How to get a German Blue Card

By Nicolas Bouliane Verified by 3 experts

The EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte) is a residence permit for skilled workers.

With a Blue Card, you can…

This guide explains how to apply for a Blue Card in Berlin or in your country.

Who needs a Blue Card?

The Blue Card is a type of residence permit. You need a residence permit to live in Germany if you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

Who needs a residence permit

Blue Card requirements

To get a Blue Card, you need…18

  • A job offer in Germany
    You must find a job before you apply for the Blue Card.15 The job must have…
    • A German employer
      You must work for a German employer, or an employer with an office in Germany.28 It can be a remote job. You must be an employee, not a freelancer.
    • A high salary
      Your salary must be over 45,300€ per year (before taxes, without bonuses).3 If your job is in the list of shortage occupations, your salary must be over 41,041.80€ per year.21 If you graduated less than 3 years ago, your salary must be over 41,041.80€ per year.30 Your salary must cover the cost of living for you and your family.
    • A long term contract
      Your job contract must be for at least 6 months.23
  • Qualifications for this job
    You must know how to do your job. For example, to get a programming job, you must know how to program.
  • Permission to do this job
    You must have all the permits and special qualifications needed for the job.12 For example, doctors, engineers and lawyers need special qualifications. – Find the requirements for your job
  • A university degree
    Your university degree must be recognised in Germany. Use Anabin to see if your school and degree are recognised. – How to use Anabin

You do not need a university degree if…29

  • You are an IT specialist
  • and you have at least 3 years of experience
  • and your salary is over 41,041.80€ per year

You do not need to speak German to get a Blue Card.26

Blue Card alternatives

If you can’t get a Blue Card, there are other residence permits that let you work in Germany:

  • Work visa 
    No salary requirement. No university degree required. In some cases, you might need professional training. It’s almost as good as a Blue Card. – How to apply
  • Working Holiday Visa and Youth Mobility Visa
    For young people from certain countries. Work in Germany for 1 year. No salary requirement. No education needed.
  • Opportunity Card
    For looking for work in Germany. It gives you 1 year to find a job. You can work 20 hours a week. To work full time, you need a work visa or Blue Card.
  • Job seeker visa
    For looking for work in Germany. It gives you 6 to 18 months to find a job. To start working, you need a work visa or a Blue Card. The opportunity card is usually a better option.
  • Internship visa
    For university students. Do an internship in Germany for up to 6 months.
  • Au pair visa
    Work as an au pair. Minimum income: 280€ per month. No education needed.
  • Family reunion visa
    For spouses and children of German residents. You can work, study or freelance in Germany.16 No minimum income. No education needed.
  • Permanent residence or EU citizenship
    You can already live and work in Germany. You don’t need a residence permit.

More residence permit options

How to apply in Berlin

You can apply for a Blue Card after you move to Germany:

  1. Come to Germany
  2. Apply for a Blue Card at your local Ausländerbehörde. You must apply at the Ausländerbehörde where you live. You can’t apply in another city.

You can apply in Germany if…

If you can’t apply in Germany, you must apply in your home country.

Usually, you can’t work before you get your Blue Card.33 It can take time. You might wait a few months with no income. It’s cheaper and safer if you apply in your home country, then come to Germany when you are allowed to work.

Need help? An immigration lawyer or a relocation consultant can take care of everything. It costs 500€ to 2,000€.40 Your employer might pay for it, or hire someone to help you.

1. Come to Germany

Come to Germany and look for a job.

  • If you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom or the United States
    You can come to Germany without a visa. You can stay 90 days in Germany without a residence permit. You can look for a job, and apply for the Blue Card in Germany.9 You can’t work before you get your Blue Card.
  • If you have a German residence permit
    Your current residence permit stays valid until you get your Blue Card. If your residence permit expires after you sent your Blue Card application, you don’t need to leave Germany.
  • If you have a Blue Card from another EU country
    You can come to Germany without a visa.36 If you have your Blue Card since at least 12 months, you can already start working in Germany.31 When you arrive in Germany, you have 1 month to convert your Blue Card to a German one at the Ausländerbehörde.39
  • If you have an opportunity card
    You can come to Germany and look for a job. You can work 20 hours per week. To work full time, you must switch to a Blue Card or a work visa.
  • If you have a job seeker visa
    You can come to Germany and look for a job. To start working, you must get a Blue Card or a work visa.11
  • If you have a Schengen visa
    You can’t apply for a Blue Card with a Schengen visa. Your application will be rejected. You must apply in your home country.24

If these options don’t apply to you, you must apply for the Blue Card in your country.19

2. Find a job

You must find a job before you apply for the Blue Card.15 Your job offer must meet the Blue Card requirements.

