Who Can Apply for EU Blue Card?
When applying for the EU Blue Card, except for being a non-EU citizen, several other requirements must be met and the steps to become an EU Blue Card holder vary by category:
- Highly-qualified or skilled workers.
- Researchers.
- Students.
- Vocational trainees.
- Seasonal workers.
- Intra-Corporate Transfers.
Because of emerging labor shortages within Europe, the demand for additional qualified workers has arisen especially in professions where the lack of workforce is more evident, such as:
- Mathematics
- Informatics
- Natural Sciences
- Technology
- Medicine
The aforementioned professionals have a higher chance of obtaining the EU Blue Card due to lack of candidates and lower annual income, approximately 1.2 times the average salary in hosting country.
Recently, the focus is drawn towards the improvement of policies for the self-employed and entrepreneurs whilst the self-employed individuals, interested in applying for the EU Blue Card, must:
- Provide an economic interest that is scarce in the hosting EU member state
- The business will have a positive effect in the overall economy of the hosting state
- You possess sufficient financial resources to provide for the operation of the business
Also, these candidates must:
- Have a successful business experience
- Impact employment
- Contribute to trainings, research and innovation
Moreover, the independent business must be related to the knowledge gained either in university or by the work experience as a scientist, academic or other highly-qualified occupation.
Citizens of these countries may apply for the EU Blue Card
AFRICA
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo, Dem. Rep.
- Congo, Rep.
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Swaziland
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Western Africa
- Western Sahara
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
ASIA
- Afghanistan
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Cambodia
- China
- China Tibet
- China, Hong Kong
- China, Macau SAR
- East Timor
- Georgia
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lao PDR
- Lebanon
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Nepal
- North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestinian territories
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Russian Federation
- Saudi Arabia
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
AMERICAS
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Peru
- Surinam
- Trinidad and Tobago
EUROPE
- Albania
- Belarus
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Crimea
- Kosovo
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Macedonia
- Russian Federation
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Ukraine
OCEANIA
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Melanesia Islands
- Micronesia
- Nauru
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
Citizens of these countries do not need to apply for the EU Blue Card
EU citizens are allowed to stay within the EU for reasons of residency, work, study, or job-seeking for unlimited periods of time without applying for a visa. EU citizens must notify the adequate authorities when doing so.
Whereas, the following are the citizens of countries that do not need to obtain an EU Blue Card in order to enter any of the EU Member States:
The nationals of the following do not have to apply for a Blue Card and obtain one in order to work in an EU country:
- EU
- EEA
- Australia
- Canada
- Israel
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Republic of Korea (South Korea)
- USA
- 9 Outermost Regions of EU, the nationals of which are not considered part of EU nor subject to the EU law:
- Azores
- Canary Islands
- French Guiana
- Guadeloupe
- Madeira
- Martinique
- Réunion
- Saint Barthélemy
- Saint Martin
- 25 Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) which depend constitutionally on six EU member states:
- Anguilla
- Aruba
- Ascension
- Bonaire
- British Antarctic territories
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Curacao
- Falkland Islands
- French Antarctic & Australian territories
- French Polynesia
- Mayotte
- Montserrat
- New Caledonia
- Pitcairn
- Saba
- Saint Helena
- Saint Pierre & Miquelon Greenland
- Saint Eustatius
- Saint Martin
- South Georgia
- South Sandwich Islands
- Tristan da Cunha
- Turk & Caicos Islands
- Wallis & Futuna
