What is the Germany Blue Card?

The German Blue Card is a German residence permit program that allows qualified individuals who are not citizens of European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) countries and have future-oriented professions to obtain a work and residence permit in Germany.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for Germany Blue Card Application?

The eligibility requirements for the German Blue Card are listed below.

  • Being able to prove that you have a certain level of German with language certificates recognized by Germany
  • Receiving a job offer from an employer in Germany depending on the sector you work in
  • Having at least 5 years of experience in the profession
  • To have an annual income of at least 56,800 Euros from the field of work. (If working in the fields of informatics, natural sciences, engineering, mathematics or human medicine, the annual income must be at least 44,304 Euros.)

Which professions are suitable for the Germany Blue Card?

Professions eligible for a Germany Blue Card are listed below.

  • Highly skilled worker
  • Research Assistant
  • Student
  • Vocational training
  • Seasonal worker
  • People working in technical fields (engineers, architects, etc.)
  • People working in the IT sector (software developers, web designers, etc.)
  • People working in the healthcare sector
  • Senior executives

What is the Minimum Salary Threshold for the Germany Blue Card?

The minimum salary threshold earned in Germany is the minimum salary required to obtain a German blue card. The minimum salary threshold amount that must be earned in Germany changes every year.

The minimum salary threshold to be earned in Germany for 2021, depending on the sector of employment, is listed below.

  • For professions in demand in Germany: €44,304 per year.
  • For all other sectors: €56,800 per year.

How to Apply for a Germany Blue Card?

The process to be followed in order to obtain a German blue card is explained below.

  1. In Germany, a job must be found depending on the qualification held
  2. You must apply for a German work visa.
  3. After obtaining a German work visa, one must travel to Germany.
  4. The residence address must be recorded.
  5. An application must be made to obtain health insurance.
  6. In order to obtain the German Blue Card, the necessary documents (equivalence certificate of the completed university, CV, passport photocopy, etc.) must be collected.
  7. For the German blue card, an application must be made to the “German Immigration Office”.

How to Find a Job in Germany to Get a Blue Card?

For Blue Card Germany applications, the person must have a job offer from a company established in Germany.

Various guidelines on how a person applying for a German blue card can find a job are explained below.

  • A person can make the process of finding a job easier by applying online or in person to the Employment Agency in the region where he/she plans to settle in Germany.
  • The person can reach employers or leave his/her CV on certain German job search websites (monster.de, stepstone.de, adzuna.de etc.).
  • If there are certain companies that the person would like to work for, he/she can go directly to the companies’ pages and follow the possible vacant positions in the relevant sections of the page.
  • In Germany, job advertisements are published in local and national newspapers (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Die Zeit). A person can make the job search process easier by following these newspapers regularly. A person can apply to “Counseling Centers” (such as Youth Migration Counseling Centers or Adult Migration Counseling Centers) in the region where he/she resides or will reside.

How to Apply for a Germany Work Visa?

In order to obtain a work permit in Germany, if a person does not have a valid citizenship in Germany (European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland), the type of visa that he/she must obtain is a German work visa. The German work permit visa must be obtained before entering Germany.

Applications for a German work visa are type D visas and are made directly to the German foreign missions in Turkey within the jurisdiction of the province of residence. In order to apply for a German work visa , an offer must be received from a workplace in Germany or the person must have made an agreement with a workplace that he/she has found through his/her own means.

How to Register Residence in Germany?

A German residence registration (Anmeldung) is an official document stating where a person resides in Germany. In order to obtain a German residence registration, an application must be made to the official offices, called Bürgeramt, which are attached to the municipality in which you live.

Applications to the immigration offices (Bürgeramt) in Germany can also be made online here. Obtaining a German residence registration means that the person has a German residence permit .

How to Get Health Insurance for Germany Blue Card?

Universal health insurance is an insurance system that provides health insurance to all citizens in the country they live in. In Germany, if an employee’s annual income is less than 62,550 Euros, then public health insurance is mandatory.

In order to be eligible for public health insurance in Germany, the person can apply personally to the insurance providers (TK, AOK, BARMER GEK, etc.).

What are the Required Documents for the Germany Blue Card?

The documents required for the Germany Blue Card are listed below.

