Over 89,000 EU Blue Cards Were Granted to Highly Qualified Foreigners in 2023

A total of 89,037 EU Blue Cards were issued to non-EU citizens in 2023, enabling highly qualified workers with the necessary skills and knowledge to work and live in one of 27 countries of the European Union.

Data show that the number of EU Blue cards granted in 2023 has increased by 8.8 per cent from the previous year and has reached a historic high, Schengen.News reports. 

Except for the pandemic years, indicating 2020 and 2021, the number of foreign workers benefiting from the EU Blue Cards scheme has increased continuously since 2013, when it was initially launched. 

Indians Obtained Nearly a Quarter of All EU Blue Cards Issued in 2023 
Out of 89,037 EU Blue Cards granted, Indians obtained 21,228 or 23.8 per cent of the total. The second and third nationality groups that were issued the most blue cards are Russians and Turks, with 9,488 and 5,803 cards granted, respectively. 

Belarusian and Iraqi nationals also obtained a high number of EU Blue Cards in 2023, representing 5.9 and 4.5 per cent of the total. 

In addition, the data reveals that more than 2,000 EU Blue Cards were issued to the citizens of China (3,792), Ukraine (2,743), Tunisia (2,575), Egypt (2,529) and Pakistan (2,408).

Germany Issued Most EU Blue Cards in 2023 
Germany is indisputably the top country in the EU to issue EU Blue Cards in 2023. German authorities granted non-EU citizens 69,353 EU Blue Cards, representing 77.9 per cent of the total. 

The second country to issue a high number of EU Blue Cards was Poland, granting 7,402 or 9.2 per cent of all EU Blue Cards. France and Lithuania follow, with 3,912 and 1,710 cards issued, respectively. 

On the other hand, Hungary granted the fewest EU Blue Cards for 2023 – a total of 17 while Cyprus issued none. Other countries with a small number of such cards granted were Malta (31), Greece (28), Portugal (26), Estonia (25) and Slovakia (24). 

In order to attract more highly qualified individuals, several Schengen states have made it easier for non-EU workers to come to the EU, simplifying their rules. For example, Greece has allowed third-country nationals under a visa-free regime and those with short-stay visas to apply for the EU Blue Card. 

Estonia also made some changes, allowing foreigners with professional experience to apply for the scheme. At the same time, Croatia has decided to double the validity period of the EU Blue Card from the current two to four years.

Source: https://schengen.news/over-89000-eu-blue-cards-were-granted-to-highly-qualified-foreigners-in-2023/