Working in Germany as a Medical Laboratory Scientist
Medical Laboratory Scientist is not on a published shortage list in Germany. That does not close the door: the general skilled-work route still applies, and the salary floor for it is below, compared against what the job actually pays.
Is this occupation on a shortage list?
No. No published shortage list names this occupation, so the general skilled-work route applies.
Does the pay clear the visa salary floor?
EU Blue Card (shortage occupation / career starter)
No. The median of €40,000 reaches 87% 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 €40,000 reaches 79% 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.