EU Tightens Blue Card Requirements: Higher Salary Thresholds in 2025

Despite the ongoing skills shortage across multiple sectors, several EU countries have raised salary requirements for non-EU professionals applying for the EU Blue Card—a residence and work permit for highly skilled workers.

As of January 1, 2025, Austria, Germany, and Hungary have significantly increased the minimum salary thresholds, potentially making it harder for foreign specialists to relocate to these countries.

New Salary Requirements

Austria
✔ New minimum salary: €3,678 gross/month (+7.07% from last year).
✔ Validity: 2 years.
✔ Processing time: 8 weeks.

Germany
✔ Non-shortage professions: salary threshold raised to €48,300 (previously €45,300).
✔ Shortage professions: new threshold €43,759.80 (previously €41,041.80).
✔ Young professionals: graduates from the last three years must earn €43,759.80 to qualify.
✔ Validity: 4 years.
✔ Processing time: up to 90 days.

Hungary
✔ New minimum salary: 883,671 HUF (€2,166), a 14% increase from last year.
✔ Medical professionals exception: lower threshold 706,937 HUF (€1,733).

What Does This Mean?

These changes raise barriers for foreign talent, especially in sectors suffering from severe labor shortages, such as IT, healthcare, and engineering.

While Austria, Germany, and Hungary tighten their policies, Sweden has moved in the opposite direction, relaxing its EU Blue Card requirements for non-EU specialists in 2025.

As the EU raises entry barriers, Georgia is emerging as a tech-friendly alternative. The country’s "Remotely from Georgia" program and its tax incentives for digital nomads and IT firms make it an increasingly attractive option for skilled workers.

The EU’s tougher Blue Card requirements reflect a delicate balance between migration control and labor market needs. However, by overcomplicating entry conditions, the bloc risks losing top global talent to more flexible destinations like Georgia.