Country Update 2026: GERMANY

Contributed by: Daniela Boehme

May 2026

1. Legislative Changes

• 17.07.2025 Act on the Suspension of Family Reunification for Persons Entitled to Subsidiary Protection (effective 24.07.2025)

• 08.10.2025 Act on Change of Citizenship Code (effective 30.10.2025)

  
  

  and then mainly CEAS Adjustment Laws, e.g.

• 22.12.2025 Act on the Designation of Safe Countries of Origin by Administrative Regulation and on the Abolition of Legal Representation in Detention Pending Deportation and Detention Prior to Departure (effective 23.12.2025 / 01.02.2026 / 01.06.2026)

  
  

• 23.04.2026 Act on the Adaptation of National Law to the Reform of the CEAS (GEAS-Anpassungsgesetz, effective 29.04.2026 / 12.06.2026 / 12.06.2029)

  
  

• Act on Amending the Central Register of Foreigners Act and Other Acts Following the Adaptation of National Law to the CEAS (GEAS-Anpassungsfolgegesetz, effective 12.06.2026)

2. Business Immigration

Three-column model

1. Qualification

2. Experience

3. Potential

(unchanged concept, but raised income thresholds, which are tied to the yearly general pension insurance contribution assessment ceiling - jährliche Beitragsbemessungsgrenze der allgemeinen Rentenversicherung

• Qualification

• Blue Card

  Annual gross income thresholds updated (and raised again,

  similar to 2023):

  Skilled Occupation must be in the field of qualification.

  - for regular profession with academic degree or minimum 3-year tertiary-level qualification minimum Euro 50.700 (48.300 in 2025) gross p.a.

  - for shortage occupation (such as natural scientists, mathematics,engineers, doctors and IT specialists) or for young professionals (degree not older than 3 years) minimum Euro 45.934,20 (43.579,80 in 2025) gross p.a. The required salary might be higher, depending on the comparable wages in the region.

• German Residence permit for skilled workers

  Skilled Occupation does not have to be in the field of experience.

  - academic degree or minimum 2-year vocational training qualification

  - salary requirement depending on the comparable wages in the region; if 45 or older minimum income Euro 50.700 (48.300 in 2025) gross p.a. or proof of adequate pension provisions.

• Experience

  
  

  Skilled Occupation must be in the field of experience.

• Blue Card EU

  for IT-specialists without a degree

  - minimum 3-years work experience in last 7 years on university level

  - Euro 45.934,20 (43.579,80 in 2025) gross p.a.

  
  

• German Residence title for experienced workers

  - minimum 2-years work experience within the last 5 years

  - Euro 45.630 (43.470 in 2025) gross p.a. but may be higher due to comparison with wages in the region; if 45 or older at least Euro 55.770 (53.130 in 2025) gross p.a. or proof of adequate pension provisions.

• Potential

  • Opportunity Card (with point system for job seekers)

    - 6 points needed, point criteria: qualification, work experience, MINT, language skills, age, relation to Germany, potential of the accompanying spouse

    - duration regularly 1 year; if job offer existent but not yet all criteria fulfilled, max 2 years

    - during job search proof of Euro 1.091 (in 2025 1.091) net per month

3. Family based immigration

No family reunification until July 23, 2027 for persons with subsidiary protection status.

4. Asylum

• Ukraine

  As of April 2026 1.346.178 (April 2025 1.252.948) registered war refugees from Ukraine in Germany

  - 1.180.811 (1.213.881 in 2025) based on Article 24 of Directive 2001/55/EC /§ 24 Residence Act

  Residence permits für Ukrainian nationals extended until March 4, 2027. Ukrainian refugees arriving after April 1, 2025 do not get full social aid anymore but the lowered amount, which any other asylum seeker receives.

• Asylum (excluding Ukraine)

  - in 2025 168.543 (in 2024 250.945) asylum applications including 113.236 (in 2024 229.751) first applications

  - asylum applications in 2026 42.020 (until 4/2026; in 2025 45.681 until 4/2025); including first and second applications)

  Afghanistan, Syria and Turkey main countries of origin.

• Safe countries of origin

  - since the EU-list of safe countries of origin includes all EU accession countries and because Turkey is one of the main countries of origin of asylum seekers in Germany, massive court workload with preliminary interim proceedings is expected after June 2026.

  - designation of safe countries of origin for international protection in the meaning of EU directive 2013/32 (asylum procedure directive/AsylVfRiLi) possible via German executive ruling without consent of the Bundesrat (Länder representation; effective 01.02.2026; after 11.06.2026 based on EU regulation 2024/2348 (asylum procedure regulation/AsylVfVO)

  - albeit German administrative Courts declared Senegal and Georgia unsafecountries of origin

• Reduced access to free language courses

  In February 2026 free language courses were cancelled for course beginners holding a tolerated stay or who are asylum seekers or people from the Ukraine or EU-nationals (creating a significant barrier to entering the training and labor market). In May 2026 full cancellation was taken back, now access to free

  language courses depends on financial capacity / is subject to quotas).

5. Deportation

• The requirement to appoint a lawyer in cases of detention pending deportation and detention prior to departure will be abolished (effective 01.06.2026).

• In 2025 17.410 (2024 14.257) people were deported (without Dublin transfers; main countries: Turkey and Georgia)

• Dublin transfers

  - in 2025 35.942 (2024 74.583) transfer requests from Germany to other member states, only 5.377 (2024 5.827) were transferred (14,961 % (in 2024 7,81 %): main countries Greece, Italy and Croatia

  - in 2026 (until 4/2026) 24.053 transfer requests from Germany, 2.037 transferred (8,47 %)

6. Citizenship

• naturalization after already three years of legal residence based on special integration achievements not possible anymore (back to minimum 5 years of legal residence)

• naturalization is barred for a period of ten years if false information was provided during the naturalization process, for example through fraud, threats, or bribery.