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Getting an EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) in Germany
Document Checklist
Reisepass
Valid passport
Required: Original passport valid for the intended period of stay with at least two free pages; per § 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 AufenthG the Passpflicht must be met
Cost: Already issued
The Reisepass is needed both at the Auslandsvertretung (diplomatic mission) for the visa-D and at the Ausländerbehörde for the Blaue Karte EU eAT issuance.
Visumantrag (nationales Visum)
Visa application form
Required: Completed and signed long-stay national visa application as published by the competent Auslandsvertretung
Where to get: Auslandsvertretung website or the Auslands-Service-Portal of the Auswärtiges Amt
Cost: Free (form); the EUR 75 visa fee is paid with the application
The competent Auslandsvertretung is determined by your ordinary residence and publishes its own document checklist. Bring biometric passport photos meeting the ICAO specification.
Arbeitsvertrag oder verbindliches Beschäftigungsangebot
Signed employment contract or binding job offer
Required: Signed contract or binding offer with a qualification-adequate position, at least six months' contract duration (per § 18 Abs. 2 Nr. 1 AufenthG), and a gross annual salary meeting the statutory threshold under § 18g AufenthG (see the Costs and FAQs sections for the current figures and effective date)
Cost: Already issued
Freelance and selbständig (self-employed) arrangements do not qualify. The contract must show position, duties, gross annual salary, and term. The employer may also file a Vorabzustimmung with the Bundesagentur für Arbeit through the local Ausländerbehörde under the Beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren before the visa appointment.
Nachweis der Qualifikation (Hochschulabschluss oder IT-Berufserfahrung)
Proof of academic qualification or IT specialist experience
Required: For the academic route: degree certificate and transcript (originals or certified copies with certified translations) plus a Zeugnisbewertung from the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB) or a positive anabin database entry confirming comparability to a German Hochschulabschluss. For the IT route under § 18g Abs. 2 AufenthG without a formal degree: detailed Arbeitszeugnisse and project references documenting at least three years of comparable professional experience within the past seven years
Where to get: ZAB Zeugnisbewertung application via the Recognition Portal; anabin database query at anabin.kmk.org
Cost: ZAB Zeugnisbewertung approximately EUR 200 per assessment
For reglementierte Berufe (regulated professions such as Ärzte, Pflegekräfte, certain engineers), the Berufsausübungserlaubnis (licence to practise) must be in place or formally in prospect before the visa is decided.
Krankenversicherungsnachweis
Proof of health insurance
Required: Confirmation of statutory (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) or private cover valid from day one in Germany; the gesetzliche Krankenversicherung commences with the start of employment
Cost: Varies by Krankenkasse (out of scope of the Aufenthaltstitel fee)
For the period between entry and the start of employment, travel or bridge cover may be needed. See the German Krankenkasse guides for selection and enrolment.
Anmeldebestätigung / Meldebescheinigung
Anmeldebestätigung (post-arrival)
Required: Confirmation of address registration issued by the Einwohnermeldeamt (Bürgeramt) after arrival, supplied together with the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord confirmation)
Where to get: Bürgeramt of your registered residence
Cost: Generally free of charge in most municipalities
Anmeldung is normally required within two weeks of moving in and is a precondition for the Ausländerbehörde appointment. Berlin LEA explicitly refuses to issue the Aufenthaltstitel without it.
Tabellarischer Lebenslauf
Tabellarischer Lebenslauf (CV)
Required: Gapless tabular CV in German or English documenting education and full employment history; required for the visa file at the Auslandsvertretung
Cost: Self-prepared
The CV is used by the consular officer and, where relevant, by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit to assess the qualification-adequacy of the offered position.
Mietvertrag
Mietvertrag or proof of housing (post-arrival)
Required: Tenancy agreement or evidence of housing at the registered address; used at the Bürgeramt for Anmeldung and at the Ausländerbehörde appointment
Cost: Already issued
Where you are subletting, ask the main tenant for a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung — the landlord confirmation is what the Bürgeramt formally requires, not the contract itself.
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