EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) at the location LEA, Keplerstr.

EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU)

If you have a university degree you can get an EU Blue Card to enable you to work in Germany. A certain minimum salary is necessary for this.

The EU Blue Card has several advantages compared with a residence permit for the purpose of employment. For example, it enables you to obtain the right of permanent residence more quickly. There is more information about the benefits in the “More information” section.

The EU Blue Card is valid for a maximum of 4 years. If you have a fixed-term employment contract, the EU Blue Card can also be valid for a shorter time. Normally it also lasts 3 months longer than your employment contract.

For the first two years of employment, approval from the Foreigners’ Registration Office must be obtained before any change of job.

You have foreign family members in Berlin who also need a residence title?
Then please make an appointment together to apply for the EU Blue Card and the residence permits for your family members.
You can find the necessary documents for your family members in the service "Residence permit for spouses and children of holders of an EU Blue Card" (see section "More information").

Prerequisites

• Specific university degree
  You have
  

  • a degree from a German university or
  • a degree from a foreign university which is recognised in Germany, or
  • a different degree from a foreign university which is comparable to a German degree.

  You can check the “anabin” database to see whether your foreign degree is recognised. You will find a link to this database in the “More information” section.
  If your degree is not evaluated in this database, you can have a certificate assessment carried out specially for your degree. This will incur additional costs. You can find more about certificate assessment in the “More information” section.
• Employment
  You already have an employment contract or a concrete offer.
• Minimum salary
  You can only get the EU Blue Card if you earn enough. The amount you need to earn depends on your job.
  

  • If you work in a shortage occupation, you need to earn EUR 3,588 gross per month or more. (This equates to EUR 43,056 per year.) Shortage occupations are specific occupations for which there are not enough workers in Germany. These professions at present are: Scientists in natural science disciplines, mathematicians, architects, interior, urban and traffic planners, designers, engineers, scientific engineers, physicians (except dentists) and those with academic qualifications in information and communications technology.
  • If you are working in another profession, you will need to earn EUR 4,600 gross per month or more. (This equates to 55.200 Euro per year.)
  • Note: Success bonuses and other fully variable special payments are not taken into account.
• Possibly: Approval of the German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)
  You need the approval of the Federal Employment Agency if you
  

  • work in a shortage occupation and
  • earn less than EUR 4,600 gross per month.
• Depending on the profession: Occupation practice permit
  For some jobs you need a special permit, for example for human medicine. If you do not know whether you need this special permit, please ask your employer.
• Health insurance
  You have health insurance in Germany, either in the statutory health insurance system or a comparable private health insurance.
  Foreign health insurance is not sufficient.
• Main residence in Berlin
  You live in Berlin. A second residence in Berlin is not sufficient.
  More on the subject: Anmeldung einer Wohnung
• In-person visit
  Please submit your application to your local office. We recommend that you book an appointment online.

Documents required

• Form "Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels"
  see section "Forms"; only required on first application
• For the approval of the Federal Employment Agency: additional forms
  • Form „Antrag auf Erlaubnis einer Beschäftigung“ (Work Permit Application) - filled out by you
  • Form „Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis" (job description)“ - completed by your employer

  For both forms see section "Forms"
• Your passport
• Proof of your residence
  for example by
  

  • Certificate of registration at the main residence (Melde-Bestätigung) or
  • lease and written confirmation of occupancy from the landlord (Wohnungsgeber-Bestätigung)
• Current biometric photo
  The photo must be a recent one. It must meet the photo requirements for electronic passports. The Federal Printing Office’s photo reference board shows the specific requirements.
• University or university college qualification (Original)
• If necessary: Zeugnisbewertung
  If your foreign degree is not evaluated in the “anabin” database, please submit a certificate assessment to the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
• Your employment contract or job offer (Original)
• If necessary: Occupation practice permit
• Proof of your health insurance
  for statutory health insurance:
  

  • electronic health card with photo
  • up-to-date confirmation of health insurance

  for private health insurance:
  

  • Proof that you have paid your contributions, for example through account statements
  • Certificate from the insurance company

  The certificate must state the type, scope and duration of the insurance. Please tell your insurance company that you need the certificate for a residence permit for the purpose of employment.

Forms

• Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit) - in German, English, French, Italian
• Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit) - in German, Greek, Turkish, Serbo-Croatian
• Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit) - in German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian
• Antrag auf Erlaubnis einer Beschäftigung (Work Permit Application)
• Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis (job description)

Fees

Legal basis

• Section 18b para. 2 Aufenthaltsgesetz - AufenthG

Average time to process request

More information

• Information of the Berlin Immigration Office about the EU Blue Card
• Information portal of the German government for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications
• Online database "anabin" by the Central Office for Foreign Education Affairs
• Certificate evaluation for foreign university qualifications
• Information on adequate health insurance
• Certificate of registration at the main residence (Meldebestätigung)
• Example: confirmation of occupancy from the landlord (Wohnungsgeber-Bestätigung)
• Residence permit for spouses and children of holders of an EU Blue Card