The Federal Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that the annual minimum-salary requirement for Germany’s EU Blue Card has risen to €50,700 gross as of 1 January 2026, with a reduced threshold of €45,934.20 applicable to shortage-occupation roles, recent graduates and qualifying IT professionals. The figures, published on 15 January, reflect the statutory indexation mechanism that ties Blue Card pay to 50 per cent (or 45.3 per cent for shortage occupations) of the national pension-insurance ceiling.
The increase – roughly 5 per cent over 2025 levels – means that employers must review employment contracts, assignment letters and posting allowances for all applications filed from this month onward. HR teams are being urged to check that special payments such as bonuses and 13th-month salaries are explicitly quantified in gross terms to count toward the threshold.
If navigating these new salary rules feels daunting, VisaHQ can streamline the process: our team monitors all Blue Card updates in real time and offers step-by-step support for drafting compliant contracts, preparing application packets and coordinating with local Foreigners’ Authorities. Visit https://www.visahq.com/germany/ to see how our online platform and on-the-ground experts can simplify German work-permit filings for both employers and individual professionals.
![Germany confirms higher 2026 EU Blue Card salary thresholds]()
While the Blue Card remains Germany’s flagship route for bringing in university-educated talent, companies competing for mid-level engineering and IT staff fear the higher floor will price out candidates whose pay bands are set globally rather than locally. Immigration counsel say the new “opportunity card” (Chancenkarte) slated for mid-2026 could absorb some of that demand, but warn that its final rules are still pending.
From a compliance standpoint, local Foreigners’ Authorities (Ausländerbehörden) have begun rejecting applications that reference outdated salary levels, even if the work contract predates the new year, because the Residence Act applies the threshold on the intended start date of employment. Employers therefore need to issue contract addenda or apply for alternative permits when packages fall short.
For global-mobility managers, the change underscores the importance of budgeting early and coordinating with compensation teams: a family of four relocating under a Blue Card must now also meet higher ancillary cost estimates for social security, housing and schooling in Germany’s high-cost cities.
The increase – roughly 5 per cent over 2025 levels – means that employers must review employment contracts, assignment letters and posting allowances for all applications filed from this month onward. HR teams are being urged to check that special payments such as bonuses and 13th-month salaries are explicitly quantified in gross terms to count toward the threshold.
If navigating these new salary rules feels daunting, VisaHQ can streamline the process: our team monitors all Blue Card updates in real time and offers step-by-step support for drafting compliant contracts, preparing application packets and coordinating with local Foreigners’ Authorities. Visit https://www.visahq.com/germany/ to see how our online platform and on-the-ground experts can simplify German work-permit filings for both employers and individual professionals.
While the Blue Card remains Germany’s flagship route for bringing in university-educated talent, companies competing for mid-level engineering and IT staff fear the higher floor will price out candidates whose pay bands are set globally rather than locally. Immigration counsel say the new “opportunity card” (Chancenkarte) slated for mid-2026 could absorb some of that demand, but warn that its final rules are still pending.
From a compliance standpoint, local Foreigners’ Authorities (Ausländerbehörden) have begun rejecting applications that reference outdated salary levels, even if the work contract predates the new year, because the Residence Act applies the threshold on the intended start date of employment. Employers therefore need to issue contract addenda or apply for alternative permits when packages fall short.
For global-mobility managers, the change underscores the importance of budgeting early and coordinating with compensation teams: a family of four relocating under a Blue Card must now also meet higher ancillary cost estimates for social security, housing and schooling in Germany’s high-cost cities.
