EU Blue Card Information: Compare the Official National Application Route

The EU Blue Card is an EU-wide concept for highly qualified workers, but it is implemented nationally. The European Immigration Portal explains who the card is for and links to country information; the chosen member state's page then controls salary thresholds, contract, documents, processing, fees, mobility and family rules.

Concept vs national route

Do not apply through a generic "EU visa" site. Choose the member state, then open its country-specific Blue Card page on its immigration authority domain. That page is the only source for the threshold that applies to you — thresholds are updated and can differ between standard and shortage occupations.

Conditions you must verify per country

• Eligible occupation, recognised qualification or higher professional skills evidence, and, where accepted, experience in lieu of a degree.
• Signed employment contract or binding offer with duration and weekly hours that meet the national minimum.
• Salary threshold: annual gross per current national figure, and whether shortage-occupation and recent-graduate lower thresholds apply.
• Health insurance, accommodation and criminal-record evidence where the authority lists them.
• Labour-market test or exemption where the country's rules still impose one.

Filing and beyond

Follow the filing route named by the authority — sometimes employer-filed, sometimes applicant-filed at a consulate or immigration office. After approval, follow separate instructions for residence registration and, where applicable, family reunification and later intra-EU mobility.

Common mistakes

• Applying via a generic portal rather than a national authority route.
• Using a salary figure copied from a forum — thresholds change annually.
• Working for a different role or employer without checking whether permission is tied to the sponsoring post for an initial period.
• Assuming issuance in one state grants immediate work rights in another.

Official source

EU Immigration Portal — EU Blue Card. Verify threshold and procedure for your state immediately before acting; this is not legal advice.

Frequently asked question

Q: Can I move to another EU state right after issuance? Mobility is possible but conditioned — typically after an initial period and via the second state's own procedure. Check the second state's page before moving.