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Updated: October 1, 2026 · EU Blue Card

Extending the EU Blue Card: when to file, what they ask for and what happens if you are late

The Blue Card is issued for the term of the employment contract plus three months, and for no longer than four years. When that term runs down, the most underrated part begins: the extension. People leave it to the last minute because it feels like the same job should mean the same formality. It does not.

When to file

A practical guide: start preparing 12 to 16 weeks out, and file within the window your authority allows.

Berlin, for example, accepts an application no earlier than four months before the current document expires. Earlier than that it simply will not be taken, and there is no point trying.

Legally, something else is decisive: the application has to be filed before the card expires. Your previous status then continues to apply until the authority decides, including your previous working conditions. The proof of that is the Fiktionsbescheinigung, the interim certificate that is your legal status while the case is pending.

Hence the practical point. An appointment booked for a date after the card expires does not protect you; a filed application does. If there are no free slots and the deadline is closing in, file by whichever route your authority accepts and secure evidence that you filed. Relying on a future appointment without a confirmed application is risky.

What they ask for at extension

The authority is not checking whether anything has changed. It is checking two facts: that you really are still working, and that the income meets the requirements.

Berlin asks explicitly for:

• an employer confirmation of the ongoing employment relationship with no notice of termination, not older than 14 days;
• payslips for the first two and the last two months.

Plus the usual set: the current employment contract, proof of health insurance, your registration certificate, passport and current residence permit, and whatever else the local list requires.

That is the Berlin example. The package differs from city to city, so check the page of your own Ausländerbehörde rather than someone else's experience in a chat group.

Note the logic behind the payslips: the authority takes the first two months and the last two. That shows whether the salary dropped after the card was issued.

The salary threshold at extension

This is where the most common mistake sits, and we put it imprecisely in one of our own pieces, so let us be direct.

Thresholds are revised every year. In 2026 they are €50,700 for ordinary professions and €45,935 for shortage occupations and for graduates starting their careers.

The difference comes down to two situations:

• The card is still valid and the job continues. The annual increase of the threshold does not by itself invalidate the card. You do not lose your status because the figure went up in the new year.
• The card is running out and you are applying to extend. You have to meet the threshold in force at the time of the extension.

The direct source: the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs brochure "Fragen und Antworten zur Blauen Karte EU", February 2026 edition, page 5: "Lediglich bei der Verlängerung des Aufenthaltstitels … und bei einem Arbeitgeberwechsel … sind die veränderten Anforderungen zu beachten." In other words, the changed requirements are taken into account at extension and at a change of employer.

The practical consequence: if your salary sits close to the threshold and your card expires next year, the conversation with your employer about a raise starts well before the month you file. A backdated salary revision is not something the authority will accept.

Changing employer: notification or new permission

As a general rule, a Blue Card holder does not need prior permission for the change of employer itself.

The first 12 months of employment on the card. You have to notify the Ausländerbehörde of the change. The authority may suspend the move for up to 30 days and refuse it within that window if the new job does not meet the Blue Card conditions. The basis is § 18g AufenthG, with the grounds for refusal in § 19f AufenthG.

After the first 12 months. A specific notification of a change of employer is usually not required.

The new position still has to meet the card's conditions: the qualification level and the salary threshold in force at the time of the change. That is the same caveat from the ministry brochure as at extension.

Dismissal and the loss of the conditions behind the status are separate situations with their own rules, which we will cover separately.

A short plan

1. 12 to 16 weeks before the card expires, gather the documents and read your authority's list.
2. Check whether your current salary clears the current threshold. If it does not, raise it with your employer now.
3. Ask your employer for the confirmation of the ongoing employment relationship. Mind how fresh it has to be: 14 days in Berlin.
4. Dig out the payslips for the first two and the last two months of employment.
5. File before the card expires and get the Fiktionsbescheinigung.
6. If you change jobs in the meantime, check whether the first 12 months on the card have passed.

What happens next, and how many years it takes to move on to permanent residence, is covered in our piece on the Blue Card. If degree recognition is still open for you, see our piece on Anabin and ZAB.

Let's look at your case

In a consultation we will go through your card, contract and salary, compare them with the threshold that will apply at extension, and build the document list for your authority. 45 minutes, €90, credited towards the support package.

Book a consultation →

FAQ

How far in advance should you apply to extend a Blue Card?

Start preparing 12 to 16 weeks out. File within the window your authority allows: Berlin, for example, accepts applications no earlier than four months before the current document expires. What matters most is that the application is filed before the card runs out.

What happens if you miss the expiry date?

An application filed in time preserves your previous status, including your previous working conditions, until the authority decides, and that is evidenced by a Fiktionsbescheinigung. Without a filed application there is no such protection, so an appointment booked after the expiry date is no substitute for filing.

Which documents are needed to extend a Blue Card?

Berlin asks for an employer confirmation of the ongoing employment relationship with no notice of termination, not older than 14 days, and payslips for the first two and the last two months. Plus the contract, health insurance, registration certificate and current permit. The list differs in other cities, so check with your own authority.

Do you have to meet the new salary threshold at extension?

Yes. While the card is valid and the job continues, the annual increase does not by itself end your status. But at extension you have to meet the threshold in force at that moment, even with the same employer.

Do you need permission to change employer on a Blue Card?

As a general rule, no prior permission is required. In the first 12 months of employment on the card you have to notify the Ausländerbehörde: the authority may suspend the move for up to 30 days and refuse it if the new job does not meet the Blue Card conditions. After the first 12 months a specific notification of a change of employer is usually not required.