Key facts (2026)
- EU/EEA/Swiss citizens can live and work in Germany without a visa — you only register your address (Chapter 8).
- Everyone else needs a residence title that matches the purpose of the stay. The main routes for work are below.
- Citizenship now requires 5 years of legal residence. The 3-year "fast track" was abolished on 30 October 2025. Dual citizenship has been allowed since June 2024.
The main entry routes for non-EU citizens
| Route | Who it is for | Key 2026 requirement |
|---|---|---|
| EU Blue Card (§18g AufenthG) | Graduates with a job offer | Gross salary ≥ €50,700/year, or ≥ €45,934.20 in shortage occupations (IT, engineering, medicine, maths/science) and for graduates of the last 3 years |
| Skilled worker (§18a / §18b) | Recognised vocational training or degree | Recognition of the qualification by a German body; any qualified job |
| IT specialist without a degree (§19c) | 3+ years of IT experience in the last 7 years | Salary ≥ €45,934.20 |
| Experience-based route (§19c(2)) | Professionals with a foreign-recognised qualification and 2 years' experience | Salary ≥ €45,934.20 or a collective-agreement employer |
| Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) | Job search for up to 1 year | ≥ 6 points (qualification, language, age, experience, link to Germany), proof of €1,091/month (€13,092/year), part-time work up to 20 h/week allowed |
| Study / Ausbildung / language course | Students and trainees | Blocked account of €11,904/year (€992/month) for students |
| Family reunification | Spouses and children of residents | See Chapter 28 |
Use the official Quick-Check at make-it-in-germany.com to see which route fits you. Use the Anerkennungs-Finder at anerkennung-in-deutschland.de to find out whether your profession is regulated. Doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers and engineers often need formal recognition before they can work in their profession.
Realistic expectations
- Housing is the hardest part in Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne and Stuttgart. Expect 50–200 enquiries per flat in these cities. Smaller cities are far easier.
- Language: many tech and research jobs work in English, but authorities, landlords, doctors and letters work in German. A1–A2 makes daily life much easier. B1 is needed for the settlement permit and for citizenship.
- Paper still matters: official decisions arrive by post, and deadlines run from the delivery date. Check your letterbox every day.
- Appointments at the Bürgeramt and Ausländerbehörde in big cities can take weeks to get. Plan for this from day one.
- Net pay is much lower than gross: on €4,000 gross a month, a single person without children keeps roughly €2,550 (Chapter 17).
- Cost of living varies a lot. A 1-bedroom flat costs around €1,100–1,600 warm in Munich and around €600–850 in Leipzig.
Decision checklist
- ☐ I know which residence route applies to me and its 2026 salary threshold.
- ☐ I checked whether my profession needs recognition (Anerkennung).
- ☐ I compared net salary to local rent (rent ideally ≤ 1/3 of net).
- ☐ I have a plan for the first 3 months of housing.
- ☐ I started learning German before arrival.
Official sources: make-it-in-germany.com · anerkennung-in-deutschland.de · auswaertiges-amt.de (visa) · bamf.de