Employers recruiting highly skilled non-EU nationals for Germany have just two weeks to adjust compensation packages: the Federal Interior Ministry confirmed on 17 December that the minimum salary for a standard EU Blue Card will climb from €48,300 to €50,700 on 1 January 2026. Shortage-occupation and STEM roles benefit from a lower threshold, but that figure will also rise— from €43,760 to €45,934.20.
The adjustment follows the statutory formula of 50 % (or 45.3 % for shortage professions) of the annual pension-insurance ceiling and mirrors wage growth in the German economy. Offers issued in late 2025 that fall below the new limits will be rejected, forcing employers either to renegotiate salaries or explore alternative permits such as the new Opportunity Card.
![Blue Card salary thresholds to rise on 1 January 2026]()
Companies navigating these immigration changes can simplify compliance by leveraging professional visa-processing services: VisaHQ, for example, provides up-to-date guidance on German work authorization, document review and application logistics through its dedicated Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/). By outsourcing the paperwork to VisaHQ, HR teams free up time for salary benchmarking and talent strategy while ensuring filings meet the latest salary and documentation standards.
HR and mobility teams should therefore audit all outstanding contracts and pending Blue Card filings, particularly for December hire dates, to ensure the gross salary in the employment contract meets the 2026 benchmark. For multinational companies, the increase may require budget top-ups of roughly €2,400 per employee, plus proportional rises in social contributions.
While higher pay raises costs, immigration advisers note that the Skilled Immigration Act’s broader eligibility rules—covering recent graduates and IT specialists without degrees—remain unchanged, keeping the Blue Card an attractive route for talent acquisition.
The adjustment follows the statutory formula of 50 % (or 45.3 % for shortage professions) of the annual pension-insurance ceiling and mirrors wage growth in the German economy. Offers issued in late 2025 that fall below the new limits will be rejected, forcing employers either to renegotiate salaries or explore alternative permits such as the new Opportunity Card.
Companies navigating these immigration changes can simplify compliance by leveraging professional visa-processing services: VisaHQ, for example, provides up-to-date guidance on German work authorization, document review and application logistics through its dedicated Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/). By outsourcing the paperwork to VisaHQ, HR teams free up time for salary benchmarking and talent strategy while ensuring filings meet the latest salary and documentation standards.
HR and mobility teams should therefore audit all outstanding contracts and pending Blue Card filings, particularly for December hire dates, to ensure the gross salary in the employment contract meets the 2026 benchmark. For multinational companies, the increase may require budget top-ups of roughly €2,400 per employee, plus proportional rises in social contributions.
While higher pay raises costs, immigration advisers note that the Skilled Immigration Act’s broader eligibility rules—covering recent graduates and IT specialists without degrees—remain unchanged, keeping the Blue Card an attractive route for talent acquisition.
