Germany work visa at age 45: salary threshold or proof of old-age provision

Salary threshold or proof of old-age provision for a candidate over 45: what differs

Where the 55,770 euro threshold for 2026 comes from

The 2026 figure is 55,770 euros gross per year, and it is 55 percent of the contribution assessment ceiling in the general pension insurance. That ceiling is the income limit up to which pension contributions are calculated. For 2026 it stands at 101,400 euros per year, or 8,450 euros per month. Per month, the threshold works out at 4,647.50 euros gross.

The amount is not fixed forever. The law has the Federal Ministry of the Interior announce the minimum salary for each calendar year in the Federal Gazette. When the ceiling rises, the threshold rises with it. If a hire starts in a new calendar year, check the figure for that year before you agree a salary.

When the salary threshold is the better route for your vacancy

The salary route fits when the gross annual pay for the job can reach 55,770 euros in 2026. You set that figure yourself, in the employment contract. No document from the candidate's past is needed for this one condition.

• A skilled role with shift or weekend premiums, where the gross annual figure already comes close to the threshold.
• A vacancy you would rather pay more for than build on papers from abroad that you cannot influence.
• A candidate who worked informally for much of their working life and holds no pension or insurance records.
• A hire where you want the condition to rest on something you sign, not on an assessment of someone's assets.

What counts is the gross salary agreed in the contract, over a full year. Reaching the figure answers this condition and nothing more. The application as a whole is still decided by the responsible authority.

When proof of old-age provision is the better route for your candidate

Proof of old-age provision fits when the pay for the role stays below the threshold and your candidate already has retirement cover. The Federal Foreign Office names several kinds of evidence. These include entitlements from private or state pension and life insurance. Pension entitlements earned while working in another country can count, as can real estate and other assets.

• A helper or operative role paid at or near the general minimum wage, where 55,770 euros a year is out of the question.
• A candidate who paid into a pension scheme abroad for many years and can show statements.
• A candidate who owns property or other assets and has documents for them.
• A hire where lifting one person's gross pay to the threshold would break the pay structure of the whole team.

Whether a particular set of documents counts as adequate is assessed by the deciding authority. Nobody can promise that outcome in advance. Ask your candidate early which papers actually exist. The answer tells you which of the two routes is open at all.

Does the condition also apply under the Western Balkans rule?

Under the Western Balkans rule, the same two alternatives apply to a person aged 45 or over. The first approval requires a gross annual salary of at least 55 percent of the contribution assessment ceiling in the general pension insurance. In 2026 that is 55,770 euros. Proof of adequate old-age provision takes the place of the salary requirement.

The Federal Employment Agency decides on its approval in the individual case. Legal status: 1 September 2026. Settle the salary question before you draft the contract, not after. The agency also looks at the employer and the terms of employment, which is described on what the Federal Employment Agency checks about your company.

Who decides whether a candidate over 45 meets the condition?

Authorities decide, not you and not your candidate. The German mission abroad decides on the visa. The foreigners authority decides on the residence title inside Germany. Where an approval is required, the Federal Employment Agency decides on that step.

The law allows a departure from the condition where there is a public interest in the employment, in particular a regional, economic or labour market interest (§ 18 AufenthG). Whether such an interest exists is for the authority to establish. You can describe your situation, but you cannot invoke the exception yourself.

In the visa procedure, applicants who have completed their 45th year receive a written briefing from the mission. The same applies to applicants who will reach that age before they apply for the title in Germany. The briefing covers the salary threshold, the alternative proof of old-age provision and the possibility of exception grounds. The Federal Foreign Office sets this out in its visa handbook.

Which route to plan for when your candidate is over 45

Plan for the salary threshold if the gross annual pay can reach 55,770 euros in 2026 and you want the condition to rest on the contract. Plan for proof of old-age provision if the pay stays below that figure and your candidate can document pension entitlements, insurance or assets. Where neither is possible, the law still leaves the exception for a public interest in the employment. Only the authority can apply it.

Clear this question up before you agree a salary with a candidate over 45. Changing the figure later means new paperwork for everyone involved. The same question comes back when the residence permit is renewed. If you are considering a hire from Albania or Kosovo, you can register as an employer and tell us what the role pays.