Working in Germany
For India passport holders · Checked 2026-08-15
Germany's work routes are open to Indians but skilled-only: you need an employer job offer plus a degree or vocational qualification recognized in Germany, or enough points and savings for the Opportunity Card job-search visa — no route exists for unskilled work, and Germany is not on India's ECR list so no eMigrate clearance applies.
What the employer must have
- No special government licence is needed — the German employer signs an employment contract and completes the official 'Declaration of employment' form for the visa file
- For an EU Blue Card the job must pay at least EUR 50,700 gross per year (EUR 45,934.20 for shortage occupations such as IT, engineering, healthcare), and employment must run at least six months
- For other skilled-worker visas the job offer must match the worker's recognized qualification
What you must do before you leave
- Get your degree or training checked for German recognition — anabin database entry or a ZAB Statement of Comparability; this is required before the skilled-worker visa can be issued
- With a signed contract, apply for a national (D) employment visa at the German mission in India; without a job offer, the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) lets qualified people come to search — proof of funds currently at least EUR 1,091 per month is required
- Germany is NOT an ECR country — no eMigrate emigration clearance is needed even if your passport is ECR-stamped (clearance applies only to the 17 listed ECR countries)
- Deal only with registered recruiters — India's MEA has notified over 3,000 illegal recruitment agents on the eMigrate portal
Things to watch
- Official German pages currently disagree on the Blue Card year labels: the missions' May 2026 checklist prints EUR 50,700 / 45,934.20 but mislabels them '2025', and the German Missions in India's own employment page still shows the older 2025 figures (EUR 48,300 / 43,759.80). Independent January 2026 legal sources confirm EUR 50,700 / 45,934.20 took effect 1 January 2026 — have the employer confirm the exact current figure at application time.
- make-it-in-germany.com (the official federal portal) blocks automated access, and emigrate.gov.in serves only a JavaScript shell to plain fetches — ECR rules were verified on mea.gov.in instead
- The Opportunity Card points table for 2026 could not be quoted from a fetchable official page this session; the funds figure (EUR 1,091/month) is stated as 'currently' and changes periodically
What you may lawfully be charged
THE MOST A REGISTERED RECRUITING AGENT MAY LAWFULLY CHARGE YOU is ₹30,000 plus 18% GST — ₹35,400 in total, once. Not per year, not per document.
Rule 25(1), Emigration Rules under the Emigration Act 1983.
⚠️ Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa on this route. Legitimate employers and licensed agents do not charge workers for jobs.
Official sources
This describes the immigration system, not your personal case, and not this specific vacancy.