Guides · Blue Card
Blue Card 2026: thresholds, and who does not need it
The Blue Card is a residence permit for holders of academic degrees — not for welders, truck drivers or cooks. The most common mistake is a tradesperson looking at the Blue Card threshold and concluding "my salary is too low" — that threshold does not apply to them at all. Below: the 2026 figures and the difference between the two routes.
Updated: 3 September 2026
Two routes, two rules
There are two main routes into Germany as a skilled worker. The Blue Card (§18g AufenthG) requires a university degree and a minimum gross annual salary. The vocational route (§18a AufenthG) requires a recognised vocational qualification and sets no salary threshold — the provision contains no income requirement.
So for a welder, electrician, cook or care worker the right question is not "is my salary enough for the Blue Card" but "is my training recognised as equivalent". For engineers, developers, physicians and accountants the Blue Card is usually the fastest route.
2026 thresholds
Thresholds are recalculated every 1 January from the pension insurance contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze). The figures below are taken from the official source for 2026; they change next year.
| Item | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Blue Card — standard threshold (gross/year)No agency approval required | €50,700 |
| Blue Card — shortage occupation and recent graduate (gross/year)Federal Employment Agency approval required | €45,934.20 |
| First permit over 45 — minimum salary (gross/year) | €55,770 |
| Vocational route (§18a) — salary threshold | None |
| Contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze, annual) | €101,400 |
Shortage occupations and agency approval
The lower threshold applies to shortage occupations and to graduates within three years of their degree. At this threshold the Federal Employment Agency must approve; at the standard threshold it need not. The approval confirms that the contract terms are not worse than those of German employees.
The over-45 rule
Applicants over 45 receiving a German residence permit for the first time face a separate minimum salary (55% of the contribution ceiling) — or must prove adequate pension provision. This applies to both routes; even where the vocational route has no threshold, this floor applies over 45.
What Kelyvaro does
On our occupation pages we show which route applies and its threshold; we do not show a Blue Card threshold to a concrete worker. If a posting states a salary (where the source provides a number), it is compared with the threshold; if not, nothing is estimated.
FAQ
- Is a degree required for the Blue Card?
- Yes, a recognised higher-education degree or (in IT) documented three years of experience. Vocational training does not qualify for the Blue Card; the vocational route applies instead.
- Is there really no salary requirement on the vocational route?
- The provision contains no income threshold; contract terms must be equivalent to those of German employees and a separate floor applies over 45.
- Do thresholds change every year?
- Yes, every 1 January together with the contribution ceiling. The figures on this page are for 2026.
Your route
See which route is yours on your occupation page.
Kelyvaro shows the applicable residence route and threshold for each occupation; after signing up the same information sits next to your postings.