EU Blue Card

WHAT

The EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) is a residence title for academics outside the EU who wish to work in an EU member state. It is issued for the duration of the employment contract plus three months, but for a maximum period of four years. To obtain an EU Blue Card, applicants are required to have a university degree and a work contract which meets the minimum gross salary requirement.

WHO

You can apply for a Blue Card if you fulfil the requirements:

• a German or recognised foreign or comparable foreign higher educational qualification,
• submission of an employment contract or a binding job offer,
• as a matter of principle proof of a minimum annual gross salary of 50.800 Euro
• and proof of accommodation in Germany.

HOW

If you are already living in Germany under a different residence title and would like to apply for an EU Blue Card, you should contact the immigration authority responsible for your place of residence. If you are living in a non-European country you must first apply for a visa with the purpose of employment in Germany in the competent German Embassy in your home country.
You can apply in person to the competent immigration authority in Munich, when you fulfill the requirements mentioned above and bring along the necessary documents for the application. Also there are some exceptions which may apply to you:

• A lower salary threshold of 39.624 Euro is applied for EU Blue Cards issued to scientists, mathematicians and engineers, as well as to doctors and IT specialists.
• If the employment contract is shorter than four years, the residence title is issued for a period that is limited to the term of the employment contract, plus three months. Holders of an EU Blue Card are to be issued with an unlimited settlement permit if they have held their employment as a highly-qualified person for more than 33 months, they can demonstrate that they have made obligatory contributions in this period or show other proof of expenditure to obtain an entitlement to insurance benefits which are comparable to those from statutory pensions insurance, and the other prerequisites generally necessary for issuing a settlement permit are met.

WHEN

• As a general rule, citizens of non-EU countries need to apply for any residence permit in
  advance, before entering Germany.
• An exception is made for nationals of countries such as Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, the
  Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United States, who may enter Germany without a
  visa and apply for an EU Blue Card within three months.
• Third-country nationals who have held an EU Blue Card issued by another EU Member State
  for at least 18 months can enter the country without a visa in order to take up highlyqualified
  employment. An application must be submitted for an EU Blue Card for Germany
  within one month of entering the country.

WHERE

München, Germany