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All work routes·Germany, National visa for employment as a skilled worker (Residence Act sections 18a and 18b) or for the EU Blue Card (section 18g)
Work visa check

Check your National visa for employment as a skilled worker (Residence Act sections 18a and 18b) or for the EU Blue Card (section 18g) application before you apply

This page shows the conditions the National visa for employment as a skilled worker (Residence Act sections 18a and 18b) or for the EU Blue Card (section 18g) sets, in the official words, with a free check of your answers. Go over what it finds with a solicitor or a regulated immigration adviser before you apply.

Visa section of the German mission, after the competent authority in Germany and, where the law asks for it, the Federal Employment Agency have been involvedConsulate General of Germany in Lagos and Embassy of Germany in Abuja, with the foreigners authority (Auslaenderbehoerde) and the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit) in GermanyNational visa for employment as a skilled worker (Residence Act sections 18a and 18b) or for the EU Blue Card (section 18g)

Go over these findings with a solicitor or a regulated immigration adviser before you apply.

What is being checked

The job offer and the employer’s papers, the pay, the language level, your qualifications, any money you must hold, police and health papers, and your past visas.

Why applications fail

Pay below the lowest figure the route sets, missing papers from the employer, or papers that do not match each other.

What our software does

The free check reads your answers against these conditions and shows where they usually fall short. It does not say whether you qualify. Paid work checks are not open yet.

01
Residence Act, section 18 (2) no. 1 and no. 4a; mission list: Declaration of Employment and proof of employment

Concrete job offer and Declaration of Employment

the foreigner has a concrete job offer,

What the decision maker looks at: Whether you have a real job offer or contract from an employer in Germany, in your field, that states the length of the job, the duties, the gross yearly pay, the hours, the holidays and the place of work, and whether the employer has filled in, signed and stamped the Declaration of Employment.

You need a real job in Germany before you apply. The employer gives you a contract or a firm job offer. It must say how long the job lasts, what you will do, the yearly pay before tax, your hours, your holidays and where you will work. The employer also fills in a form called the Declaration of Employment and signs and stamps it. The job must be in the field you trained or studied for. For the EU Blue Card the job must last at least six months.

Where this comes from 5 official sources
  • 1. the foreigner has a concrete job offer,

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 18 (2) no. 1

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • 4a. the foreigner and the employer provide assurances that the job will in fact be performed, and

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 18 (2) no. 4a

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • completely filled out, including signature and stamp of the employer in Germany.

    Blue Card EU and skilled worker (German Missions in Nigeria), Declaration of Employment

    checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • Employment contract or binding job offer in your field of qualification containing: the time frame of the contract a detailed job description the gross annual salary working hours annual holidays place of work

    Blue Card EU and skilled worker (German Missions in Nigeria), Proof of employment in Germany

    checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • (3) Granting an EU Blue Card requires that the concrete job offer under section 18 (2) no. 1 provides for employment of at least six months.

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 18g (3)

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • The employment contract or binding job offer, with the length of the job, a detailed job description, the gross yearly pay, the working hours, the yearly holidays and the place of work
  • The Declaration of Employment, filled in completely, signed and stamped by the employer in Germany
  • Your CV, listing your certificates, training and work experience
  • A signed letter of motivation about your plans in Germany
02
Residence Act, section 18 (2) no. 3 and no. 4 and section 18 (3); mission list: proof of qualification

Recognised qualification as a skilled worker

Proof of full recognition of your qualification or degree is therefore required.

What the decision maker looks at: Whether your degree or vocational qualification counts as a German one: for a degree, whether ANABIN rates both your university and your exact degree title as recognised, or the ZAB has assessed it; for vocational training, whether the competent German body has issued a recognition notice; and, for a regulated job, whether you hold the permission to work in it.

Germany only takes skilled workers whose training counts as the same as German training. For a university degree, you look up your university and your exact degree in a German database called ANABIN. The university must show H+ (or H+/- with your degree listed), and the degree must show entspricht or gleichwertig. The name of your degree must match word for word. If it is not there, you ask the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) to assess it. For vocational training, a German office must recognise it and give you a notice. Some jobs, like doctors and nurses, are regulated, and you need recognition and permission to work in them.

Where this comes from 6 official sources

Evidence that addresses it

  • Your degree certificate and transcript of records, with the ANABIN printout or the ZAB statement
  • Or, for vocational training, the recognition notice from the competent German body
  • For a regulated profession, the permission to practise or the written promise of it
  • School results in order: primary, secondary, WAEC or national diploma, bachelor, masters
  • Proof of work experience, such as contracts, employer letters and pay slips
03
Residence Act, section 18g (1); mission page: minimum salary for the EU Blue Card, 2026

EU Blue Card minimum salary

there is a minimum salary requirement for the Blue Card - EU , set annually by the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

What the decision maker looks at: For an EU Blue Card only: whether the gross yearly pay on the contract is at least EUR 50,700 in 2026 for a job in the listed shortage groups (such as scientists, mathematicians, engineers, doctors and IT specialists) or for a recent graduate, or at least EUR 45,934.20 otherwise, as the mission page sets out.

