The Blue Card is Europe’s visa for highly-skilled “third-country nationals.” Third-country nationals sounds like something from a spy novel to us, but it’s common parlance among legislative types and is used to describe non-EU nationals who are applying for visas.

In theory, the Blue Card has been adopted by all EU-member states (excluding the UK, Ireland and Denmark). In reality, Germany has been its most active supporter, awarding over 85% of the total number of Blue Cards in Europe between 2012 and 2014. Given the short supply of software developers in Europe’s startup hubs, the Blue Card could be a perfect option for non-EU devs!

If the Blue Card infographic leaves you with questions, drop us an email!

**2017 Update: Please note, salary thresholds increased in 2017 to €39,624 and €50,080