Hiring on a Blue Card? Get the paperwork right.

Blue Card 2026: the two salary thresholds

• €50,700 gross a year: the general threshold. No approval from the Federal Employment Agency needed.
• €45,934.20: for shortage occupations and for graduates within 3 years of their degree. The Federal Employment Agency must approve the job.
• The job must match the qualification, and the contract must run for at least 6 months.

Why Blue Card applications get refused

• The salary in the contract is below the threshold that applies, often because a bonus was counted as salary.
• The job does not match the degree.
• The degree is not recognised: university not H+ in anabin and no ZAB statement.
• The contract runs for less than 6 months, or the job description form is missing or incomplete.
• No health insurance from the first day.

Your duties after the hire starts

Report an early end of employment to the foreigners' office within 4 weeks and keep a copy of the residence permit for as long as the person works for you. The employee reports a job change in the first 12 months. Permanent residence is possible after 21 months with German B1, or 27 months otherwise: see the PR timeline.

Sources: Make it in Germany (official portal) · §18g AufenthG (EU Blue Card) · §4a AufenthG · Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis (form) · Berlin immigration office: employment of foreign workers · City of Munich: accelerated skilled-worker procedure · anabin database · ZAB statement of comparability.