This is a sum. Look at the yearly pay before tax on your contract. For the EU Blue Card in 2026 the mission page gives two floors: EUR 50,700 and EUR 45,934.20. Which floor applies depends on the type of job and when you finished your degree, and the law lists the job groups. The figures change every year, so use the figures for the year you apply. A skilled worker visa under sections 18a or 18b has no Blue Card floor, but the pay must still be fair, and that is a separate ground.

Where this comes from 4 official sources
  • In 2026, the minimum gross annual salary requirements are: • 50.700 € for scientists, mathematicians, engineers, doctors and IT specialists (so-called STEM occupations) and • 45.934,20 € for all other occupations

    Blue Card EU and skilled worker (German Missions in Nigeria), Minimum salary (for EU Blue Card only)

    checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • there is a minimum salary requirement for the Blue Card - EU , set annually by the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

    Blue Card EU and skilled worker (German Missions in Nigeria), Minimum salary (for EU Blue Card only)

    checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • Skilled workers holding a university degree are granted an EU Blue Card without the consent of the Federal Employment Agency for employment in Germany commensurate with their qualification, if they have a salary corresponding to at least 50 per cent of the annual earnings ceiling of the general pension scheme

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 18g (1) sentence 1

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • 2. have obtained a higher education qualification no more than three years prior to applying for an EU Blue Card,

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 18g (1) sentence 2

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • The contract or job offer showing the gross yearly pay
  • The Declaration of Employment with the same pay figure
  • Your degree certificate with its date, if you rely on the lower floor as a recent graduate
04
Residence Act, section 18 (2) no. 5; mission page: threshold at age 45

Applicants aged 45 or over: salary or old-age provision

If applicable: Proof of adequate old-age provision (required from the age of 45)

What the decision maker looks at: If you are 45 or older and this is your first skilled worker residence title: whether the gross yearly pay is at least EUR 55,770 (the 2026 figure on the mission page), or, if not, whether you show enough provision for old age, and whether you have signed the age-limit notice.

This only matters if you are 45 or older. Then your yearly pay before tax must be at least EUR 55,770 in 2026. If it is lower, you must show that you have saved enough for old age, such as a pension. You also print and sign a notice about the age limit. The law lets the office make an exception in some cases, for example when the pay is only a little below.

Where this comes from 2 official sources
  • If applicable: Proof of adequate old-age provision (required from the age of 45) Threshold upon reaching the age of 45 for subsequent residence permits as a skilled worker Only if the salary does not amount to at least 55% of the annual contribution assessment ceiling for the general pension insurance scheme. For 2026: €55,770 gross per annum

    Blue Card EU and skilled worker (German Missions in Nigeria), Proof of adequate old-age provision

    checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • 5. where a foreigner who is 45 years of age or older and has been granted a residence title for the first time under sections 18a or 18b, has a salary corresponding to at least 55 per cent of the annual earnings ceiling of the general pension scheme, unless the foreigner can prove that he or she possesses adequate provision for old age.

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 18 (2) no. 5

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • The contract showing the gross yearly pay
  • If the pay is below the figure: proof of a pension or other provision for old age
  • The signed age-limit notice (Belehrung Altersgrenze) from the mission's page
05
Residence Act, section 39 (2); section 18a, 18b and 18g (1) sentence 2

The Federal Employment Agency's consent: fair terms and skilled work

the foreigner is not employed under less favourable terms than German nationals employed in an equivalent position,

What the decision maker looks at: Whether the Federal Employment Agency will give its consent: whether your pay and terms are as good as a German worker would get in the same job, whether the job is skilled work that fits your qualification, and whether the job is in Germany.

In most cases the mission sends your job details to Germany's Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit). It looks at whether the job is real skilled work that fits your training, and whether you are paid and treated as well as a German worker in the same job. It uses the Declaration of Employment for this. Whether the pay is fair for the job and whether the job fits your skills are judgements, so a solicitor or a regulated immigration adviser should look at this before you apply.

Where this comes from 5 official sources
  • 1. the foreigner is not employed under less favourable terms than German nationals employed in an equivalent position,

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 39 (2) no. 1

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • a) will be engaged in skilled employment in accordance with section 18a or section 18b,

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 39 (2) no. 2 (a)

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • Skilled workers with a university degree are granted a temporary residence permit to take up any skilled employment.

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 18b

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • Skilled workers with a vocational training qualification are granted a temporary residence permit to take up any skilled employment.

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 18a

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • Für die Erteilung des Aufenthaltstitels muss die Auslandsvertretung beziehungsweise Ausländerbehörde in der Regel die Zustimmung der Bundesagentur für Arbeit einholen.

    Erklaerung zum Beschaeftigungsverhaeltnis (Declaration of Employment form, PDF, in German), Hinweis (Declaration of Employment form, EzB 02/2024)

    EzB - 02/2024 · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • The Declaration of Employment, complete and matching the contract
  • The contract showing pay, hours and duties
  • Evidence of the usual pay for the job in Germany, if the employer has it
06
Residence Act, section 5 (1) no. 1 and section 2 (3); mission list: proof of adequate financial means

Secure living costs and health insurance

the foreigner’s subsistence is secure;

What the decision maker looks at: Whether your pay, and any other money, covers your living costs in Germany, including health insurance, without public funds, and whether you bring the proof of financial means the mission's list asks for.

