2026 thresholds at a glance
| Category | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Standard occupations | €50,700 | ≈ €4,225 |
| Shortage occupations · graduates (≤3 yrs) · IT specialists without degree | €45,934.20 | ≈ €3,828 |
The figures equal 50% (standard) and 45.3% (reduced) of Germany's annual pension contribution assessment ceiling, which is re-fixed by regulation every January — so the thresholds move each year. For 2026 the ceiling is €101,400 (§4 SVBezGrV 2026), and §18g Aufenthaltsgesetz gives 50% (§18g Abs. 1 S. 1) = €50,700 and 45.3% (§18g Abs. 1 S. 2) = €45,934.20. The monthly column is ours, not the law's: €50,700 ÷ 12 = €4,225 and €45,934.20 ÷ 12 ≈ €3,828.
Why the Blue Card beats other permits
- Fastest permanent residence: settlement permit after 27 months — or just 21 months with German B1. No other German work permit is faster.
- Family advantages: your spouse gets immediate, unrestricted work rights and needs no German test before arrival.
- EU mobility: after a qualifying period you can move to another EU country's Blue Card scheme under simplified rules; short business stays across the EU are covered. We state no number of months: §18g, linked below, does not set one.
- Security: issued up to 4 years; losing your job gives you a window to find a new qualifying position rather than leaving immediately.
Blue Card vs Chancenkarte vs skilled worker visa
Three doors into Germany — pick by your situation:
EU Blue Card (§18g)
Job offer + salary above threshold. Fastest to permanent residence. This page.
Chancenkarte (§20a)
No job offer yet — search from inside Germany on a points-based permit. Check your points →
Skilled worker visa (§18a/b)
Job offer below Blue Card threshold — no fixed EU minimum, but slower path to settlement.
How to apply: steps, fees & timeline (2026)
The Blue Card starts from a job offer above the salary threshold. The exact steps depend on whether you need a visa first or can apply from inside Germany.
Government fees (2026)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| National visa | €75 — AufenthV §46(2) no. 1 |
| Blue Card / residence permit (issue) | €100 — AufenthV §45 no. 1 |
| ZAB Statement of Comparability (if needed) | €208 — ZAB fees FAQ |
The visa and permit fees are fixed nationally by the Residence Ordinance (AufenthV); the ZAB fee is set by the Land Berlin fee ordinance, last adjusted in June 2024, and processing starts only once it is paid. The salary threshold itself is checked with the tool above.
How long does it take?
Outside the fast-track, the time depends on the mission and on whether BA approval is needed. In the employer-driven fast-track procedure (§81a AufenthG), the mission must offer a visa appointment within 3 weeks and normally decides within 3 weeks of a complete application (§31a AufenthV), and BA approval is deemed granted after 1 week (§36(2) BeschV). Visa-free nationals (USA, UK, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Israel) skip the visa and apply directly at the Ausländerbehörde after arrival.
Documents to prepare
- Valid passport and biometric photos.
- Employment contract / binding job offer stating salary and role.
- Degree recognition: Anabin printout (H+) or ZAB Statement of Comparability.
- Health insurance and (after arrival) address registration certificate.
- For regulated professions: a Berufsausübungserlaubnis (practice licence).
Frequently asked questions
Q. My offer is from 2025 and was above the old threshold. Am I safe?
A. Not necessarily — authorities apply the threshold valid on the day they decide, not when you signed. If your application is decided in 2026, the 2026 figures apply. Renegotiate before applying if you're below €50,700 (or €45,934.20).
Q. Do bonuses count toward the salary?
A. Contractually guaranteed, unconditional payments (like fixed 13th-month or holiday pay) can count. Discretionary bonuses, stock options, and benefits in kind generally don't.
Q. Which jobs count as shortage occupations?
A. Broad groups including IT and communications technology, engineering, natural sciences, mathematics, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and school teaching. Your occupation code (ISCO) decides — your employer or the BA can confirm.
Q. I'm an IT professional without a degree. Really eligible?
A. Yes — §18g allows it with at least 3 years of academic-level IT experience gained within the last 7 years, plus a salary at the reduced threshold. You'll need solid evidence: contracts, references, project documentation.
Q. What if my salary is just below the line?
A. Three options: negotiate the gap (even €1 below means refusal), check whether your role is actually a shortage occupation (lower threshold), or use the regular skilled worker visa which has no fixed EU minimum but a slower settlement track.
Document checklist (save your progress)
Tick each item as you gather it. Progress is saved in this browser — nothing is uploaded.
Sources and official references: §31a AufenthV; §36 BeschV; §18g AufenthG; §18c Aufenthaltsgesetz — source for the settlement-permit timeline, “mindestens 27 Monate eine Beschäftigung nach § 18g” and “Die Frist nach Satz 1 verkürzt sich auf 21 Monate, wenn der Ausländer über ausreichende Kenntnisse der deutschen Sprache verfügt” (Abs.2); §46 Aufenthaltsverordnung — source for the visa fee, “für die Erteilung eines nationalen Visums (Kategorie „D“), auch für mehrmalige Einreisen 75 Euro”; §45 Aufenthaltsverordnung — source for the Blue Card issue fee, “für die Erteilung einer Aufenthaltserlaubnis, einer Blauen Karte EU oder einer ICT-Karte a) mit einer Geltungsdauer von bis zu einem Jahr 100 Euro, b) mit einer Geltungsdauer von mehr als einem Jahr 100 Euro”; §18g Aufenthaltsgesetz (Residence Act) — source for the 50% and 45.3% figures on this page, quoted verbatim as “mindestens 50 Prozent” (Abs.1) and “mindestens 45,3 Prozent der jährlichen Beitragsbemessungsgrenze in der allgemeinen Rentenversicherung” (Abs.2). How the two euro figures are derived, in order: §18g Aufenthaltsgesetz Abs.1 sets the standard threshold at 50 per cent of the annual contribution ceiling in the general pension insurance (“mindestens 50 Prozent der jährlichen Beitragsbemessungsgrenze in der allgemeinen Rentenversicherung”) and Abs.2 sets the reduced one at 45.3 per cent; that ceiling is fixed for the year by BMAS — Sozialversicherungsrechengrößen 2026 (§4 “Beitragsbemessungsgrenzen in der Rentenversicherung” of the SVBezGrV 2026, the annual social-insurance reference-figures regulation) at €101,400 a year; multiplying gives €50,700 and €45,934.20. The ceiling itself is read from §4 SVBezGrV 2026, which sets it “für das Jahr 2026 … in der allgemeinen Rentenversicherung auf 101 400 Euro jährlich” (read 21 September 2026); the BMAS release carries the same figure. The 2025 comparison figures this page used to print were dropped in the same check: the reduced 2025 threshold works out to 45.3% × €96,600 under §4 SVBezGrV 2025, which we had printed rounded to the nearest euro, and only the current year’s thresholds belong on a checker. The Make it in Germany portal that stood here before was dropped in the same change: it answers a bot check (415 characters, “Secure access verification”) to a plain request and to a headless browser alike, so it cannot be collected; the values it covered are carried by the two statutory sources added above. The regulation is reissued every year under the file name svbezgrv_<year>, and our German watch tracks both this year’s §4 and the next year’s edition so the thresholds are re-derived when it appears. This checker provides an estimate only and is not legal advice. Verify with the German embassy responsible for you or a qualified adviser.