How to find a job

3. Prepare your Blue Card application

Before you apply for the Blue Card, you must…

If you bring your family to Germany, you can apply for their family reunion visa at the same time. You must prepare these documents too.

While you wait for your Ausländerbehörde appointment, you should also…

4. Apply for the Blue Card online

You must apply for the Blue Card online.4 You do not need an Ausländerbehörde appointment. It takes 15 minutes.

Apply for the Blue Card – berlin.de

It costs 100€. You can pay with Visa, Mastercard or PayPal, but not with cash or Girocard.8 It’s cheaper for Turkish citizens. The fee is tax-deductible, so keep the receipt.

After you pay and send your application, you can download a PDF. This is a proof of application. Save it for later.

5. Wait

The Ausländerbehörde will process your application. It takes a few weeks to get a response. Then they will invite you for an appointment.

In most cases, your current National Visa or residence permit usually stays valid while you wait. If it expires, you don’t have to leave Germany. You might get a Fiktionsbescheinigung that allows travel outside of Germany with an expired residence permit.

If your visa or residence permit expires soon

How the Fiktionsbescheinigung works

If you wait more than 3 months, you can sue the Ausländerbehörde for inaction, but it might not help.20

6. Go to your Blue Card appointment

Later, the Ausländerbehörde will email you. They will invite you for an appointment.

When you go to your appointment, bring…7

  • Your appointment confirmation, printed
    You can’t enter the Ausländerbehörde without it. They check at the door. You must print it.
  • Proof of your online application
    You get this document by email after you apply online.
  • Passport photo (35 × 45 mm)
    You do not need to cut the photos yourself; they have a tool for this. The photo should be less than 6 months old.34 – Where to get passport photos
  • A translator (optional)
    Many Ausländerbehörde employees only speak German. If you don’t speak German, bring an interpreter or a German-speaking friend.48 It’s not required, but it helps. I recommend Red Tape Translation. Relocation consultants and immigration lawyers can also translate for you.

The appointment takes 15 to 60 minutes. You spend most of that time waiting. During the appointment, they take your fingerprints for your Blue Card.

If they approve your Blue Card, they must print the plastic card. You will get a second appointment to collect your Blue Card in 4 to 8 weeks. You might get a temporary document that confirms that your Blue Card was approved. It allows you to start working, but it’s not a valid travel document. It does not allow you to leave and re-enter Germany.

What happens at the Ausländerbehörde

What happens after your appointment

7. Get your Blue Card

Go to your second Ausländerbehörde appointment to pick up your Blue Card. Bring your passport and your old residence permit.

Check if the information on your card is correct. The Ausländerbehörde sometimes makes mistakes.

Your Blue Card is a plastic card. The expiration date is written on it. It’s usually valid for 4 years.17 If you have a limited work contract, your Blue Card is valid for a shorter time. For example, if you have a 2 year work contract, your Blue Card is valid for 2 years + 3 months.3

You also get a Zusatzblatt. It describes the conditions of your work visa. For example, it can say that you can freelance, or that you can only work for your current employer.

You will also get a letter with the activation code for your eID. You need it to activate the eID function of your Blue Card. This lets you use your Blue Card to log into online government services.

8. Start working in Germany

Starting a new job in Germany

Your first month in Germany

How to apply in your country

You can also apply for a Blue Card in your country, before you move to Germany.25 This is cheaper and safer, because when you arrive in Germany, you can already start working.32

To apply in your country:

  1. Get an appointment at the German embassy or consulate in your country.
  2. Go to your appointment and give your documents. The required documents are different in each country. Find the list on your embassy or consulate’s website.
  3. Receive a National Visa. It lets you to move to Germany and start working.
  4. After you arrive in Germany, convert your National Visa into a Blue Card.

1. Find a job

You must find a job before you apply for the Blue Card.15 Your job offer must meet the Blue Card requirements.

How to find a job

2. Get an appointment at the German embassy or consulate

Get an appointment at the German embassy or consulate in your country. It can take months to get an appointment.

At some embassies and consulates, you can apply for a Blue Card online, without an appointment.

Find your German embassy or consulate

3. Prepare for your interview

Before your embassy or consulate appointment, you must…

4. Go to your National Visa appointment

Go to your appointment at the embassy or consulate, and give your documents. If you have all the required documents, it only takes a few minutes.

