Weekly update on July 3, 2026: Germany skilled-worker salary thresholds in force since January
PublishedBy Laura Ferreira · Editorial policy
A quiet policy week for Germany immigration. No new rules broke this period — but the January 2026 salary floor increases for skilled-worker permits remain the operative standard every applicant must meet.
Key takeaways
- No new German immigration rules were announced in the week of 26 June – 3 July 2026; existing law applies.
- Since 1 January 2026, specialists with extensive work experience need a minimum annual salary of €45,630 to qualify for a German skilled-worker permit.
- Applicants aged 45 and over face a higher threshold of €55,770 per year.
- Germany's national minimum wage also rose to €13.90 per hour from the same date.
- Contracts that fall below the applicable threshold are a direct ground for permit refusal — verify figures before submitting.
Germany's 2026 salary floors for skilled-worker permits: what's in force now
This was a quiet week for German immigration policy — no legislation passed and no ministerial announcements were made. The most operationally relevant rules remain those that took effect on 1 January 2026: revised minimum salary thresholds for several categories of skilled-worker permit.
According to Fragomen, specialists with extensive work experience must now earn at least €45,630 annually to obtain a permit. For applicants aged 45 or older, the bar is set higher at €55,770 per year — a threshold designed to ensure older workers can adequately fund retirement provisions.
Germany's statutory national minimum wage also increased to €13.90 per hour from the same date, which sets the absolute floor for any employment contract submitted alongside a permit application.
Practical implication: if a job offer letter or employment contract states a salary below the applicable threshold for the applicant's category and age group, the permit application will be refused on that basis alone. Applicants and employers should cross-check contract figures against these thresholds before filing.
Sources
Turn policy news into a study plan
Browse language decks
Keep vocabulary moving while your residence or citizenship timeline changes.
Start here