  • Application Form : The Germany Blue Card application form, which must be filled out for the Germany Blue Card, must be filled out in German by the Germany Blue Card applicant, with all the requested information. The signature on the Germany Blue Card application forms must be made by the applicant. A sample Germany Blue Card application form can be accessed from the official website of the German Consulate.
  • Passport : When applying for a German Blue Card, the passport required must be valid for at least 1 year.
  • 2 Passport Photographs : The requested biometric photographs must be up-to-date photographs taken no more than 6 months ago and must comply with biometric specifications. The biometric photographs to be taken must have a white background; 35 millimeters wide and 45 millimeters high.
  • Photocopy of ID Card : A photocopy of the ID card showing the front and back of the person applying for the Germany Blue Card is required.
  • Fully Completed Population Registration Sample : The full-completed population registration sample must include the population information of the person applying for a German Blue Card and all events related to the population registration. The person’s “Thoughts” section in the population registration sample must be filled in completely.
    The information that should not be missing in the population registration sample is listed below.
    • Previous marriages,
    • Identity information of children born,
    • Divorces,
  • Family Information : Includes information such as citizenship information. The German Consulate may request additional documents regarding the family information in the fully certified population record copy. If the applicant for the German Blue Card is a woman, a certified population record copy of the previous surname must also be submitted.
  • Residence Certificate of the Applicant : The residence certificate of the applicant residing in Turkey must be presented. The residence certificate is obtained by the applicant from the muhtar’s office to which the residence address is affiliated.
  • Health Insurance : The health insurance that must be presented when applying for a German Blue Card must be current and valid for at least 3 months.
  • Documents explaining the person’s professional development, such as diplomas and work history, must be submitted with German translations .
  • Job Offer : A formal job offer made to a German Blue Card applicant. The formal job offer must include the following information.
    • Employer in Germany (name, address)
    • Work place in Germany (postal code)
    • Job posting and job description
  • Working style : Working style (full-time or part-time) must be specified.
  • Income declaration : The minimum annual income earned must be stated. (in Euros)
  • Vocational training certificates .
  • Approval letter : If it is mandatory for the profession, a letter of approval must be written stating that the permission to practice the profession will be granted or that the permission will be issued.
  • Trade registry entry : The registry entry or a comparable document issued by the company in Germany must be submitted.

Where to Apply for a Germany Blue Card?

After collecting all the documents required for the German Blue Card, an application must be made to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde).

The application process to the local immigration office to obtain a Germany blue card is explained below.

  • An appointment must be made at the local immigration office in every state in Germany.
  • The Germany Blue Card application file must be completed (documents, application forms, all required fees, etc.)
  • On the appointment date, all documents required for obtaining a German blue card must be sent to the local immigration office.
  • You must wait for the German blue card application to be processed.

How Long Does It Take to Complete a Germany Blue Card Application?

The application for a German blue card takes a maximum of 6 weeks to be finalised.

How Much Does a Germany Blue Card Cost?

Germany Blue Card fees are given below.

  • First time issue: €100
  • Extension up to three months: €96
  • Extension beyond three months: €93
  • For Turkish citizens: €28.80

Additional fees that must be paid in addition to the Germany blue card fee are listed below.

  • Form and Petition: 15 EUR
  • Appointment: 10 EUR
  • Germany Visa Fees: 80 EUR
  • Agency Service: 60 EUR
  • Health Insurance: 60 EUR

The average cost of a Germany blue card is 545 Euros, including visa fees.

How Long Is the Germany Blue Card Valid?

The German Blue Card can be issued for a maximum of 4 years. If the employment contract covers a period of less than 4 years, the validity period will be calculated by adding 3 months to the contract expiration date.

What are the advantages of the Germany Blue Card?

Having a German blue card offers many advantages.

The advantages of the German blue card are explained below.

  • A person who holds a German blue card will have the chance to work in Germany, one of the best economies and industries in the world.
  • Access to the German healthcare and education system will be free of charge.
  • After staying in Germany for 33 months, a person can apply for a German residence permit and receive a permanent residence permit in Germany.
  • If a person with a German blue card lives and works in Germany for eight years, he or she can apply for German citizenship.
  • A person who comes to Germany to work with a German blue card can come with his/her close family members, and these family members also have the right to work and study in Germany.
  • While a person coming to Germany with close family members is required to have sufficient knowledge of German, this does not apply to close family members coming with them.
  • With a German Blue Card, you can travel to other European Union countries for up to three months within a six-month period.
  • After staying in Germany with a German blue card for 18 months, the option to apply for a blue card for another country becomes available.
  • Germany blue card holders can bring their families with them.

Can I change jobs after receiving a Blue Card?

After obtaining a German blue card, it is not possible to change jobs without obtaining the necessary permits.

Since the German blue card is issued depending on the employer, in case of a job change; if the 2-year employment period has not expired, a new German blue card application must be made or the situation must be explained to the German Immigration Office.

Can Family Members Be Brought to Germany After Receiving a Germany Blue Card?

Yes. Once a person has obtained a German blue card, he/she can bring his/her spouse or registered partner, family members and dependent minor children to Germany under the German family reunification visa .

Can I Work in Other EU Countries with a Blue Card from Germany?

Yes, a blue card from Germany can be used to work in other EU countries. If a person has a German blue card, they can work in all other European Union countries.

In order to work in a European Union country, a person must first have worked in Germany for at least 18 months.