documents a family needs, so the Ausländerbehörde decides. Schools and childcare are run by the federal states (Länder) and local authorities, and the pages do not cover them.

The faster route to a settlement permit

The Blue Card can lead to a Niederlassungserlaubnis (settlement permit, a permanent residence title) under Section 18c of the Residence Act. BAMF states that holders can receive it after 27 months in Germany. During that time they must have worked in highly qualified employment and paid pension contributions, and they must be able to make themselves understood in basic German. Handbook Germany says level A1 is enough. Holders with German at level B1 can qualify after 21 months.

BAMF lists these additional conditions:

• basic knowledge of the legal and social order and of living conditions in Germany
• enough living space for the holder and the family members in the same household
• secured subsistence
• proof of all permits required for permanent employment
• no reasons of public safety and order that stand in the way

FAQ

Can a recent graduate qualify with a lower salary?

Yes. According to Handbook Germany, people who obtained their university degree within the past three years can receive a Blue Card at the lower salary threshold if the Federal Employment Agency approves. The amount is tied to the pension contribution ceiling, and the Ausländerbehörde decides whether a salary meets it.

Is German needed to get the Blue Card?

No. Applicants do not have to prove German skills, and the same is true for spouses joining a Blue Card holder. German only matters for the settlement permit: basic German for the 27-month route and level B1 for the 21-month route.

Can a Blue Card holder change jobs?

Yes, and no permission is needed. A change within the first twelve months of employment must be reported. The authority can then suspend the change for 30 days and reject it if the new job does not meet the Blue Card requirements.

Who answers questions about an individual case?

The Ausländerbehörde for your place of residence decides on applications. Migration advice services can explain the options. BAMF also runs a “Working and Living in Germany” hotline on +49 30-1815-1111.

Sources: handbookgermany.de · bamf.de

Last verified: 4 November 2026 against the pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the responsible authority always has the final word.

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the foreigners’ authority (Ausländerbehörde) of your city, a recognised migration advice service or a lawyer (Rechtsanwalt).