FAQ

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Will I lose my EU Blue Card if I stay abroad for a longer period of time?

1. extended period of stay abroad for holders of the EU Blue Card:

    • Normally, a residence permit expires in accordance with Section 51 (1) no. 7 AufenthG if the holder has been abroad for more than six months without interruption.
    • However, an extended period of up to twelve months applies to EU Blue Card holders and their family members (Section 51 (10) AufenthG). This means that they can stay abroad for up to one year without their residence permit expiring.

2. application to settlement permits pursuant to Section 18c (2) AufenthG:

    • The twelve-month period also applies to foreigners who have received a settlement permit pursuant to 18c (2) AufenthG.
    • It is therefore important that the correct legal basis is entered in the electronic residence permit when the settlement permit is issued.

3. principles for stays abroad:

    • Since Section 51 (10) AufenthG only extends the time limit, the previous rules from Section 51 (1) (7) AufenthG apply accordingly, but with the proviso that the time limit is 12 months instead of 6 months.
    • According to the Federal Administrative Court (judgment of 11.12.2012, BVerwG 1 C 15/11), stays abroad are harmless if they are limited in time and do not result in a significant change in living conditions in Germany.
    • It is important that the absence is uninterrupted Several shorter stays abroad are not added together and do not lead to the expiry of the residence permit as long as the 12-month period is not exceeded.

4. abuse through repeated short entries:

    • However, if there are several trips abroad and the reasons for the absence are not only temporary, the right of residence may expire in accordance with 51 (1) no. 6 AufenthG.
    • The practice of entering Germany only briefly shortly before the 12 months expire in order to obtain the residence title does not prevent the title from expiring.

5. extension to 24 months for certain persons:

    • For holders of an EU permanent residence permit who previously had an EU Blue Card and their family members, the period is extended to 24 months (Section 51 (9) no. 3 AufenthG).

To summarize:

  • EU Blue Card holders and their family members can stay abroad for up to 12 months without their residence permit expiring.
  • Several short stays abroad are not added together and do not lead to the loss of the title, provided the trips are temporary and the center of life remains in Germany.
  • Abuse through regular short entries in order to circumvent the time limit is not permitted and can lead to the expiry of the residence permit.
  • The period is extended to 24 months for certain persons with EU permanent residence.

Important:

These regulations are intended to ensure that holders of the EU Blue Card and comparable titles have their center of life in Germany and do not permanently move it abroad without their residence title expiring. Every situation is unique, so we are happy to help you with an individual legal assessment.

Published: November 4, 2024
Updated: March 14, 2025

Further FAQs on the topic:

If the job offer you have received only meets the lower salary threshold for shortage occupations and young professionals, you must first obtain approval for your EU Blue Card from the Federal Employment Agency. No approval is required for all employees whose salary is also above the general (higher) salary threshold, even if they work in a shortage occupation or are career starters. Here you can find the salary limits for the Blue Card for 2024.

If you are a national of a so-called privileged country, you do not need an entry visa to apply for an EU Blue Card in Germany. These privileged countries that do not require an entry visa include: Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. Citizens of other countries generally require a visa for the purpose of gainful employment, which is issued by the responsible German diplomatic mission abroad.

You can leave Germany for up to 12 months without losing your EU Blue Card. The 12-month period also applies to your family members.

Yes, holders of an EU Blue Card are permitted to travel to other Schengen states within the EU for tourism purposes without a visa. You can travel to Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland for 90 days within a 180-day period. As a rule, it is not possible to take up employment outside Germany without a corresponding residence permit.

It is generally possible for holders of an EU Blue Card to change jobs. However, in the first year of your employment, you must report any change of employer to the immigration authority. The authority then has the option of suspending the change and checking within 30 days whether it is permissible. If the authority allows this period to elapse or does not respond to your notification at all, the change is automatically deemed permissible. After one year, you can change your job without the approval of the immigration authority. However, the basic requirements, such as the minimum salary, must still be met.

Yes, your (nuclear) family can accompany you. Spouses, children and, more recently, parents and possibly even parents-in-law (i.e. the parents of your spouse) can apply for and receive a work and residence permit at the same time as you as part of the so-called family reunification procedure. Family reunification can also be applied for as part of the accelerated procedure for skilled workers, which has the advantage that the processing time for the application is identical for you and your family. You can enter Germany together. The family members of an EU Blue Card holder are immediately permitted to work or be self-employed without restriction.

No, unlike other residence permits, no German language skills are required to obtain an EU Blue Card. This applies to both the applicant and their family.

If you can demonstrate language skills at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), you can apply for a permanent work and residence permit after just 21 months with an EU Blue Card. However, language skills are not mandatory. Without language skills, the waiting period for the possibility of applying for a permanent work and residence permit is extended to 27 months.

In case you are dismissed by your employer, you have three months to find a new job. If you do not succeed, there is a risk that your Blue Card will be revoked and you will have to leave Germany again. 

The EU Blue Card is generally linked to the employment contract. The immigration authority must therefore be informed immediately of any changes to the employment relationship. It can then suspend the intended job change for 30 days in order to examine it carefully. If the immigration authority determines that the change is permissible or does not come to a final conclusion within the 30 days, the change can take place as desired.

However, this regulation only applies to job changes that take place within the first year after the EU Blue Card has been issued. If a change is to take place after the end of the first year, the immigration authority can no longer refuse it. It is automatically valid. However, the new job should also meet the requirements for an EU Blue Card.

A termination or change of employment also entails certain obligations for employers vis-à-vis the local immigration authority.

Employers are obliged to inform the immigration authorities within four weeks of the premature termination of an employment relationship if the residence permit was issued for this employment. Violations of the notification obligation can be punished with a fine of up to 30,000 euros .

If the employment relationship is terminated, the original purpose of residence also expires, meaning that the EU Blue Card can subsequently be limited in time. However, after consultation with the immigration authorities, the residence permit can be extended for up to six months for job-seeking purposes.

From an employment law perspective, you may be able to claim severance pay from your employer. Find out more about severance pay after dismissal here.

In principle, certain additional payments can be included in the gross basic salary. These payments count towards the minimum salary if the supplements are agreed in the employment contract and are not dependent on the occurrence of certain conditions. Not every salary component is clear from the outset and requires individual examination in case of doubt.

There are two minimum salary thresholds for the EU Blue Card that must be met in order to obtain an EU Blue Card. The basic salary limit for 2025 is an annual gross salary of 48,300 euros. For so-called shortage occupations, the lower salary limit in 2025 is 43,759.80 euros. Find out more about minimum salary limits here.

The EU Blue Card is usually issued for four years, unless the employment contract is shorter than four years. In this case, the EU Blue Card is valid for the duration of the employment contract plus three months, but never longer than four years. The EU Blue Card can be extended before it expires, provided you still meet all the requirements for an EU Blue Card.

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