General Information

If you are a holder of an academic degree (Bachelor Degree, Master Degree, PhD) that is acknowledged there are a number of German regulations on the basis of which a visa could be issued. It is part of the decision by the visa section which type of visa can be issued.

If you intend to work as a researcher or scientist in a research facility, please refer to the checklist 'Researcher / Guest Scientist'.

If you intend to work in Germany on a fixed-term contract for the company you currently work for or for another company under the same parent company, please refer to the checklist “Employment – ICT card”.

To obtain a Blue Card, certain salary thresholds have to be met or exceeded. Starting from 1 January 2025 these thresholds are:

• 43.759,80,-- €/year for MINT and other shortage professions, e. g. Natural Scientists, Mathematicians, Engineers, Doctors and IT professionals
• 48.300,-- €/year for all other professions

The information on this page also applies to you if you intend to work as Senior Staff (“Leitender Angestellter”, e. g. managing director, authorized representative or similar) or as “Spezialist” (e. g. someone in middle or senior management with in-depth company-specific knowledge).

Before filling out the application form and booking an appointment please prepare two identical sets of the following documentation for your visa and bring your original certificates. Please DO NOT staple any documents.

This is the required documentation:

• valid passport (issued within the last 10 years and with at least 2 empty pages for visa)
• application form, completed online with VIDEX, printed out twice and both forms duly signed by you
• 3 current, identical passport photos according to biometric specifications (current = not older than 6 months)
• Declaration for additional contact and legal representation information completed and signed twice by you
• Declaration in regards to § 18 AufenthG
• 2 copies of your passport’s data page (A4 size copies)
• Annexure for employment visa – two completed copies
• Declaration regarding a contract of employment (Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis). This form replaces the work contract and it has to be completed and duly signed by the future employer. 2 copies need to be submitted.
• Proof of qualification and experience certificates for future employment in Germany
  All academic degrees you have obtained, starting with the highest.Please note: your university degree or an additional confirmation by your university has to state the fact that the studies were done in presence and not remotely. If you do have a degree from distance learning, please attach confirmation by the relevant Indian authority that this distance learning was approved at the time of your degree.
• Proof of recognition of your academic qualification in Germany:
  • 2 copies from the Anabin website of the recognition of the academic degree as well as the University (University mentioned as “H+”, Degree mentioned as “entspricht” or “gleichwertig”)
  OR
  • Original and 2 copies of the recognition (“Zeugnisbewertung”) of the non-German degree by the Central Office for Foreign Education, ZAB (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen).
  
  Recognition needs to be carried out through the anabin website
  
  More information on anabin and the process can be found here.
• IF APPLICABLE - Professional practice license (Berufsausübungserlaubnis) issued by the relevant recognition body in original and 2 copies
  For certain regulated professions, a professional practice license is required, for example for medical doctors, engineers, teachers etc. A complete list of such professions can be found with the German Labour Office (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) or with the EU Commission). More information can also be found here
• If you meet the requirements for Blue Card EU: Declaration in regards to § 82, twice completed and duly signed by you
• Pre-approval by the Federal Employment Agency
  NOT APPLICABLE if your salary is above 48.300,-- € annually (!) You are not required to hand in any letter from the Federal Employment Agency in this case. Your visa does not need to be approved by the agency.
  In any other case – i.e. MINT- professions with an annual salary above 41.041,80 € or any other employment with an academic degree - pre-approval by the Federal Employment Agency is not mandatory - it can however shorten the time to process your application significantly).
• CV (one page only)
• For applicants who are 45 years old or older and whose yearly salary is below 53.130,-- €: document of proof of adequate contribution to a German Pension fund / pension insurance.
• Certificate about compulsory health insurance (Gesetzliche oder private Krankenversicherung) from German employer valid from date of employment. Please note: If not already included in the compulsory health insurance, a separate travel health insurance has to be presented for the time from arrival in Germany until beginning of employment. More information on travel health insurance can be found here.
• Visa fee

Blue Card applications and applications with a “BA-Vorabprüfung” (Approval by the Federal Employment Agency) can – under certain circumstances - be directly decided by the German Missions, resulting in a processing time of approximately ten days.

Other employment visa applications, such as for deputations, still have to be forwarded to the competent immigration authorities in Germany; processing will take approximately six to eight weeks.

Please note that the German Missions reserve the right to ask for additional documents or the verification of certificates, for which additional fees would be charged.

Submission of the above-mentioned documents does not guarantee that a visa is granted.

Submission of incomplete documentation or refusal to appear for a visa interview may result in the rejection of your application.

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