Are you eligible for a Blue Card?
Your salary, degree, job offer, and field determine whether you qualify on the standard or shortage-occupation track. 2026 thresholds.
- 2 minutes
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How this works
- Tell us your job offer and salary
- We check the 2026 Blue Card rules
- See if you qualify and on which track
Step 1 of 7
Step 1 of 7, What's your highest degree?
What's your highest degree?
Pick the option that matches your German credential recognition.
See your full Germany plan
You have one answer. Now see the work steps around it, from visa fit to settling in.
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Common questions
Effective 1 January 2026, the general track requires a gross annual salary of at least 50,700 EUR. The shortage-occupation track, the young-professional track (less than 3 years since degree), and the IT-without-degree track all use a lower threshold of 45,934.20 EUR per year. The figures rose about 5 percent from 2025; they are tied to 50 percent of the pension contribution ceiling and adjust annually via the Sozialversicherungs-Rechengroessenverordnung.
The official 2026 list (linked from Make-it-in-Germany) covers academic STEM professionals, ICT service managers, medical doctors, veterinarians, dentists, pharmacists, academic and comparable nursing and midwifery professionals, school and out-of-school teachers, and architecture / spatial-planning / transport-planning academics. Shortage occupations qualify with the lower 45,934.20 EUR threshold AND require Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit (BA) approval. Add 4 to 6 weeks to your timeline.
Yes. The Skilled Immigration Act 2024 reform created an IT-no-degree path: at least 3 years of university-level IT experience within the past 7 years substitutes for a formal degree, with the lower 45,934.20 EUR salary threshold. BA approval is required. You'll need to document the experience with employer references showing university-level responsibilities (architecture, design, technical leadership, not just operations).
Yes. Blue Card requires a concrete employment contract for at least 6 months in Germany before you can apply for the visa. The contract must specify the qualifying salary. If you don't have an offer yet, the Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) gives you a 12-month job-search permit on a points system; once you find a qualifying job, you switch to a Blue Card.
The Blue Card under Section 18g AufenthG is faster and gives you a path to permanent residency in 27 months (or 21 months with B1 German). The standard skilled-worker visa under Section 18b is for cases where the salary threshold isn't met but a recognised qualification + a job offer in the qualified field exist. Choose the Blue Card whenever both options are available; it's strictly better for relocation timelines and PR speed.
At minimum: passport with at least 6 months validity; signed employment contract specifying the qualifying salary; degree certificate plus translation; Anabin printout proving recognition (or for IT-no-degree: 3+ year experience letters); health insurance coverage for the start date; biometric photos; visa application fee (75 to 100 EUR depending on the consulate); proof of accommodation in Germany. Shortage-track and young-professional applicants also need the BA approval document, which the prospective employer triggers in advance.