EU Blue Card Germany 2026: salary thresholds and how to check a job offer

The EU Blue Card is the residence permit most non-EU professionals aim for when they move to Germany for a job. The most common reason applications get delayed or refused is simple: the salary in the contract is below the threshold. Here is how to check an offer in two minutes.

The 2026 thresholds

The thresholds are tied to Germany's pension insurance contribution ceiling, so they go up every January. An offer that was fine last year may not be enough this year.

The lower threshold applies to so-called shortage occupations, which include IT, engineering, natural sciences, mathematics and healthcare roles. It also applies to people who graduated within the last three years and to IT specialists with professional experience but no university degree. For the lower threshold, the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) usually has to approve the job, which can add a few weeks.

What counts as "salary"

• Gross, fixed and guaranteed. Your base salary in the contract is what counts.
• Bonuses usually don't count if they are variable or not guaranteed. A €48,000 base salary plus a "likely" €5,000 bonus is assessed as €48,000.
• Yearly, not monthly. German offers are almost always quoted as gross per year. If you only see a monthly figure, multiply by 12 (and check whether a 13th salary is contractually guaranteed).

Quick check for any job you find

1. Look at the lowest number of the salary range. Only that is safe.
2. Compare it with the right threshold above.
3. If the job shows no salary, ask early in the process. It's a normal question in Germany.

On our job search, every job with a listed salary gets a badge: "Blue Card ✓" when the lower end of the range meets the standard threshold, and "Blue Card possible" when only the top of the range does. You can also filter for it.

Beyond salary

The salary is only one condition. You also typically need:

• a recognised university degree (or, for IT specialists, relevant professional experience instead),
• a concrete job offer or signed contract that matches your qualification,
• the usual documents: passport, contract, proof of qualification, health insurance.

Check whether your degree is recognised before you apply. The resources below are the official places to do that.

Make it in Germanymake-it-in-germany.com The federal government's portal for skilled workers: visa types, Blue Card, Quick-Check.Visit site ↗Official Federal Foreign Office — Visaauswaertiges-amt.de Visa requirements and how to apply at a German embassy or consulate.Visit site ↗Official AIAnerkennung in Deutschlandanerkennung-in-deutschland.de Find out whether and how your foreign degree or vocational qualification is recognised.Visit site ↗Official anabinanabin.kmk.org Database to check whether your university and degree are recognised (often needed for the Blue Card).Visit site ↗Official

Bottom line

Check the guaranteed base salary in your contract against the current year's threshold, and leave some headroom: thresholds rise every January, and that matters if your start date slips into the next year.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and figures change; always confirm with Make it in Germany, the German embassy, or your local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde).