Rule changes
- Since 1 January 2026, an amount update set by formula: salary thresholds for 2026 rose by the annual formula.
Looking for a retirement visa? Germany doesn't offer one — its routes are built around a job offer or an in-person job search. See other countries' guides
Working in Germany: do you qualify?
A route built for skilled professionals — one for people who already have a job offer, and one for people who want to search for work in person.
When rules change mid-way, the date your application is filed is what often decides which rules apply to you. Where are you right now?
Two ways in, and Germany checks them differently
An employer, a government nomination or an approved body puts its name behind the application.
- EU Blue Card€45,934.20 – €50,700
You qualify on your own record — skills, points or capital — with no sponsor standing behind you.
- Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)€1,091
The conditions behind the routes above
An employer, a government nomination, or an approved endorsing body has to stand behind the route.
Pick a route, see the real commitment
Every official figure below is what Immimaps has verified for that route against Germany's official programme rules — not a marketing minimum. Service fees are what independent firms publish for the route, shown only once five or more are on file.
For people who already have a signed job offer at or above the qualifying salary line — the direct route for skilled professionals with employer sponsorship in hand.
A financial threshold applies, shown as proof of means — nothing is transferred.
For people without a job offer yet who want to move to Germany and look for work in person, rather than applying from abroad.
What each route costs, stage by stage
Added up from the official figures on file for each route — split into money spent for good, money locked and returned later, and money shown but never transferred. Not a modelled estimate.
EU Blue Card▾
At application
Decision — reported: 2 months.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: €175, paid to the government for the initial application.
- Shown, never leaves you€45,934.20 shown as proof of means every year — nothing is transferred.
2 ways to qualify — shown: the cheapest. Alternatives: €45,934.20 (shown) / €50,700.
Germany Family Reunification (Spouse Visa) — Familiennachzug zum Ehegatten▾
At application
Decision — reported: 3 months.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: €100, paid to the government for the initial application.
Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)▾
At application
- Spent for goodGovernment fees on file: €75, paid to the government for the initial application.
- Shown, never leaves you€1,091 shown as proof of means every month — nothing is transferred.
The order EU Blue Card follows
- 2026-01-01The monthly proof-of-funds amount required for the Opportunity Card rose to €1,091 for 2026, up from €1,027 the year before. The figure is reset annually and covers living costs for the length of the search period. source
Strategy Path takes your occupation, your situation and whether you have an employer, and lays the route out step by step — cost, milestone and wait on each leg.
Upload it and Immimaps checks it against what Germany's official programme actually requires, and reads the contract clause by clause. Free, no account.
Check my documentEvery official figure on this page is checked against Germany's official immigration sources. Service fees are what independent firms publish for a route — not an official figure, and never any one firm's price. Immimaps does not publish success rates, approval odds or any probability score — here or anywhere else.
Don’t take a life-changing move on someone else’s word.
Immimaps is not an agency and takes no placement fees. We show the real figures on every route, show the working, and tell you what it actually costs.
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