5. Receive your National Visa

In a few weeks (or a few months), you must go to the embassy or consulate again. They will give you a National Visa. This temporary visa lets you come to Germany and start working.

6. Come to Germany, start working

With your National Visa, you can travel to Germany and start working.38

After you arrive in Germany, register your address, get a tax ID and open a bank account. These things will be useful later.

How to move to Berlin

Starting a new job in Germany

7. Convert your National Visa into a Blue Card

Your National Visa is valid for 3 to 12 months.27 After your arrive in Germany, you must convert it into a Blue Card at the Ausländerbehörde.

In Berlin, you must convert your National Visa 8 weeks before it expires, not sooner.37

To convert your National Visa into a Blue Card:

  1. Contact the Ausländerbehörde
    Write to the Ausländerbehörde 3 to 4 months before your National Visa expires. They take a really long time to reply. When they reply, they will give you an appointment.
  2. Go to your appointment
    During the appointment, they take your fingerprints for your Blue Card. It takes around 15 minutes.
  3. Wait for your Blue Card
    4 to 8 weeks, you get a letter. It’s your Blue Card, or an invitation to collect your Blue Card at the Ausländerbehörde.
  4. Activate your eID (optional)

Your Blue Card is a plastic card. It’s valid for up to 4 years. You can renew it before it expires.

Required documents

These are the required documents in Berlin.2 If you apply elsewhere, they require different documents. Check the website of the Ausländerbehörde, embassy or consulate where you apply. – Find your embassy or consulate

  • Passport
    If you send your documents online, include a colour scan of your passport. If you go to the Ausländerbehörde, bring your passport. You get it back during the appointment; they do not keep it.
  • Passport photo (35 × 45 mm)
    The photo should be less than 6 months old.34 You do not need to cut the photos yourself; they have a tool for this. – Where to get passport photos
  • Job contract or job offer
    Bring the original, not a copy.
  • Job description form (Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis)
    Your employer should fill this form and sign it. Download the form here or on Berlin.de.
  • Proof of health insurance
    You need valid health insurance. Travel insurance is not accepted. Ask a health insurance broker to help you choose health insurance.
    • Health insurance card
    • or proof of public health insurance
      Get a Mitgliedsbescheinigung nach 175 SGB V from your health insurer or your health insurance broker.
    • or proof of private health insurance
      Bring your insurance contract, a Mitgliedsbescheinigung, and bank statements that show health insurance payments. Get these documents from your health insurer or your health insurance broker.6
  • Proof of housing
    You need a place to live where you can register your address. If you apply in Berlin, your home address must be in Berlin.
    • Lease
      It must show the size of your apartment. Your apartment must be big enough (9 m² per adult, 6 m² per child).47 You must make enough money to pay your rent.45 It can be a temporary lease, a WG or a sublet.
    • and tenancy confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)
      Some temporary apartments and sublets don’t give you this document. You might not get a Blue Card without it.1
    • and registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung)
      You must register your address to get this document. If you don’t have it, your lease and tenancy confirmation are sometimes enough. At least bring proof that you have a Bürgeramt appointment.5
  • University degree
    If you are an IT specialist with at least 3 years of experience, you don’t need a degree.29
  • Statement of comparability (Zeugnisbewertung)
    If your university degree is not recognised in Germany, you must get a statement of comparability (Zeugnisbewertung) from the ZAB. If you are an IT specialist with at least 3 years of experience, you don’t need this. – More information
  • Occupation practice permit (Berufsausübungserlaubnis)
    If you need specific qualifications to do your job, bring all the required diplomas and permits. For example, doctors, engineers and tax advisors need specific qualifications. Use the recognition finder to know if you need specific qualifications.
  • Translations
    If your documents are not in German, bring translations. For certificates and official documents, bring certified translations. They sometimes accept untranslated documents, but don’t take the risk. Get translations from Red Tape Translation or Lingoking.

Use PDF files or photos. Don’t use word documents or other file formats.35

After you get your Blue Card

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Bring your family to Germany

The family reunion visa lets you bring your family to Germany. If they have a family reunion visa, your family members can work, study, freelance or start a business in Germany.

Activate your eID

You can use your Blue Card to log into online government services. For example, you can use it to apply for unemployment benefits. You must activate this feature at the Ausländerbehörde. Activate your eID before you need it.

How to activate your eID

Renew your Blue Card

Your Blue Card is valid for up to 4 years. You must renew it around 8 weeks before it expires. To renew your Blue Card, you must use the same form you used to apply for your Blue Card, or use the contact form. You can’t get an appointment for this.

