EU blue card

A Blue Card gives highly qualified workers from outside the EU the permission to live and work in a EU country, provided they have higher professional qualifications such as a university degree, and an employment contract or a binding job offer with a high salary compared to the average in the EU country where the job is located.

To a certain extent, the Blue Card is a merit-based system as it relies on individual education qualification or professional experience. The EU Blue Card is not points-based; either you have the education or skills, or you do not.

To be eligible for a Blue Card, you must meet certain criteria in order to be considered a ‘highly qualified worker’. The below are general considerations, please note that eligibility requirements are subjective to every member state:

• You must prove that you have ‘higher professional qualifications’, by showing a higher education qualification (such as a university degree). Some Member States may also accept up to ten years of relevant professional experience.
• You must work as a paid employee. The EU Blue Card does not apply to self-employed work or entrepreneurs.
• Your annual gross salary must be high, at least one and a half times the average national salary, except when the lower salary threshold applies. For example, Regular Blue Card holders in Germany must be paid at least EUR 56,800 per year (up from EUR 55,200 in 2020).
• You must present a work contract or binding job offer in a EU country for at least one year.
• You must have the necessary travel documents. You must have health insurance for yourself and any relatives who come to the EU with you.
• You must prove that you fulfill the legal requirements to practice your profession, where this profession is regulated.

The application for an EU Blue Card is made to the competent national authorities in the country where you wish to work. For this reason, the application process and required fees may vary slightly depending on the country you are applying with.

For detailed information on the application process and documents required for your chosen EU secondment destination, please speak to the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters.

EU Blue Cards are usually issued for between one and four years, and can be renewed. The card also allows the holder to travel between and visit other Blue Card scheme countries, but only for a combined period of 90 days in any 6-month period.

After 18 months on a Blue Card, employees can apply to another country for a new Blue Card. Applicants are also free to change jobs with their employer after two years on a Blue Card, or start working for a new employer in the same country. In relation to shifting occupations and employers, certain nations are more restrictive.

The EU Blue Card provides a path towards permanent residence and EU citizenship. A permanent residency permit can be obtained after 33 months of working in the first hosting state, or 21 months if B1 language level knowledge is achieved. Blue Card holders who have worked across multiple European states and gather up to five years of experience may also be able to explore permanent residency.