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VISAS

Germany or Austria: Where is it easier to get an EU Blue Card?

The EU Blue Card is a common way for skilled non-EU workers to come to European countries like Germany and Austria. But where is it easier to get one?

Woman typing on a laptop
A woman works on a laptop in an office. Photo by Christin HUME via Unsplash

Though obvious friends with a deeply linked history, Germany and Austria are competing against each other in the global race for skilled workers. Germany needs as many as 400,000 new skilled workers a year to plug its labour market gap. There are over 100,000 vacancies in Austria – a country of just nine million people.

What eligibility rules for an EU Blue Card are there in each country?

In Germany, nationals from countries that need a visa to enter, which includes most non-EU countries, first need to apply for a visa that will allow them to take up gainful employment – which could include a jobseeker’s visa.

After that, they can make an appointment at their local immigration office to obtain an EU Blue Card. If someone is a national of a country that doesn’t need a visa to enter Germany, such as an EU/EFTA state or a handful of non-EU countries like the USA, Canada, Japan and the UK, they can apply for their EU Blue Card after arriving in Germany.

For many EU Blue Card applicants in Germany, they’ll need to have:

  • A university degree linked to their job
  • A job offer with a proposed salary of at least €56,400 a year

However, the salary requirement drops to €43,992 annually if the applicant is filling a job in a profession experiencing a particular shortage in Germany. These include doctors, engineers, IT specialists, mathematicians and natural scientists.

A key factor here is whether someone looking to get an EU Blue Card is a national of a country that needs a jobseeker visa to enter Germany in the first place. People from these countries (which includes most non-EU countries) may have a slightly tougher time. That’s because, in addition to fulfilling the requirements of an EU Blue Card, they’ll need to have a few extra things to get the German jobseeker visa. These are:

  • proof of German language skills (typically B1 level)
  • proof of ability to pay living costs

Additionally, people older than 45 and coming to Germany for the first time on a work visa need an offer with an annual salary of at least €46,530.

The German city of Munich.

The German city of Munich. Photo by ian kelsall on Unsplash

Another thing to keep in mind is that the German government is currently trying to push through a reform of the immigration laws, which aims to make it easier for skilled workers from abroad to enter the country. As part of this reform, the rules for IT professionals are set to be relaxed so that people with career experience or skills can be accepted for a Blue Card without a university degree. 

READ ALSO: What’s in Germany’s new draft law on skilled immigration?

By contrast, as things stand at the moment, Austria’s EU Blue Card salary requirements are slightly easier, even if other factors remain the same. You can also apply for it at an Austrian mission abroad before arriving. You’re eligible for an EU Blue Card in Austria if:

  • You have a university degree which matches your job OR
  • If applying to the IT industry, you have three years of relevant experience, as long as you’ve earned those in the last seven years.
  • A job offer with a proposed gross salary of at least €45,595 a year

So, Austria’s overall annual salary requirement is more than €10,000 lower than Germany’s – unless the applicant is in a skilled profession the German labour market is particularly short of. In that case, their salary requirement for an EU Blue Card in Germany is around €1,500 less than in Austria – but only for those professions.

READ ALSO: How Austria is making it easier for non-EU workers to get residence permits

However, one key factor in Austria is that the company offering the job needs to prove that there are currently no Austrian residents unemployed and registered with the employment agency AMS that could fit that particular position.

According to the Austrian authorities, one of the main requirements is that “the labour market test (Arbeitsmarktprüfung) shows that there is no equally qualified worker registered as a jobseeker with the Public Employment Service (AMS) available for the job.” This could be particularly tricky to prove.

What privileges exist for those are already hold an EU Blue Card?

Other than the obvious right to live and work in the country for at least two years, EU Blue Card holders in Germany are typically eligible for permanent residence much earlier than normal.

While a regular applicant is eligible after at least five years in Germany, EU Blue Card holders can apply for permanent residency after 33 months – or just under three years. Blue Card holders who demonstrate good German language skills – such as by passing a certified language test – can get permanent residence after 21 months, or just under two years in Germany.

