I Residence permit with academic qualification
There are essentially two possible ways in which persons with an academic qualification can obtain leave to remain: either by means of a general work permit or an EU Blue Card:
a. Residence permit for obtaining employment as a qualified professional:
For a residence permit to be granted, the applicant needs to be in possession of a German, recognised or comparable foreign university degree and have a firm job offer (employment contract) as well as the approval of the Employment Agency. The latter will check whether the employment relationship is appropriate to the qualification and corresponds to the usual working conditions.
b. EU Blue Card:
The following conditions must be met for an EU Blue Card:
University degree: If the degree was not obtained in Germany, the certificate must be evaluated depending on the university and field of study. You can check whether your degree is recognised in Germany by consulting the ANABIN database on the information portal of the Central Office for Foreign Education.
An employment contract or a binding job offer with a certain annual gross salary (adjusted annually, figures for 2024) of 45.300 euros and for so-called undersubscribed occupations (Mangelberufe) / STEM occupations (MINT-Berufe): of 41.041,80 euros. Undersubscribed occupations cover roles in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, etc. In such cases, the Employment Agency must grant approval. If the university degree was obtained in Germany, no approval is needed. List of bottleneck professions for the EU Blue Card
If you have been in possession of an EU Blue Card issued by another EU member state for at least 12 months, you can continue to work in Germany. After entering into Germany, you will apply for a German EU Blue Card at the immigration office of the place of living.
It is only possible to change jobs within the first two years with the authorisation of the Immigration Office and, if applicable, the Employment Agency.
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