Working in Germany as a Early Childhood Educator
Early Childhood Educator is on a published shortage list in Germany, which is the shortest route in. Below: the exact list and code, the salary floor that applies, and how it compares with what the job actually pays.
Is this occupation on a shortage list?
Yes. It is named on the following:
- EU Blue Card (shortage occupation / career starter)
Teaching professionals (ISCO 23)
Occupations in the shortage groups listed in law get the reduced threshold; everything else uses the general one.
Does the pay clear the visa salary floor?
EU Blue Card (shortage occupation / career starter)
No. The median of €29,000 reaches 63% of the €45,934 floor.
The reduced rate for shortage occupations and recent graduates. It is re-derived every year from the pension contribution ceiling.
EU Blue Card (general threshold)
No. The median of €29,000 reaches 57% of the €50,700 floor.
Route to permanent residence
- EU Blue Card (shortage occupation / career starter)Employer-sponsored
- EU Blue Card (general threshold)Employer-sponsored
- Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card)Points-based pool
What else to know
- Formal recognition of a foreign qualification (Anerkennung) is required for regulated professions and is normally the slowest step, not the visa itself.
- Germany publishes no single enumerated list of shortage occupations. The legally operative list is the set of ISCO groups named in the residence act, which is what this page uses.
Rules checked against the official source on 2026-08-01.
This is a summary of published rules, not immigration advice.