The EU Blue & ICT Cards
The EU Blue Card
The EU Blue Card allows qualified professionals with a university degree to be fast-tracked into employment in Germany.
ICT Card
Germany facilitated long-term intra-corporate transfers of specific staff categories by introducing the “ICT Card.”
The ICT Card complements other existing relaxed measures for specific groups of employees temporarily posted to Germany.
The ICT card enables an intra-corporate transfer from a sending entity outside of the EU to a host entity in Germany. Both entities must be a part of the same company or company group.
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- The duration of the transfer must exceed 90 days and last up to a maximum of three years.
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- Moreover, the work contract and, if necessary, the assignment letter e.g. need to state details of the transfer and proof of the employee‘s professional qualification.
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- The ICT card requires a FEA approval.
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- The ICT card has to be applied for at the German embassy or consulate general abroad.
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- This also applies for Australian, Canadian, Israeli, Japanese, New Zealand, South Korean, UK and US nationals.
The short-term mobility of non-EU nationals in possession of an ICT card issued by another EU state has also been relaxed. Under specific conditions, this employee category may be able to work at a German company (belonging to the same company or the same group of companies) for up to 90 days within any 180-day period without a German residence permit. A notification including specific evidence to the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is required.