Free EU Blue Card Minimum Salary Checker
Worked example (the default inputs above): a €48,000 offer in a general profession → €48,000 − €50,700 = €2,700 short (€225 a month short). The same €48,000 offer in a shortage occupation → €48,000 − €45,934.20 = €2,065.80 above the threshold — you qualify.
Key fact: Germany’s 2026 Blue Card thresholds are tied to the annual pension contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze), which the Federal Ministry of Labour (BMAS) set at €101,400 for 2026 — the general threshold is 50% of it (€50,700) and the shortage threshold is 45.3% (€45,934.20). The thresholds are recalculated every January, so a contract that qualified in 2025 may not qualify in 2026.
What this checker does
The EU Blue Card is the fastest route to long-term residence in Germany for qualified non-EU professionals — but it has a hard salary floor, and a contract even €300 below it means rejection. This checker applies the official 2026 German thresholds to the salary in your job offer and tells you instantly whether you qualify, by how much, and what changes if your role counts as a shortage occupation. It covers Germany for 2026; other EU countries set their own thresholds under the same EU directive, so always check the national authority for a different destination.
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How to use it (4 steps)
- Enter the gross annual salary in your job offer — the fixed salary in the contract, before tax.
- Pick your category — general profession, or shortage occupation / recent graduate / IT specialist.
- Read the result instantly — qualifies, or short by how much per year and per month.
- Copy the link to keep the result, and check the shortage list below if you are close to the line.
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The thresholds: 2025 vs 2026
Germany’s Blue Card thresholds rose about 5% on 1 January 2026, in line with the pension contribution ceiling they are tied to:
| Category | 2025 threshold | 2026 threshold | Monthly (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General professions | €48,300 | €50,700 | €4,225 |
| Shortage / recent graduate / IT specialist | €43,759.80 | €45,934.20 | €3,827.85 |
Both thresholds are set by law (§18g AufenthG) as a share of the pension contribution ceiling — 50% for the general threshold, 45.3% for the shortage threshold. Only fixed, guaranteed gross salary counts; discretionary bonuses do not.
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What counts as a shortage occupation
The Federal Employment Agency publishes the official shortage list, updated twice a year. It covers mathematicians, natural scientists and engineers (including architects and planners), IT professionals and ICT managers, medical doctors of all specialities, and certain technical specialists. The lower threshold also applies to anyone who graduated within the last three years — even if the job itself is not on the shortage list — and to IT specialists without a degree who have at least three years of relevant experience in the last seven years.
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Sources and disclaimer
Method: the 2026 thresholds are 50% and 45.3% of Germany’s 2026 pension contribution ceiling of €101,400 (BMAS, Social Insurance Reference Values Regulation 2026), under §18g of the German Residence Act (AufenthG) as reformed in November 2023, and Directive (EU) 2021/1883. Shortage occupations: Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) shortage list. Data year: 2026.
Estimate only — not legal or immigration advice. This tool checks the salary threshold only. A Blue Card also needs a recognised degree (or qualifying IT experience), a concrete job offer and the usual visa documents — confirm your exact position with the German embassy or Make it in Germany before applying. Always verify current figures with the official source before making decisions.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links below may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you — see our affiliate disclosure.
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