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Updated: October 15, 2026 · Settling in

What changes in Germany in 2027: Blue Card, minimum wage, private health insurance and contributions

From 1 January 2027 Germany raises the salary thresholds for visas, the minimum wage and the ceilings for social security contributions. Here is what that means for people planning to move and for those already working in Germany.

Most of the figures below follow the social security reference values (Sozialversicherungsrechengrößen), which the government reviews every autumn. The government has approved the 2027 regulation; only the Bundesrat still has to agree. At this stage the figures usually do not change.

1. The Blue Card threshold rises to €53,100

The EU Blue Card requires a salary of at least €53,100 gross a year (€4,425 a month). In 2026 the threshold is €50,700.

The reduced threshold for shortage occupations (IT, engineers, doctors, natural scientists and others), for graduates of the last three years and for IT specialists without a degree goes up from €45,934.20 to €48,108.60 a year.

Important: the new threshold also applies when you extend your Blue Card, even with the same employer. If your salary is close to €50,700 now, it is worth discussing a raise early.

You can check your offer with the Blue Card salary calculator. More on the new figures in Blue Card salary threshold 2027 and in our guide to extending a Blue Card.

2. The minimum wage rises to €14.60 an hour

From 1 January 2027 the statutory minimum wage is €14.60 gross an hour, up from €13.90. For a 40-hour week that is about €2,530 gross a month.

This matters for visa applicants too: a job offer paying less than the minimum wage will not pass the Federal Employment Agency check.

3. Private health insurance from €84,150

An employee can choose private health insurance (PKV) if their regular salary is above the compulsory insurance threshold. In 2027 this is €84,150 gross a year (€7,012.50 a month), up from €77,400 in 2026.

• New job, including a move from abroad: if the expected salary is above the threshold, you can choose private insurance from your first working day.
• Current job: you can only switch on 1 January, and your salary must be above the threshold two years in a row. To go private on 1 January 2027 you need more than €77,400 in 2026 and more than €84,150 in 2027. Many people who qualify this year will not be able to switch in January.

The Blue Card threshold is almost €30,000 lower, which is why most Blue Card holders start in public insurance. Check your situation with the private health insurance calculator, and compare the two systems in GKV or PKV.

4. Higher contribution ceilings: only for high earners

In Germany social security contributions are charged on your salary only up to a ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze). Both ceilings go up in 2027:

If your salary is below the current ceiling, the increase does not affect you: contributions are already charged on your full salary. Only people earning more than today's €69,750 (health) or €101,400 (pension) will pay more.

Example: €70,000 a year. The pension ceiling does not affect this person at all. The health ceiling affects them only slightly: in 2026 contributions are charged on €69,750, in 2027 on the full €70,000. An employee with children pays about €26 more a year.

Example: €110,000 a year (if the person stays in public insurance). Both ceilings go up, and the employee's share rises by about €1,220 a year, roughly €100 a month.

Separately, the government plans to raise the long-term care surcharge for employees without children from 0.6 to 0.9 percent. This law has not been passed yet. If it is, a childless employee on €70,000 would pay about €238 more a year, and on €110,000 about €1,490 more.

Figures show the employee's share. The average additional contribution of health funds is taken at the 2026 level (2.9 percent): the 2027 rate will be announced in November.

5. Skilled workers aged 45+ need €58,410 or pension provision

If you get a skilled worker visa for the first time at 45 or older, your salary must be at least €58,410 gross a year (€4,867.50 a month). In 2026 it is €55,770.

You do not have to meet this threshold if you can prove adequate pension provision. The law does not name an amount, but in practice the authorities work with these figures:

• a pension of about €1,565 to €1,613 a month from age 67 for 12 years (Berlin uses €1,612.53);
• or capital of about €225,000 to €232,000 (Berlin uses €232,204).

The pension must be paid for life and must not be withdrawable early. Requirements differ between federal states, so ask your immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) about the amount in advance.

In short: what changes in 2027

What this means for you:

• Moving on a Blue Card? Check your offer against the 2027 threshold. What counts is the threshold on the date the authority decides on your application, not the date you signed the contract.
• Already holding a Blue Card? Your extension will be checked against the new threshold.
• Thinking about private insurance? Make sure you meet both thresholds: €77,400 this year and €84,150 next year. Cancel public insurance by the end of December.
• Earning less than €69,750? The higher contribution ceilings do not affect you.
• 45 or older? Negotiate a salary of at least €58,410 or collect your pension documents early.

What next

Choosing where to apply from? Download our free guide The D visa by country: Tbilisi, Belgrade, Yerevan, Astana and Almaty, Istanbul, Tel Aviv and Moscow in one document.

Not sure which visa fits you? Take the free quiz Which German visa fits you: five minutes, and you will see the routes that fit your situation.

Want to know how the 2027 changes affect you? We will go through your offer and your application or extension timeline in a consultation.

FAQ

When do the new thresholds apply?

From 1 January 2027. The government has approved the regulation on reference values; the Bundesrat still has to agree, usually in November or December.

I signed my contract in 2026, but the visa decision will come in 2027. Which threshold applies?

What counts is the date the authority decides on your application, not the date you signed. If the decision comes in 2027, your salary is compared with €53,100. So apply early and build some margin into the salary.

Do I have to meet the new threshold when I extend my Blue Card?

Yes. On extension your salary is compared with the threshold that applies on the date of extension, even if you stay with the same employer.

I earn €60,000 a year. Will I pay higher contributions in 2027?

Not because of the ceilings: your salary is below both, so contributions are already charged on the full amount. Only changes in rates, such as your health fund's additional contribution, can change what you pay.

How much pension provision do I need if I am over 45?

The law does not name an amount. In practice the authorities work with a pension of about €1,565 to €1,613 a month from age 67 for 12 years, or capital of about €225,000 to €232,000. Ask the immigration office in your federal state.