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Relocation plan: Germany

For the vacancy Principal Machine Learning Engineer - Applied AI & LLMs (x/f/m) at Doctolib. See the vacancy

Reviewed in November 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice: confirm on the official pages linked here before you decide.

Your citizenship
The vacancy does not state an annual salary in EUR; enter the offer you have or expect.

How much you take home

Enter a gross annual salary above to see an estimate of the net pay.

The salary and the EU Blue Card (2026)

  • €50,700 a year — general threshold
  • €45,934.20 a year — reduced threshold. It applies to IT professionals and to people who graduated in the last three years. The Federal Employment Agency must approve it, usually through the visa process.

Enter the salary above to check.

Official thresholds · Law

Do you need a visa?

Yes, you need a residence permit to work. For skilled tech jobs, the most common one is the EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU).

EU Blue Card: requirements

  • A concrete job offer in Germany that matches your qualifications.
  • A university degree recognised in Germany (see "Degree", below). IT professionals without a degree can also apply if they have at least 3 years of experience in the field within the last 7 years.
  • A minimum salary, shown in the box above. The reduced threshold applies to IT professions (group 25 of the ISCO-08 classification), to people who graduated less than 3 years ago and to IT professionals without a degree; in these cases the Federal Employment Agency must approve.

If the salary is below the threshold, another permit for skilled workers may be possible (§ 18b AufenthG), with the Federal Employment Agency's approval.

How to apply

  1. National visa (type D) at the German embassy or consulate in the country where you live, with the signed contract or offer. Appointment waiting times can be long: apply early.
  2. The employer can request the fast-track procedure for skilled workers (§ 81a AufenthG) from the foreigners' authority (Ausländerbehörde) of the city where you will work, which shortens the process.
  3. Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States can enter without a visa and apply for the permit in Germany (§ 41 AufenthV), but may only start working once they have it.
  4. In Germany, after registering your address, the Ausländerbehörde issues the Blue Card.

Documents and where to get them

In your country, before you leave

  • Passport, valid for the whole move; the visa is issued in the passport.
  • Birth certificate (and marriage certificate, if married). Usually with an apostille (or legalisation) and a certified translation; check with the embassy.
  • Criminal record certificate from your country of nationality and, if different, from where you lived recently: visa applications often require it. Request it close to the date it will be used.
  • Degree, transcript and references from previous jobs, digitally, with certified translations if the visa asks for them.

Degree

Look up your university and degree in the anabin database. If the degree is not listed, request a Statement of Comparability (Zeugnisbewertung) from the ZAB, Germany's central office for foreign education; the application is online, and you should say it is for a Blue Card. Official portal "Recognition in Germany".

In Germany

  • Landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung): the landlord must give it to you; you need it to register your address.
  • Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung): given at the address registration. Banks and many contracts ask for it.
  • Tax ID (Steuer-ID): arrives by post a few weeks after registration. Federal Central Tax Office.
  • Social security number (Sozialversicherungsnummer): assigned when the employer registers you; the health insurer usually sends it.

Step by step

Before you leave

  1. Sign the contract and confirm in writing the gross annual salary, the start date and the relocation support.
  2. Have your degree assessed (anabin or ZAB) and book the visa appointment; ask the employer whether they will request the fast-track procedure.
  3. Gather the documents above, on paper and digitally.
  4. Find a flat or temporary housing with an address where you can register. Be wary of adverts asking for money before a viewing.
  5. Choose a public health insurer (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) to give to your employer; above an annual salary set every year you may choose private insurance. Federal Ministry of Health.
  6. In your country, tell the authorities you are moving: update your registered address and your tax residence. In the year you leave, tax may be due for the part of the year you were still resident.

First week

  1. Register your address (Anmeldung) at the city's citizens' office (Bürgeramt) within two weeks of moving in (§ 17 Bundesmeldegesetz). Bring your ID and the landlord's confirmation. In big cities, book as soon as you know the move-in date. You will be asked your religion: members of a registered church pay church tax (Kirchensteuer).
  2. Join the health insurer and give the details to your employer.
  3. Open a bank account, usually with the Meldebescheinigung.
  4. Book the appointment at the Ausländerbehörde to get the Blue Card before your visa expires.

First month

  1. Send your employer the Steuer-ID and the social security number when they arrive.
  2. Register your home for the broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag): one per household.
  3. Check the tax class on your first payslip (Steuerklasse I for a single person) and the deductions.