Council Directive 2009/50/ECShow full title

Article 5 Criteria for admission

1. Without prejudice to Article 10(1), a third-country national who applies for an EU Blue Card under the terms of this Directive shall:

(a) present a valid work contract or, as provided for in national law, a binding job offer for highly qualified employment, of at least one year in the Member State concerned;

(b) present a document attesting fulfilment of the conditions set out under national law for the exercise by Union citizens of the regulated profession specified in the work contract or binding job offer as provided for in national law;

(c) for unregulated professions, present the documents attesting the relevant higher professional qualifications in the occupation or sector specified in the work contract or in the binding job offer as provided for in national law;

(d) present a valid travel document, as determined by national law, an application for a visa or a visa, if required, and evidence of a valid residence permit or of a national long-term visa, if appropriate. Member States may require the period of validity of the travel document to cover at least the initial duration of the residence permit;

(e) present evidence of having or, if provided for by national law, having applied for a sickness insurance for all the risks normally covered for nationals of the Member State concerned for periods where no such insurance coverage and corresponding entitlement to benefits are provided in connection with, or resulting from, the work contract;

(f) not be considered to pose a threat to public policy, public security or public health.

2. Member States may require the applicant to provide his address in the territory of the Member State concerned.

3. In addition to the conditions laid down in paragraph 1, the gross annual salary resulting from the monthly or annual salary specified in the work contract or binding job offer shall not be inferior to a relevant salary threshold defined and published for that purpose by the Member States, which shall be at least 1,5 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned.

4. When implementing paragraph 3, Member States may require that all conditions in the applicable laws, collective agreements or practices in the relevant occupational branches for highly qualified employment are met.

5. By way of derogation to paragraph 3, and for employment in professions which are in particular need of third-country national workers and which belong to the major groups 1 and 2 of ISCO, the salary threshold may be at least 1,2 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned. In this case, the Member State concerned shall communicate each year to the Commission the list of the professions for which a derogation has been decided.

6. This Article shall be without prejudice to the applicable collective agreements or practices in the relevant occupational branches for highly qualified employment.