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Local Germany
16-05-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Why does Germany issue by far the most EU Blue Cards to skilled workers?
Considered the European version of the US Green Card, the Blue Card was established in 2009 and reformed in 2021 to make it more attractive for highly qualified individuals. To obtain a Blue Card , non-EU citizens need a university degree or an equivalent qualification, have a job offer and a salary meeting the threshold set by the EU country of expected residence. Besides the right to work and reside in a given EU country, the Blue Card holders can also visit another EU member state for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Blue Card holders have equal working conditions to national citizens. In case they lose the job, they can remain three months in the country to look for another one and claim social security benefits. The EU Blue Card can be obtained in 25 EU countries, but not in Denmark and Ireland, which have opted out. In 2023, EU member states issued around 89,000 Blue Cards, according to the latest data issued by the EU statistical office, Eurostat. Germany alone issued some 69,000, 78 per cent of the total and 6,000 more than in 2022. READ ALSO: What you need to earn to get an EU Blue Card in Germany in 2025 Poland followed, with 7,000 Blue Cards issued (8 per cent of the total and 2,400 more than in 2022). France was the third country by the number of permits given out, with around 4,000 issued (4 per cent). Austria issued 1,135, more than doubling the 501 of 2022. In comparison, Italy issued 747 Blue Cards (compared to 572 in 2022), Spain 370 (58 in 2022) and Sweden 106 (83 in 2022). German MEP Damian Boeselager, from the transnational pro-European party Volt, told The Local that 'Germany is one of the few countries that are actually promoting the EU Blue Card and has therefore seen a generally higher adoption, even if still rather limited in absolute numbers.' Advertisement As a reference, Germany issued about 177,000 work visas in 2023, and it is estimated to have some 400,000 open positions for skilled workers. In 2023, Germany also started to implement the Skilled Immigration Act to make it easier for qualified professionals from outside the EU to move to the country, including an expansion of the use of the EU Blue Card. Two Blue Cards for foreign skilled workers are on a table at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Bavaria. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Daniel Karmann Although the new German government announced restrictions to immigration, Boeselager says that 'the current take-up of the Blue Card will likely remain on a similar level, unless Germany changes something about the current rules.' 'So far, the new German government has not targeted highly qualified labour migrants in its rhetoric,' he added. READ ALSO: Which German jobs have a lower salary threshold for an EU Blue Card? Spain also eased rules in 2023, abolishing the requirement for employers to conduct a labour market test before sponsoring Blue Card employees, allowing six-month (instead of 12-month) contracts, reducing the salary threshold, and extending the validity of Blue Cards from 1 to 3 years. Sweden introduced new Blue Card rules on 1 January 2025 to attract highly skilled workers. These include lower salary requirement and contract length (from one year to six months), the possibility for people to change to another highly skilled job without applying for a new Blue Card, and a simpler process for those with a Blue Card issued in another EU country to obtain a new one in Sweden. Advertisement The revised EU directive entered into force on 27 November 2021 and EU member states had until 18 November 2023 to adapt the national legislation. As a result, the number of Blue Cards might increase in the future. In 2023, the most common nationalities of recipients were India (21,000), Russia (9,000), Türkiye (6,000) and Belarus (5,000). READ ALSO: Blue Card jobs, residence permits and prefixes - 6 essential articles for life in Germany
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Funkel's Cologne leave it late to win and move to brink of promotion
Cologne players celebrate their victory after the German 2nd Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Nuernberg and 1. FC Cologne at the Max Morlock Stadium. Daniel Karmann/dpa Cologne moved to the brink of promotion to the Bundesliga with a 2-1 comeback win at Nuremberg in Friedhelm Funkel's first game back in charge on Friday. Janis Antiste put the hosts ahead just after the break but Florian Kainz's double, including a winner on 90 minutes, lifted the Billygoats on to 58 points. Advertisement Elversberg and Paderborn are six points adrift with two to play and if both fail to win on Saturday at home to Eintracht Braunschweig and Magdeburg respectively, Cologne are back in the top flight at the first attempt. Second-placed SV Hamburg can leapfrog Cologne and secure promotion on Saturday if they win at home to Ulm. Cologne wrap up the season on May 18 at home to Kaiserslautern. Funkel, 71, was drafted in for his third spell in charge on Monday after Cologne took a huge gamble and sacked Gerhard Struber after two games without a win - despite still being in a promotion spot. Funkel is currently only in charge until the end of the season. Cologne players celebrate their victory after the German 2nd Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Nuernberg and 1. FC Cologne at the Max Morlock Stadium. Daniel Karmann/dpa
Local Germany
29-04-2025
- Health
- Local Germany
Q&A: What to know about the roll out of Germany's electronic patient file
Germany's new electronic patient file ( Elektronische Patientenakte ) has been made available throughout the country from Tuesday. Written as ePA for short, the electronic patient file is basically a digital database designed to allow doctors to access patient records and share them with others involved in a patient's care (other doctors, pharmacists, health insurance companies etc.) From Tuesday the software is being rolled out nationwide, but it will still take some weeks or months before the ePA is accessible in all of Germany's clinics. Participation in the digital system will be legally mandated for all medical offices from October. What's in my ePA? According to DPA , a patient's initial file will include include records of prescriptions for medications they take. Over time more content will be added, including records of medical treatments, vaccination history, medication plans, X-rays and other images from medical checks or screenings, etc. The idea is that over time, your ePA accumulates records and effectively allows your doctor to review your medical history during treatments. READ ALSO: What to know about Germany's new electronic patient records Who can see my medical information? With the ePA in place, when you visit a medical practice and they scan your health insurance card, doctors there will normally be able to access your electronic records for 90 days. Patients can review their own records in an ePA app provided by their health insurance provider ( Krankenkasse ). In the same app, patients will be able to adjust some settings around who can access their records and for how long. For example, you can extend or shorten the length of time a doctor can review your records. Additionally, during a medical consultation, patients may decide if a finding should be included in their file. For sensitive data, patients must be informed of their right to have it withheld. Advertisement Do I need to opt-out? The ePA is set to be an opt-out system, meaning all patients in Germany will automatically have their file saved in the system unless they explicitly withdraw their consent. Former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who brought forward the electronic patient file initiative, says that patients' data will be stored on secure servers and that foreseeable security issues have been worked out during the ePA's testing period. But anyone who objects to their information being stored in this way can opt out of the ePA system completely. A family doctor loads documents into an electronic patient record 'ePA' in his practice. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Daniel Karmann Most critics of the electronic filing system have highlighted the risk of sensitive health data being leaked in the event of hacks. Some organisations have voiced concerns about the potential misuse of data when medical records are compiled and shared. If you do want to opt out of the ePA, you should consider how it may affect the quality of medical care you can get in specific situations. For a standard visit to the doctor, the difference could be simply that you need to answer more questions about your medical history. But in an emergency situation, for example, without access to your ePA medical personnel could be missing vital information about medications you're taking. READ ALSO: The big healthcare changes in Germany in 2025 How do I opt-out? If you do want to opt out of the electronic patient file, you can do so at any time and have your digital medical records completely wiped. Health insurance providers should allow you to opt out of the ePA system on their website or in their patient apps. You may have also received a letter in the mail with instructions for doing so. Advertisement If all else fails, try calling your health insurance provider for more information, or sending them a letter. If you send a letter, be sure to include your full name, your health insurance number ( Versicherungsnummer ), and your date of birth. You'll also want to write a line clearly stating that you object to the creation of an electronic patient record by them. In German, you could write: "Ich widerspreche der Erstellung einer elektronischen Patientenakte durch die [Name der Krankenkasse]." You will need to sign the bottom of the letter and include the date and location as well.
Local Germany
10-04-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
How easy is it to hit the salary for a skilled worker permit in Germany?
Faced with an aging population, Germany is currently desperate to attract the best and brightest from abroad into its economy - either as students, as jobseekers, or on one of its skilled worker visas . Skilled worker permits are work permits for people with vocational training or a university degree who want to come to Germany to work in their chosen profession. One of the best known is the EU Blue Card: a residence permit available to non-EU nationals, intended to allow skilled professionals to live and work in the EU. Some 25 out of 27 member states issue them. Germany's scheme is one of the most in-demand. Applicants must have a degree in their chosen field - with the exception of experienced IT professionals - and also secure a job offer that meets the minimum salary requirement. As of January 1st, 2025, this rate is set at: - €48,300 (€4,250 a month) for most professions - €43,760 (€3,647 a month) for career starters and applicants in shortage occupations , including IT, construction and education Meanwhile, Germany's skilled worker visa doesn't require a university degree, with vocational training and two years' of experience sufficing instead. The minimum salary threshold for this type of permit is €43,470 per year. READ ALSO: How Germany is making it easier for skilled workers to get an EU Blue Card If you want to check if you're in a "shortage occupation", a full list can be found on the government's Make it in Germany website here . How hard is it to meet these thresholds? According to the Federal Office of Statistics (Destastis), the median salary in Germany in 2024 stood at €52,159 . This means that half of workers last year earned more than this amount, while the other half earned less. Germany's median salary is therefore around €8,700 more than the threshold for an ordinary skilled worker visa, and around €4,000 higher than the threshold for an EU Blue Card. Advertisement Of course, there are huge variations across different professions and regions, but the median salary is nonetheless a good reference point. It's also worth noting that the lowest ten percent of earners commanded gross salaries of €32,526 or less. For a more detailed view, Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics give an estimate of salaries at the 25 th percentile in various professions from 2023. You can check your profession on the BA website (in German) here . The 25 th percentile means that three out of four people working in that profession earn more. This figure can therefore be used to estimate whether most jobs in that sector pay enough to meet Blue Card minimum salary requirements. Two Blue Cards for foreign skilled workers are on a table at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Bavaria. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Daniel Karmann Two-thirds of computer scientists, for example, earn more than €4,968 a month - comfortably above the Blue Card threshold. Most computer scientists should therefore have no trouble meeting the requirements for the regular rate, though STEM professions are actually on the shortage list and therefore benefit from the lower minimum salary. READ ALSO: How much do software developers typically earn in Germany? For teachers, the figure stands at €4,113. Because teachers are on the shortage occupation list, this means most teachers should be able to benefit from the Blue Card scheme. Nurses, meanwhile, are on the cusp, with the vast majority earning €3,603 per month or more - almost exactly the threshold for shortage occupations. This could mean that some nurses will need to negotiate to edge up to the salary they need. Advertisement Professions where most will find it difficult to quality for the scheme include dental assistants (€2,387), paralegals (€2,500) and plumbers (€3,006). However, these are general figures, which mask wide variation across areas in Germany, ages and gender. Salaries are typically higher in the western federal states and lower in the former East Germany. Men typically earn more than women, while salaries rise by age until they start dropping in the mid-50s. The figures are also over a year old, which means they are likely a little lower than salaries on job ads active now.
