Članek o virih
EU Blue Card salary thresholds 2026: country-by-country comparison (10 destinations)
Where in the EU is the Blue Card most accessible in 2026? Poland (€20,500) is the lowest, Netherlands (€60,612 over 30) the highest. We rank all 10 destinations by threshold, explain the methodology behind each (1.0× / 1.5× average gross salary), and discuss which country fits which profile (early career, mid-career, senior).
Kaj se boš naučil
- 2026 thresholds ranked low to high
- Best country by career stage
2026 thresholds ranked low to high
Poland €20,500 — the lowest in the EU, set at 1.5× Polish average gross. Practical for IT consultants and remote-friendly roles where Polish salaries can stretch.
Portugal €27,000 — second lowest. Combined with the now-defunct NHR tax regime (replaced 2024 by IFICI), Portugal was historically a hot Blue Card destination; now somewhat less compelling.
Italy €33,500 — moderate threshold but the Italian labour market for non-EU hires is bottlenecked by the Nulla Osta process unless your employer is a recognised research institute.
Spain €33,908 (under 30 / shortage) — equal to 1.0× average gross. Spain's UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas) fast-tracks applications from major employers in 20 working days.
Ireland €38,000 (Critical Skills Permit, NOT Blue Card) — the only English-speaking EU country, attractive to UK / US / IN / PK applicants.
Spain €40,690 (regular) — equal to 1.2× average gross.
Austria €45,595 — equal to 1.5× Austrian average. Austria has no separate shortage-occupation threshold for the Blue Card itself — uses the Rot-Weiß-Rot Karte for shortage roles.
Germany €43,759 (shortage) / €48,300 (regular) — the largest market with the most accessible shortage threshold.
Belgium €55,000 — single threshold, somewhat high; the Single Permit alternative (regional) is often easier.
France €53,837 — strict 1.5× average. Many skilled workers use the Passeport Talent (lower thresholds for advanced degrees).
Netherlands €44,256 (under 30) / €60,612 (regular) — the highest regular threshold in the EU, but the Highly Skilled Migrant Permit at €39,000 (over 30) / €28,800 (under 30) is the actual default route for skilled IT workers.
Best country by career stage
Early career (0-3 years experience, recent grad): Spain or Netherlands under-30 thresholds give you breathing room. Both have strong startup ecosystems and good entry-level packages.
Mid-career (4-10 years, ~€50-70k expected): Germany is usually the best fit — the regular and shortage thresholds are achievable, the labour market is the EU's largest, and Niederlassungserlaubnis after 21 months with B1 is fast.
Senior career (10+ years, €70k+): your salary makes the threshold a non-issue. Choose by tax regime (NL 30% ruling, IT 50% impatriate, ES Beckham Law) and by stability of the residence pathway (DE Niederlassungserlaubnis is among the strongest).
Sub-€40k roles: only Poland or Italy will work for the Blue Card itself. For other countries, look at alternatives — Chancenkarte (DE), Highly Skilled Migrant (NL), Talent Passport (FR), Critical Skills Permit (IE).
Pogosto postavljena vprašanja
Kratki odgovori na najpogostejša vprašanja pred uporabo te strani kot referenco.
- Zakaj WorkDaten objavlja vodiče?
- Strani z viri pojasnjujejo praktični kontekst za kalkulatorji, stranmi praznikov in odločitvami po državah.
- Kako so članki povezani z orodji?
- Vsak članek se povezuje nazaj na kalkulatorje, strani držav in središča kategorij, ki bralcu pomagajo ukrepati.
- So vodiči specifični za državo ali vseevropski?
- Nekateri vodiči pokrivajo vseevropske koncepte, drugi se osredotočajo na eno državo ali tesno povezane trge.
- Kako naj uporabljam stran z viri?
- Najprej preberite pregled, nato odprite povezano orodje ali stran države, da temo uporabite pri resnični nalogi.
- Ali te članke pišejo ali pregledujejo ljudje?
- Članki WorkDaten so sestavljeni iz javnih regulativnih virov in uredniškega raziskovanja, pregledani pred objavo in ponovno preverjeni ob večjih spremembah. Avtor in datum zadnjega pregleda sta pod naslovom.
- Kako pogosto se članki posodabljajo?
- Vsak članek prikazuje datum Zadnji pregled. Teme o davkih, plačah, praznikih ali DDV se pregledajo vsaj letno in po pomembnih reformah.
- Ali lahko citiram članek v poročilu?
- Da, z atribucijo. Navedite naslov, URL WorkDaten in datum dostopa; idealno tudi datum zadnjega pregleda.
- Ali lahko predlagam temo za članek?
- Da. Uporabite povezavo Kontakt v nogi. Predlogi bralcev imajo prednost v uredniškem procesu.
- Kje najdem članke v svojem jeziku?
- Članki so na voljo v podprtih evropskih jezikih, ko obstaja lokalizacija. V nasprotnem primeru se prikaže angleška različica.
- Ali obstajajo članki o čezmejnih situacijah?
- Da. Razdelek z viri zajema čezmejno načrtovanje plač, DDV mehaniko znotraj EU, razpršene ekipe, plače za delavce na daljavo in podobne teme.