Federal Republic of Germany
Federal Republic of Germany visa salary thresholds
Germany operates multiple salary floors: the EU Blue Card has a headline threshold and a reduced threshold for shortage occupations. Other skilled-worker routes (general employment, IT specialists without a degree, Chancenkarte) each have their own rules.
Last checked 30 July 2026. Every figure is mapped to a primary government source and re-verified over time; recorded changes appear in the changelog.
What salary do you need for a skilled-work visa in Germany?
The main skilled-work salary floor in Federal Republic of Germany is €50,700 / year (EU Blue Card — general threshold), effective 1 January 2026. Occupation-specific going rates may bind higher.
Source checked against Make it in Germany — EU Blue Card on 30 July 2026.
Germany Blue Card answer stack
Germany EU Blue Card salary, recognition and settlement answer
Read the Germany EU Blue Card as one eligibility stack: salary threshold, recognised qualification evidence, application cost, and the fast settlement clock.
Salary gate
General Blue Card threshold €50,700/year; shortage-occupation threshold €45,934/year, both effective 1 January 2026.
The section 18a/18b over-45 check is tracked separately at €55,770/year.
Recognition gate
Blue Card applicants need a recognised university degree or equivalent qualification. Start with Anabin; use ZAB when the institution or degree result does not prove comparability.
Anabin lookup €0; ZAB Statement of Comparability €208 when needed.
Cost and cash-flow split
Visa fee €75; residence title €100. The current model has mandatory paid-away costs of €185-€355.
Refundable proof-of-funds line: none tracked; no general blocked-account deposit is modelled for the Blue Card route.
Route and settlement branch
Blue Card is sponsor-led and can lead to settlement after 27 months, or 21 months with B1 German. Chancenkarte is the no-job-search branch before a qualifying offer.
Compare this branch before treating an unsponsored Germany route as a lower-salary Blue Card substitute.
- EU Blue Card guide
- EU Blue Card cost-to-complete
- Anabin, ZAB and recognition
- Blue Card vs Chancenkarte
- Chancenkarte guide
- Germany settlement calculator
- Germany settlement pathway
Source dates: salary thresholds checked 30 July 2026, route checked 21 July 2026, cost model checked 1 July 2026, settlement checked 1 June 2026. Latest source record in this cluster: 30 July 2026. Compare the salary, cost and settlement information together, then confirm the official German requirements for your route.
Threshold table
| Route | Amount | ~USD | In force since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
EU Blue Card — general threshold# Gross annual salary floor for EU Blue Card applications in Germany from 1 January 2026. Calculated as 50% of the federal average annual salary. Changed 1 January 2026: was 48300 EUR (annual); now 50700 EUR (annual). Change record. | €50,700 / year | $52,000 | 2026-01-01 | Make it in Germany — EU Blue Card |
EU Blue Card — shortage occupations (Engpassberufe)# Reduced salary floor for shortage occupations (IT, engineers, doctors, mathematicians, natural scientists), precisely €45,934.20 for 2026. Applies at ~45.3% of the pension-contribution ceiling. Changed 1 January 2026: was 43760 EUR (annual); now 45934 EUR (annual). Change record. | €45,934 / year | $47,000 | 2026-01-01 | Make it in Germany — EU Blue Card |
General skilled-worker residence (§18a/§18b AufenthG)# There is no general salary floor for §18a/§18b skilled-worker residence titles, but applicants aged 45+ at first issuance must earn at least this level (≈55% of the annual pension-contribution ceiling), which rose to €55,770 for 2026. | €55,770 / year | $60,200 | 2026-01-01 | Make it in Germany — Skilled workers |
Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) — points-based# Chancenkarte does not set an initial salary floor. A job offer meeting the relevant skilled-worker floor converts the card into a residence title. | No fixed published floor | — | 2024-06-01 | Make it in Germany — Chancenkarte |
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Federal Republic of Germany visa salary thresholds", https://visaatlas.org/salary-thresholds/germany. Last checked 30 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/salary-thresholds
How often this changes
EU Blue Card figures are recalculated each 1 January from the statutory pension-contribution ceiling. The 2026 floors are €50,700 (general) and €45,934.20 (shortage); the §18a/§18b over-45 threshold is €55,770 for 2026 — all effective 1 January 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum salary to qualify for a work visa in Germany?
Germany operates multiple salary floors: the EU Blue Card has a headline threshold and a reduced threshold for shortage occupations. Other skilled-worker routes (general employment, IT specialists without a degree, Chancenkarte) each have their own rules.
How often do Germany salary thresholds change?
EU Blue Card figures are recalculated each 1 January from the statutory pension-contribution ceiling. The 2026 floors are €50,700 (general) and €45,934.20 (shortage); the §18a/§18b over-45 threshold is €55,770 for 2026 — all effective 1 January 2026.
Does meeting the headline threshold guarantee approval?
No. Headline floors are one of several criteria. Most jurisdictions also apply an occupation-specific going rate, character and health checks, and — for sponsored routes — employer/sponsor compliance. Failing any one of these can lead to refusal even where salary is above the threshold.
Related
Reviewed by Sam Parks, Editor and lead researcher.