Skip to main contentSkip to content
XIPHIAS Immigration
Germany EU Blue Card — Work Permit for Graduates and IT Specialists hero image
Typical timeline
1–4 months
Family
spouse, children to 18

Is this for you?

  • A German degree, or a foreign degree recognised as comparable (anabin or a ZAB statement).
  • Or, for IT specialists without a degree: at least three years of comparable experience in the last seven years.
  • A job offer or contract in Germany for at least six months.
  • A gross salary of at least €50,700 a year in 2026, or €45,934.20 in shortage occupations, for recent graduates and for IT specialists without a degree.
  • A licence to practise, where the profession is regulated (for example doctors and nurses).

Not for you if

  • A salary below the 2026 threshold that applies to you.
  • A degree that is not recognised as comparable, outside the IT experience route.
  • A contract shorter than six months.

Not a match? Other routes in Germany

Job offer

Requirement

Required

A qualifying offer is needed for this route.

Program overview

Overview

Advising Indian professionals on skilled migration since 2009, from our Koramangala office in Bangalore.

Overview

The EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) is Germany's main work permit for graduates and IT specialists with a German job offer. In 2026 the job must pay at least €50,700 gross a year, or €45,934.20 in shortage occupations, for recent graduates and for IT specialists without a degree. It needs no German, has no age limit, and leads to permanent residence in 27 months, or 21 months with German at B1.

The Blue Card at a glance

Germany EU Blue Card
Salary (2026)€50,700 gross a year
Lower salary (2026)€45,934.20: shortage jobs, recent graduates, IT specialists without a degree
QualificationRecognised degree, or 3 years' IT experience in the last 7
Job offerAt least 6 months
Card lengthUp to 4 years, renewable
Permanent residence27 months (A1 German) or 21 months (B1 German)
SpouseNo German needed; can work
German for the cardNot required
Fees€75 visa, €100 Blue Card; fast-track €411 (optional)

Who gets the lower threshold

The lower salary of €45,934.20 applies if:

  • your job is in a shortage occupation: IT and communications professionals; scientists, mathematicians and engineers; doctors, dentists, pharmacists and vets; nurses and midwives; teachers; and several groups of managers;
  • you graduated within the last three years; or
  • you are an IT specialist without a degree, with at least three years of comparable experience in the last seven.

Getting your degree recognised

Your degree must be a German degree or a foreign degree comparable to a German one. Check the degree and the university in the anabin database (degree rated comparable, university rated H+), or apply to the ZAB (Central Office for Foreign Education) for a statement of comparability. For Indian degrees, the German missions ask for proof of regular, on-site study. Regulated professions such as medicine and nursing also need a licence to practise in Germany.

How long it takes and what it costs

StepTimeFee
Fast-track procedure, started by the employer (optional)About 4 months in total, including recognition€411
Visa at the German mission in IndiaAbout 4 weeks; about 2 weeks with fast-track€75
Blue Card at the foreigners authorityAfter arrival and address registration€100

Changing jobs and moving within the EU

You can change employer. In the first 12 months you must tell the foreigners authority before you switch; it can pause the change for 30 days while it checks that the new job still qualifies. After 12 months on a German Blue Card you can move to another EU country on its Blue Card (Denmark and Ireland do not take part), and business trips to other EU countries of up to 90 days in any 180 are allowed.

Family, permanent residence and citizenship

Your spouse can join without German and can work in Germany straight away; minor children can join too. After 27 months with A1 German, or 21 months with B1, and with pension contributions paid for those months, you can apply for a settlement permit (permanent residence). German citizenship is possible after five years of residence with B1 German.

India does not permit dual citizenship: taking German citizenship would end Indian citizenship under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act 1955. German residence and permanent residence do not.

No job offer yet?

The Germany Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) gives up to one year in Germany to find a job, with part-time work of up to 20 hours a week allowed while you search. Most Opportunity Card holders move on to the Blue Card once they have a qualifying offer.

With our Berlin partner, Nexus-Europe GmbH

For Blue Card cases where you are also setting up or joining a German company, or want to compare a job route with a business route, we work with our Berlin partner Nexus-Europe GmbH. Their Business Immigration Audit compares your options; XIPHIAS clients get a partner discount on it. Ask us for your code.

Talk to our Germany visa consultants in Bangalore

XIPHIAS Immigration has advised Indian families and businesses since 2009, from our office in Koramangala, Bangalore. We were named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022. Our immigration consultants in Bangalore will take you through the requirements, costs and timeline for your specific case.

Sources

Client testimonials

“Seamless employer-sponsor coordination and PR plan.”
TL
Tech Lead, Toronto
1/2

Why work with us

A private-client approach to second citizenship: transparent costs, rigorous compliance, and execution without friction.

  1. Dedicated due-diligence desk and source-of-funds guidance.
  2. Government-approved project vetting and exit planning.
  3. End-to-end execution: strategy, documentation, submission, oath & passports.
  4. Confidential handling and white-glove concierge for families.
Speak to an AdvisorDownload ChecklistNo obligation · Response within 24 hours
  • Licensed local agents
  • KYC/AML workflows
  • Transparent fee schedule