EU BLUE CARD APPLICATION

Who can apply for the EU blue card?

Highly qualified skilled workers and academics from non-EU-states can apply for the EU blue card as a simple and limited work permit. The application needs to be sent to the responsible foreign department. The foreign department is normally settled at the same place as the administrative district (middle administrative level). The foreign department needs to tell the labour department and the employment agency about their decisions concerning the EU blue card.

Conditions for application

A German university degree, a foreign university degree which is accepted or a foreign university degree that is similar to a German one.

The central department for the foreign education service (ZAB) offers an online- database where one can check which foreign university degrees are accepted in Germany. If the database does not offer helpful information, EU blue card applicants need to apply for an individual check of their degrees. This check is not for free and needs to be presented at the foreign department.

Qualified working contract

A qualified working contract needs to be presented and it needs to be clear that the annual gross salary is at least € 55.200 (2020). An annual gross salary of € 43.056 ( 2020), is also enough in some shortage sectors. At the moment such jobs are: scientists, mathematicians, architects, planning officers, town planners, traffic managers, designers, engineers, engineer scientists, doctors (not including dentists), as well as academic skilled workers in information and communication technology.

Approval of the federal agency for work

If a German Master’s certificate is given and if the annual gross salary is at least 55.200 euros (2020) or at least 43.056 euros (2020) in an understaffed profession is achieved, no approval of the German Federal is necessary.

Labour Market Authority is necessary

There needs to be the acceptance of the labour department if the foreign university degree is proofed and a working contract in the shortage sector is wanted.

Permission for professionalism

If there are other regulations for the permission of professionalism (for example in the medical sector, or engineers sector) the permission needs to be presented before the EU blue card is awarded.

Place of living in the sector of the regional foreign department

The regional foreign department can only allow foreigners to receive the EU blue card when the applicants are living in their area of responsibility. Therefore, of course, the permission for staying is necessary.

This fact does, of course, mean that the applicant already has the right to stay because of another reason. In most other cases, a visa for entering Germany needs to be applied for beforehand. This can be done at the German embassy. After that there is the need to apply for the EU blue card in Germany. This can be done at the foreign department.

Documents applicants need:

– Valid passport
– One new biometric photo: it needs to be 35mm x 45mm and show the person facing forwards, looking directly at the camera. The applicant needs to have a neutral facial expression and a closed mouth. The background must be bright.
– University report: If necessary the valuation of the ZAB.
– Job contract or a concrete job offer.
– Form: Application for granting a stay title (Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels). A residence permit may be given only on explicit application.
– Form: Application for permission of an employment (Antrag auf Erlaubnis einer Beschäftigung). This is only necessary if the approval of the federal agency for labour is needed.
– Form: Work Place description (Stellenbeschreibung). This is only necessary if the approval of the federal agency for labor is needed.

Adresses of the foreigners authorities in important German cities

Berlin

Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten
Ausländerbehörde (Abteilung IV)
Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24
13353 Berlin

Frankfurt

Ausländerbehörde
Ordnungsamt
Rebstöcker Straße 4
60326 Frankfurt am Main

Telefon: +49 (0)69 212 42485
Telefax: +49 (0)69 212 42216

Stuttgart

Ausländer- und Staatsangehörigkeitsrecht
Amt für öffentliche Ordnung
Eberhardstraße 39
70173 Stuttgart

Telefon: +49 711 216-91856
+49 711 216-91857
Fax: +49 711 216-7974

Munich

Landeshauptstadt München
– Ausländerbehörde –

Kreisverwaltungsreferat (KVR)
Hauptabteilung II Einwohnerwesen Ausländerangelegenheiten
Ruppertstraße 19
80337 München

Tel.: 0049 89 233 96010

Düsseldorf

Stadt Düsseldorf
– Ausländerbehörde –
Willi-Becker-Allee 7
40200 Düsseldorf

Telefon 0049 211 89-21020
Telefax 0049 211 89-29036

Dresden

Stadt Dresden
Ausländerbehörde
Theaterstr. 13
01001 Dresden
Telefon 0049 351 4886300
Fax 0049 351 4886446

Hamburg

Stadt Hamburg
Einwohner-Zentralamt
Amsinckstraße 28+34
20097 Hamburg

Telefon: +49 40 42839-2298
Fax: +49 40 42839-3508