EU Blue Card: Europe seeks skilled workers; Indians lead in approvals. Check key details

In 2023, more than 4.3 million people moved to the EU from outside its borders, while another 1.5 million migrated within the bloc. Amid efforts to curb irregular migration, EU countries are simultaneously vying for highly skilled talent from abroad. At the heart of this push is the EU Blue Card—a tool designed to lure qualified professionals from beyond Europe’s borders. Last year alone, nearly 89,000 non-EU workers were granted Blue Cards, with Germany leading the charge in issuing permits as demand for skilled talent grows.

EU Blue Card numbers on the rise

The EU Blue Card has seen a surge in uptake, with the number of cards issued jumping from 20,979 in 2016 to 89,037 in 2023 — a more than fourfold increase over seven years.

The European Commission first launched a recast of the Blue Card Directive in 2016 to streamline rules across the bloc and enhance mobility for foreign professionals, aiming to replace patchy national schemes with a unified system.

According to Eurostat, Germany was the clear frontrunner in 2023, issuing 69,353 Blue Cards—equivalent to 78% of the total. Poland followed with 7,402 cards (8%), while France granted 3,912 cards (4%). Lithuania ranked fourth with 1,710 Blue Cards, and Austria also crossed the 1,000 mark with 1,135 cards issued.

**Who receives the EU Blue Cards?**

Among recipients, Indian nationals were the largest group, receiving 21,228 Blue Cards (24%) in 2023. They were followed by citizens of Russia (9,488 or 11%), Turkey (5,803 or 7%), and Belarus (5,294 or 6%).

Other significant groups of beneficiaries included nationals from Iraq (3,990), Egypt (2,529), Pakistan (2,408), Syria (1,810), and the UK (1,074).

Conditions to apply

Applicants for the EU Blue Card must hold “a valid work contract or a binding job offer for highly qualified employment for at least 6 months in the Member State.”

Why isn’t the EU Blue Card more widely used?

Despite reforms, the Blue Card’s reach remains uneven. While the Directive has been in place since 2011, it does not apply in Denmark and Ireland. In 2016, the European Commission introduced changes to lower the salary threshold to as little as 0.8 times the average national wage for shortage occupations—a bid to make the scheme more accessible.

Yet, many member states continue to operate their own national schemes in parallel. As Besic, Karabegović and Diedrich noted, “member states are not required to abolish parallel national systems,” which can make the Blue Card less appealing for both employers and migrants seeking streamlined routes into the EU job market.

Experts remain cautious about whether the Blue Card alone can meet the bloc’s ambitions for attracting top global talent, as significant disparities persist between countries and sectors.