The EU Blue Card is a single directive implemented nationally, and the qualifying salary is set country by country. The gap between the highest and lowest threshold is wide enough to decide which entity in a group should employ a candidate — and the figures below are only the markets where HTLC Network publishes one.
- Qualifying salary thresholds, market by market
- Where a lower threshold applies to shortage occupations
- Why the national collective agreement can bind on top of the threshold
What salary is required for an EU Blue Card in each country? The table covers the 9 markets where HTLC Network publishes the figure.
| Country | EU Blue Card threshold |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €55,052/year (Flanders) · €68,815/year (Wallonia) · €4,748/month (Brussels) — varies by region |
| Croatia | 1.5× the national average salary for the relevant industry — no labour market test required |
| Czech Republic | CZK 69,248/month (effective May 2025) — 1.5× average gross annual salary |
| France | €59,373/year (2026) — 1.5× the reference salary of €39,582 |
| Germany | €50,700/year standard · €45,934.20/year shortage occupations (2026) |
| Italy | ~€36,300/year standard · ~€28,000–29,000/year shortage occupations (2026) |
| Netherlands | €4,754/month reduced rate — 2026, excluding holiday allowance |
| Portugal | 1.5× national average gross salary standard · 1.2× for shortage occupations (2026 thresholds raised materially) |
| Spain | €39,269.92/year standard · €31,415.94/year shortage occupations and recent graduates (2026) |
Several member states apply two thresholds: a standard one and a reduced one for occupations on a national shortage list. Where that is the case, both figures appear below.
A threshold met is not a permit granted. In most markets the salary must also meet the minimum set by the applicable collective agreement for the role, and the qualification itself has to be recognised. Meeting one test and not the other is a common reason for refusal.
Figures are those published on the HTLC Network country pages, reviewed September 2026. Rates and thresholds change: confirm the current position for the country concerned before relying on it.
Where a group has entities in several member states, the Blue Card threshold is one of the few immigration variables that can legitimately be planned around before a candidate is hired.