How Germany is taking away our talents, 3.5 thousand blue cards for Albanian workers in the last 5 years

2025-05-26 07:41:00, Ekonomi CNA

How Germany is taking away our talents, 3.5 thousand blue cards for Albanian

While the Albanian labor market is increasingly suffering from the loss of skilled labor, Europe and especially Germany are taking Albanian talents, giving them blue cards, which is a work and residence permit for highly qualified people from non-European Union (EU) countries.

Eurostat reported that since 2019, the number of Blue Cards for Albanian citizens from EU countries has increased significantly, with an average of 650-900 issued per year. From 2019 to 2023, a total of 3,495 Blue Cards were issued to Albanian citizens. Compared to previous years, the increase is strong. In 2012, only 15 such cards were issued, while in 2021, which is the record so far, the figure reached 882.

The increase in the issuance of blue cards to Albanians has come due to the entry of Germany into the game. In 2021, this country issued 823 blue cards to Albanian citizens, or 93% of the total of EU countries. In 2023, they issued 716 permits, or 87% of the total. Those who have benefited from this card in Germany are paid at least 43 thousand euros per year (about 3,600 euros per month), which is the minimum criterion for applying for a blue card.

In second place for blue cards is Italy, but with much lower levels compared to Germany (23 in 2022 and 41 in 2023). Following it is Austria (11 in 2022 and 30 in 2023). Poland issued 11 blue cards to Albanian citizens in 2023, Luxembourg 6, Belgium 4 and France 3.

Germany has become a favorite destination for Albanian professionals in recent years, mainly from the fields of information technology and medicine, who were encouraged to work in Europe's largest economy, lured by high salaries and relaxed criteria in a country that was suffering from a labor shortage as a result of an aging population.

Blue Cards in the EU

In 2023, around 89,000 skilled workers from countries outside the EU received an EU Blue Card, a work and residence permit for highly qualified people from non-EU countries, according to Eurostat.

Germany issued the largest number of Blue Cards (69,000, or 78% of the EU total), followed by Poland with 7,000 (or 8%) and France with 4,000 (or 4%).

Indian citizens were the largest recipients of the Blue Card in 2023, with 21,000 permits (or 24% of the total), followed by citizens of Russia (9,000 or 11%), Turkey (6,000 or 7%) and Belarus (5,000 or 6%).

What is the Blue Card?

The EU Blue Card is a work and residence permit granted to non-European Union citizens with highly qualified professionals to work in an EU member state. It aims to attract foreign specialists in sought-after professions by offering them favourable working conditions, including the right of family residence, mobility within the EU and the possibility of long-term residence. The Blue Card is granted on the basis of an employment contract with a defined minimum wage and university qualifications.

To benefit from the EU Blue Card, applicants must meet a minimum salary threshold, which varies by member state and job sector. These thresholds are set by national authorities and usually represent a certain percentage of the average gross salary in the respective country. For example, in Germany for 2025, the minimum annual gross salary for the Blue Card is €48,300 for general professions and €43,759.80 for professions with significant shortages, such as IT, engineering and healthcare.

The high-priority professions for the EU Blue Card are Information and Communication Technology (ICT); Engineering; Medicine and healthcare; Natural sciences and mathematics; Higher education and scientific research; Finance and accounting./ Monitor.al