You can also apply for permanent residence after 27 months. If you speak B1 German, you can get it after 21 months.10

If you change jobs

When you change jobs, tell the Ausländerbehörde. You might need their permission to work for a different employer.

What happens to your Blue Card

If you lose your job

If you lose your job, your Blue Card stays valid. Tell the Ausländerbehörde as soon as you can. In Berlin, they give you 6 months to find another job.

While you are unemployed, you can get unemployment benefits.

What happens to your Blue Card

How to get unemployment benefits

If you travel with a Blue Card

Your Blue Card lets you visit other Schengen area countries without a visa.

With a Blue Card, you can leave Germany for up to 12 months.22 To travel longer, you need permission from the Ausländerbehörde.

Self-employment with a Blue Card

Your Blue Card might allow self-employment. Look on your residence permit, and on the Zusatzblatt. If it says Selbständige Tätigkeit gestattet or Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt, you can be self-employed in addition to your job. You must keep your job, and it must be your main source of income.43

To become self-employed full-time, you must apply for a freelance visa.

Make a tax declaration

Your immigration expenses are tax-deductible, so keep all your receipts and proofs of payment. Include them in your tax declaration. You will pay a little less income tax. If you hire a lawyer or a relocation consultant, their fee is also tax-deductible.

Apply for permanent residence

If you have a Blue Card, you qualify for permanent residence after 27 months. If you speak B1 German, you qualify after 21 months.46 Permanent residence is better than a Blue Card, because it’s not tied to your job.

How to apply for permanent residence

Need help?

An immigration lawyer or a relocation consultant can answer your questions. Some organisations can also help you for free.

Where to ask immigration questions

Sources and footnotes

  1. Elliot Herman (October 2023), multiple relocation consultants (October 2023) ⤴

  2. Berlin.de, Business Immigration Service ⤴

  3. §18 Abs. 4 AufenthG, Berlin.de, Fiona Macdonald (August 2023) ⤴

  4. Berlin.de ⤴

  5. Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (December 2023), Berlin.de ⤴

  6. Berlin.de, Business Immigration Service ⤴

  7. Berlin.de ⤴

  8. Berlin.de ⤴

  9. §41 AufenthV, Berlin.de ⤴

  10. §18c Abs. 2 AufenthG, Berlin.de, 18c.2.3. VAB ⤴

  11. §20 AufenthG, Berlin.de, Make it in Germany ⤴

  12. §18 AufenthG ⤴

  13. anwalt.de, Berlin.de ⤴

  14. §29 AufenthG ⤴

  15. §18g AufenthG ⤴

  16. germany-visa.org ⤴

  17. §18 Abs. 4 AufenthG ⤴

  18. Berlin.de ⤴

  19. Multiple relocation consultants (October 2023) ⤴

  20. §75 VwGO ⤴

  21. VAB, section 18b.2.2, §18g AufenthG ⤴

  22. §51 Abs. 10 AufenthG ⤴

  23. §18g AufenthG ⤴

  24. Auswärtiges Amt, §3 AufenthG, reddit.com/r/germany, facebook.com, einwanderer.net ⤴

  25. make-it-in-germany.com ⤴

  26. make-it-in-germany.com ⤴

  27. Ina Bozhilova at Noah Mobility (July 2023), Berlin.de ⤴

  28. Berlin.de ⤴

  29. make-it-in-germany.com ⤴

  30. §18g AufenthG, make-it-in-germany.com ⤴

  31. §18i Abs. 1 AufenthG, make-it-in-germany.com ⤴

  32. Berlin.de, Multiple relocation consultants (October 2023) ⤴

  33. Berlin.de ⤴

  34. It depends on the case worker. Multiple relocation consultants (November 2023) ⤴

  35. Berlin.de ⤴

  36. Berlin.de ⤴

  37. Berlin.de, Elliot Herman (October 2023), Anja Kunzke (October 2023) ⤴

  38. Berlin.de ⤴

  39. BAMF ⤴

  40. Multiple relocation consultants (November 2023) ⤴

  41. Multiple relocation consultants (November 2023), German embassy (US), visaguide.world ⤴

  42. Emily at Archer Relocation (November 2023) ⤴

  43. Red Tape Translation ⤴

  44. Kathleen Parker, relocation consultant (March 2024) ⤴

  45. Fiona Macdonald (March 2024) ⤴

  46. Berlin.de (June 2024), §18c Abs. 2 AufenthG ⤴

  47. VAB A2.4 (July 2024) ⤴

  48. Touring Artists ⤴