EU Blue Card holders in Austria can apply to stay longer than two years with another special card – the Red-White-Red Card Plus. Germany, by contrast, makes permanent residence available quickly. (Photo by Pixabay / Pexels)

After 21 months of working in Austria under an EU Blue Card, you can apply for a Red-White-Red Card Plus. This card gives you unlimited access to the Austrian labour market and the right to stay with similar conditions to those enjoyed by permanent residency holders in Germany. However, it runs out in Austria after a year.

After two years of legal residence in Austria and completion of an integration module, you can get a Red-White-Red Card Plus that’s valid for three years. It takes people five years of residence in Austria to qualify for permanent residency, so a Blue Card and then a Red-White-Red Card Plus can potentially give someone a path to permanent residency in Austria. However, the path requires more bureaucratic steps than in Germany.

The eligibility versus rewards trade-off

Ultimately, an EU Blue Card is a bit harder to get in Germany than in Austria for non-EU skilled workers in most professions, when it comes to the minimum salary requirement being higher. However, Austrian companies need to prove that a candidate offers something no other unemployed person in Austria can offer.

That said, those who do get the EU Blue Card in Germany have an easier, more guaranteed path to permanent residence in Germany, much sooner than in Austria.

We should note though, that both countries have other types of work visas for people who don’t qualify for the EU Blue Card.

READ ALSO: How to apply for Germany’s new ‘opportunity card’ and other visas for job seekers

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How easy is it to retire to Austria?

Although Spain or Italy might have beaches and sun, Austria has plenty to offer someone looking for a place to spend their Golden Years. And while it's not the easiest place to retire to, it's still well within reach for many.

How easy is it to retire to Austria?

For EU nationals, retiring in Austria is fairly straightforward. You just need to register as a resident and complete some other paperwork, but you won’t need a visa or residence permit.

The process is even relatively simple for non-EU nationals – as there is a type of retirement visa. You will need to renew it relatively frequently though.

The reasons are also relatively clear – with plenty of opportunities to enjoy an active lifestyle with easy access to skiiing, hiking and fresh mountain air, while at the same time partaking in the high culture of the country’s opera houses, coffee houses, and more – Austria is a natural choice for many potential retirees.

it also boasts excellent services – from health care to public transport, and its central location in Europe can also make it a great place to explore from.

READ ALSO: Five reasons to retire to Austria

What visa and residence permit do I need?

If you’re from a non-EU country such as the UK, USA, or Canada you can travel to Austria for up to three months without a visa and apply for your residence permit within three months of arriving in Austria. If you are from a country that doesn’t have visa-free travel with the EU, you will need to apply for a visa first and then your residence permit when you get to Austria.

The visa and residence permit you need to apply for is a “Settlement permit – gainful employment excluded”. This particular permit is popular with retirees as it allows people to live in Austria, but not to work.

There are some downsides, however. For one, Austria has a quote that limits the number of these permits that are given out each year. Second, the permit lasts for only a year and thus has to be renewed regularly. After five years of continuous residence in Austria, you can apply for permanent residence.

EXPLAINED: Do your pension contributions abroad count in Austria?

Self-employment – even if working for a company that’s based abroad – is not allowed under this permit. All your income must come from passive sources. These can include foreign pensions, rental income, or investment income. Singles must make at least €2,220.52 and couples a combined €3,503.12 per month from these passive income sources to qualify for this permit.

If you have dependent children – for example, perhaps grandchildren you may be taking care of full-time – you’ll need to have an additional €342.62 per child.

You’ll also need to prove that you have German skills at the A1 level. Luckily, this is the most basic level.

COMPARED: How to get a visa to settle in either Germany or Austria for retirement 

What healthcare arrangements will I need to have in place?

When applying for a settlement permit for Austria, you’ll need to show that you have health insurance that covers you for at least €30,000 in costs. This is typically done through a private plan.

Once your residency is confirmed, you’re eligible then to enrol with Austrian public health insurance, typically through the ÖGK fund. You can, of course, retain additional private health insurance on top of this. But all residents of Austria mush have public insurance – with your payments calculated as a proportion of your income.

READ ALSO: What kind of insurance do I need to have in Austria?

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