EU Blue Card Food
EU Blue Card —The Application Process for Obtaining the EU Blue Card in Essen
Requirements for the acquisition of an EU Blue Card in Essen
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More InformationThere are basically two steps involved in obtaining an EU Blue Card. To enter Germany, you need an entry visa in the form of a category "D" national visa and then you must apply for the Blue Card EU in Essen.
The requirements for obtaining your entry visa are the same as those for your employment in Essen and therefore the same as the requirements for obtaining the EU Blue Card.
To apply for a " EU Blue Card " in Essen, the following requirements must be met:
- The minimum salary threshold must be met;
- You must hold an accredited college degree;
- And if necessary, a professional license.
Bureaucratic requirements in Germany make it necessary to submit the same application twice: first, to be allowed to enter the country at all, and then a second time to obtain the electronic “ residence title ” Blue Card EU in Essen and, consequently, an “ residence permit .”
However, this requirement to submit two separate applications does not apply to everyone. Citizens of certain countries do not need an entry visa and can therefore apply for the EU Blue Card directly at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees ( immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) ) in Essen. These countries are: the United States, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand. As a citizen of one of these countries, you therefore only need to complete one step. The same applies to foreign nationals who have held a Blue Card in another EU member state for at least 18 months.
Further information on obtaining the EU Blue Card and the requirements for an entry visa can be found here (as of 2026).
The EU Blue Card
There are various residence title for staying in Germany. An EU-wide residence permit for highly qualified professionals who wish to live in Germany and pursue gainful employment is the so-called EU Blue Card.
Conditions for issuing the EU Blue Card
Although the " EU Blue Card " is intended to make it easier for highly qualified individuals to immigrate to Germany, it is subject to certain specific requirements.
The applicant must have a university degree recognized in Germany and an employment contract or at least a concrete job offer in Germany for an activity for which a certain minimum salary threshold must be exceeded. If necessary, a license to practice a profession must also be granted.
However, there is one important exception that opens the path to the EU Blue Card even for certain applicants who have not completed a college degree. This exception applies to all IT professionals, as they are in particularly high demand on the German job market. You can obtain an EU Blue Card ( EU Blue Card ) without a college degree if you have gained three years of professional experience over the past seven years and have thereby acquired theoretical knowledge that is demonstrably equivalent to a college degree. We explain the details of this exception here.
The application for an EU Blue Card must be submitted in person at the competent immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Essen. This means that the applicant first needs an entry visa to be able to submit the application in person. Exceptions to this rule are nationals of so-called “friendly countries”: the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, and South Korea. Nationals of these countries may enter Germany without a visa and submit the application in person without first having to obtain an entry visa.
Further information on the requirements for obtaining an EU Blue Card can be found here (as of 2026).
Competent authority in Essen
In Essen, an application for the " EU Blue Card " must be submitted to the relevant office, the " immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) ." There, the so-called "Welcome and Service Center (WSC)" handles matters related to immigration law.
The address of the WSC is:
Contact immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Essen:
About the city of Essen
Essen is a major German city in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the tenth largest city in Germany with a population of around 580,000.
As one of the largest cities in Germany with a significant industrial past, Essen's labor market is highly qualified and broad-based. Many large corporations and medium-sized companies have sites in Essen, which means that there is a wide range of jobs on offer - including for international specialists.
With an average rent of around EUR 8.50 per square meter, the rent index in Essen is slightly above the German average, but still well below the major German cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. Nevertheless, the rent can of course vary greatly depending on the location and rental property.
Here you can find more information about the city of Essen.
Need for an entry visa
If you need an entry visa to apply for a Blue Card in Essen, this will significantly affect the application process. An entry visa must be applied for first, which of course delays the receipt of the Blue Card. However, there are also ways to speed up the process. For example, the implementation of an accelerated skilled worker procedure in accordance with § 81a AufenthG. You can find more detailed information on this procedure here.
If you are planning to apply for a residence permit for family reunification ( EU Blue Card ) in Essen, we—as experienced immigration lawyers—are happy to provide advice and support throughout the entire application process, drawing on our expertise.