Migration corridor

Moving from EU / EEA to Germany: Visa, Cost & Best Cities (2026)

Moving from EU / EEA to Germany: short-stay access, official legal routes, PR timeline, and the best destination cities from the shared advisor dataset.

EU / EEA citizens can enter Germany for unlimited on the current public short-stay rule. The main public routes here are EU Blue Card — shortage occupations / new entrants, Germany EU Blue Card, Skilled Workers with Vocational or Academic Training. EU Blue Card — shortage occupations / new entrants is the clearest published route with a documented processing window of Must verify. permanent residence right after 5 years continuous lawful residence under Directive 2004/38/EC; naturalisation possible after 5 years (reduced to 3 under certain conditions since 2024 reform). This record applies to all EU/EEA passport holders travelling to Germany. Unlimited stay. EU/EEA citizens have the right to reside and work permanently. EU freedom of movement. No visa or work permit required. Register at local Einwohnermeldeamt within 2 weeks of arrival.

Short stay Unlimited visa free

Published routes 4 Germany

Best cities 5 Shared advisor consensus

Entry access: ready · Legal routes: ready · PR / citizenship timeline: ready · Best cities: ready · Recognition: ready · Diaspora: collecting

JSON export · Open in the Advisor · Back to all routes · Destination country page

Entry access

EU / EEA to Germany short-stay rule
Status	visa free
Maximum stay	Unlimited Unlimited stay. EU/EEA citizens have the right to reside and work permanently.
Work on short stay	Must verify
Current rule	EU freedom of movement. No visa or work permit required. Register at local Einwohnermeldeamt within 2 weeks of arrival.
Conditions	Valid EU/EEA passport or national ID card Register residence (Anmeldung) at local authority within 14 days Freedom of movement applies to all EU/EEA member-state nationals
Source and date	Directive 2004/38/EC — Right of Citizens of the Union and their Family Members to Move and Reside Freely · 2026-06-07 Make it in Germany — Information for EU Citizens · 2026-06-07

Legal routes

Only public routes with official sources are shown here. Thin or community-only rows stay out of the published corridor layer.

Published routes for Germany
Route	Type	Processing	Income threshold	Family	Source
EU Blue Card — shortage occupations / new entrants 2026 lower salary threshold for shortage occupations, new graduates whose degree was obtained no more than three years ago, and eligible IT specialists; some cases require BA approval.	Work	Must verify	EUR 45,934	Yes	Make it in Germany · 2026-05-27 BAMF · 2026-05-27
Germany EU Blue Card Official 2026 general EU Blue Card salary threshold.	Work	Must verify	EUR 50,700	Yes	EU Blue Card Germany · 2026-05-27 Make it in Germany · 2026-05-27 BAMF · 2026-05-27
Skilled Workers with Vocational or Academic Training Official route family for qualified workers; exact conditions differ by subsection and qualification type.	Work	Must verify	Must verify	Yes	BAMF · 2026-05-27 Make it in Germany Skills · 2026-05-27 Make it in Germany · 2026-05-27
Study Visa / Residence Permit Official study route; family and financing details require applicant-specific official verification.	Student	Must verify	Must verify	Yes	Make it in Germany · 2026-05-27 Make it in Germany Study · 2026-05-27 EU Student Germany · 2026-05-27

PR and citizenship timeline

permanent residence right after 5 years continuous lawful residence under Directive 2004/38/EC; naturalisation possible after 5 years (reduced to 3 under certain conditions since 2024 reform). This record applies to all EU/EEA passport holders travelling to Germany. Unlimited stay. EU/EEA citizens have the right to reside and work permanently. EU freedom of movement. No visa or work permit required. Register at local Einwohnermeldeamt within 2 weeks of arrival.

This section is taken from the corridor’s published short-stay and residence notes, then kept linked to the official sources above.

Best cities right now

This list is profile-agnostic: it aggregates six shared advisor profiles under the closest published passport scope for this corridor.

Top destination cities for Germany
Rank	City	Consensus fit	Appears in profiles	Median rent	Salary signal
1	Leipzig	63-68	5	EUR 439/mo	—
2	Dresden	63-68	5	EUR 504/mo	—
3	Augsburg	63-68	5	EUR 637/mo	—
4	Stuttgart	62-67	5	EUR 680/mo	—
5	Mannheim	62-67	5	EUR 636/mo	—

Recognition pointer for regulated jobs

anabin / Anerkennung in Deutschland

Regulated/professional recognition status must be checked with the national ENIC-NARIC or sector authority before presenting occupation-specific advice.

Open recognition portal

FAQ

Does this page replace official visa advice?

No. It summarizes current public rules and links the issuing authority for every legal claim shown here.

Why are some origin-to-country pairs missing?

We publish only the pairs that already have passport access, at least two official legal routes, a timeline, and best-city data.

How should I use the city list?

Use it as a starting point. Then open the Advisor to change profile, housing budget, or household assumptions for your own case.

Sources

Directive 2004/38/EC — Right of Citizens of the Union and their Family Members to Move and Reside Freely
Make it in Germany — Information for EU Citizens
Make it in Germany · 2026-05-27
BAMF · 2026-05-02
EU Blue Card Germany · 2026-05-27
Make it in Germany Skills · 2026-05-27
Make it in Germany Study · 2026-05-27
EU Student Germany · 2026-05-27
anabin / Anerkennung in Deutschland · 2026-06-13