Germany must be sure you can live on your own money. Usually your pay from the job does this. The mission's list still asks for proof of financial means. The mission's money page gives fixed monthly sums for students and some other visas, but none for a skilled worker, so the pay on your contract is the main proof. If the job starts later or the pay is low, more proof may be needed. Health insurance is part of this. If the visa is to be given, the mission asks you for incoming health insurance.

Where this comes from 5 official sources

Evidence that addresses it

  • The contract showing the pay
  • Bank statements, if you show savings as well
  • Incoming health insurance, when the mission asks for it
07
Mission important notice; Residence Act, section 54 (2) no. 7 and no. 8 (a); section 5 (1) no. 1a

Identity documents, false documents or false information

any visa application submitted with forged documents or documents containing false information will be immediately and automatically rejected.

What the decision maker looks at: Whether your identity papers agree with each other and with your passport, whether any document is forged or untrue, and whether you told the mission about earlier stays in Germany or other states and earlier visas.

Your name and date of birth must be the same on every paper. If they differ, the mission asks for sworn statements (affidavits), and for a birth certificate in the form it sets out. A forged paper or a false statement leads to a refusal straight away. You are also put in a warning database and banned from the whole Schengen area. This also counts against later applications. Leaving out an earlier stay or visa is also a problem. A refusal like this needs a solicitor or a regulated immigration adviser.

Where this comes from 4 official sources
  • The consulate expressly points out that any visa application submitted with forged documents or documents containing false information will be immediately and automatically rejected. The applicant will be entered into a warning database, which will also negatively affect any subsequent visa applications. And the applicant will be issued a Schengen-wide entry ban.

    Blue Card EU and skilled worker (German Missions in Nigeria), Important Notice

    checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • a) has furnished false or incomplete information in order to obtain a German residence title, a Schengen visa, an airport transit visa, a passport substitute, eligibility for exemption from the passport requirement or the suspension of deportation or,

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 54 (2) no. 8 (a)

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • 1a. the foreigner’s identity, and if he or she is not entitled to return to another state, nationality are established,

    Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), English translation, Section 5 (1) no. 1a

    Translation includes amendments by Article 3 of the Act of 8 May 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 152) · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

  • 2. Declaration pursuant to section 54 AufenthG

    Sorting of application: National - skilled worker, Blue Card EU/Skilled worker (PDF), Sorting of application, item 2

    Status: June 2026 · checked against the page on 4 November 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • Passport issued in the last 10 years, valid for at least 6 more months, with two free pages
  • Birth certificate in the form the mission sets out for your year of birth
  • Affidavits for any change of name or error on a document
  • Old documents that show your identity, such as old passports
  • The signed declaration under section 54 of the Residence Act

This is a national long-stay visa (D visa) to work in Germany. It is not a Schengen visit visa. It covers three routes: a skilled worker with vocational training (section 18a), a skilled worker with a university degree (section 18b), and the EU Blue Card for people with a degree and a higher salary (section 18g). The worker applies, not the employer. The employer in Germany must first give a job offer or contract and fill in and sign the Declaration of Employment. From Nigeria the steps are: get the job offer and the Declaration of Employment, get your qualification recognised in Germany (or check your degree in the ANABIN database), apply online through the Consular Services Portal, then go in person to your appointment, usually at the Consulate General in Lagos, for a short interview, fingerprints and the fee. The mission sends the case to the competent authority in Germany and, in most cases, to the Federal Employment Agency, which looks at the job and the pay. The visa section makes the decision. The visa only lets you enter Germany. After you arrive, you go to the foreigners authority straight away for your residence permit. The visa fee is EUR 75 and is not paid back after a refusal. The official pages do not list refusal reasons, so these grounds follow the documents the mission asks for and what sections 5, 18, 18g and 39 of the Residence Act say. The refusal notice gives the reasons for your case. There is no fixed German or English test on the mission's list for this visa, so none is checked here, but a job in a regulated profession may need one. Go over these findings with a solicitor or a regulated immigration adviser before you apply.

Free check

Where does your work visa application stand?

A few questions, read against the conditions above. Nothing you choose leaves this page.

  1. 1 Where are you with the job?

    Most work routes start with a real job offer, and some need a paper from the employer before you can apply.

  2. 2 How does the pay compare with the lowest pay the route allows?

    Many routes set a lowest salary. The figure is on this page, from the official rules.

  3. 3 Are your qualifications ready to show?

    Some routes need your degree or licence to be recognised, checked or registered in that country first.

  4. 4 Can you show the money the route asks you to hold?

    Some routes ask you to hold money for living costs for a set time, unless the employer covers it.

  5. 5 What is your visa history?

    A past refusal for any country has to be told about and answered.

Answer all 5 questions to see the result. Nothing you choose leaves this page.

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