§ 18g AufenthG ("Blue Card EU residence permit")

To qualify for the European Blue Card 

• you need either a German university degree or a foreign degree that's equivalent to a German degree. 
• If you don't have a traditional university degree, you need a tertiary education qualification that took at least three years to be completed. This qualification must match at least level 6 of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011) or the European Qualifications Framework in Germany. Examples include advanced training like "Master" certifications and professional qualifications in teaching. 
• You already have a specific job offer in Germany. The job must meet these requirements:
  • The job must last at least six months.
  • The job must match your qualifications (university degree). If a professional license is needed (for regulated professions), you must have it or be promised it when you apply for the visa.
  • The job in Germany must pay a gross annual salary of at least €45.300,-- (in 2024).

Employment in a "bottleneck"-profession 

For jobs in shortage ("bottleneck") professions, you can get the EU Blue Card with a lower gross annual salary of at least €41.041,80 (in 2024), if the Federal Employment Agency (BA) approves. The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community sets the salary thresholds each year.

The following University-related professions are considered shortage occupations in Germany:

• Academic professionals in STEM fields
• Academic professionals in architecture, spatial, and transportation planning
• Doctors
• Veterinarians
• Dentists
• Pharmacists
• Academic and comparable nursing and midwifery professionals
• Teaching and educational staff in schools and extracurricular areas

The EU Blue Card is issued for the duration of your employment contract plus an additional three months, but for no longer than four years. If you meet the requirements, you can extend your residence permit in Germany.

After 27 months, you can get a permanent residence permit if you prove your German language skills at the A1 level (basic level) according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). If you reach the B1 level (intermediate level), you can get the permanent residence permit after just 21 months.

Family reunification

Do you want to live in Germany with your family? As an EU Blue Card holder, you can.

Your family members enjoy less stringent conditions pertaining to family reunification. Spouses are entitled to issuance of a residence title without requiring a knowledge of German, for example, and are granted immediate and unlimited permission to take up employment.

However, you must prove that you have

• sufficient funds to support yourself and your family members and

• sufficient living space for you and your family members

living with you in the same household.

Changing jobs with the EU Blue Card

Do you have an EU Blue Card and want to change employers in Germany? That’s okay. You can start your new job with your current EU Blue Card. However, if you change jobs within the first year, you need to inform the immigration office about your new employment. They will check if you still meet the requirements for the EU Blue Card with your new job. If you don’t, you may be given a different residence permit, such as one for skilled workers.

If you have entered Germany on a different type of visa, such as the § 18d ("researcher") residence permit, you can still switch to the EU Blue Card. 

Individuals who are already living in Germany and hold another residence permit may file an application for the EU Blue Card with the immigration office responsible for their area as soon as they fulfill the requirements mentioned above.