Do you qualify?
Machine learning and AI engineering is a shortage occupation in Germany under ISCO-08 group 25 (ICT professionals). Filipino ML engineers with a recognised degree qualify at the lower salary threshold. The IT specialist exception applies if you have 3+ years of ML/AI experience without a formal degree.
To qualify, you need all three:
- A job offer in Germany with a contract of at least 6 months
- A gross annual salary of at least €45,934.20 (2026 shortage threshold)
- A recognised university degree or at least 3 years of ML/AI experience in the last 7 years
Degree recognition for Philippine qualifications
BS Computer Science / BS Information Technology (4 years) — the most common pathway. Qualifies if your university is H+ in anabin and the programme is listed.
BS Statistics / BS Applied Mathematics (4 years) — qualifies if your university is H+ and your degree is listed as "entspricht". Verify your specific programme in anabin — Statistics programmes from smaller institutions may require a ZAB Statement of Comparability.
MS Computer Science / MS Data Science — qualifies as a master's equivalent. Check your institution at anabin.kmk.org/anabin/institutionen.
Salary threshold (2026)
| Category | 2026 minimum gross salary |
|---|---|
| ML / AI engineer (shortage occupation — ISCO-08 group 25) | €45,934.20 / year |
| Any profession (general threshold) | €50,700 / year |
| IT specialist without a degree (§ 18g(2)) | €45,934.20 / year |
Two routes to the Blue Card
Route 1: University degree
Your Philippine 4-year BS degree qualifies if your institution is H+ and your programme is listed in anabin as "entspricht" or "gleichwertig".
Route 2: IT specialist without a degree (§ 18g(2))
At least 3 years of ML/AI experience at university-graduate level within the last 7 years, salary ≥ €45,934.20, role under ISCO-08 group 25. Designing and training models, building ML pipelines, deploying models to production, and maintaining ML infrastructure are graduate-level work. Data labelling or basic BI reporting are not.
Document checklist (Philippines → Germany, 2026)
For Route 1 (with degree):
- Valid passport (at least 2 empty pages)
- Degree certificate — with DFA apostille
- Transcript of records (all semesters) — with DFA apostille
- University confirmation of regular (on-site) mode of study
- anabin printouts — or ZAB Statement of Comparability if unlisted (common for Statistics programmes)
- Employment Declaration (Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis) from your German employer
- Health insurance certificate
For Route 2 (IT exception — no degree):
Replace degree documents with:
- Experience letters: job title, dates, technologies (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, Hugging Face, MLflow, Kubeflow, Ray, Spark, pandas, NumPy, CUDA), model types built, dataset scale, production deployment details, seniority level
- Payslips and/or BIR Form 2316 for each employment period
Apostille note: Philippine degree certificates and transcripts require DFA apostille before submission to the German Embassy Manila.
Frequently asked questions
Does a BS Statistics degree qualify for the EU Blue Card?
Yes, if your university is H+ in anabin and your specific programme is listed. Statistics degrees from UP Diliman and other major Philippine universities are generally recognised. If your programme is not listed, obtain a ZAB Statement of Comparability — typically processed in about 2 weeks when a German work contract is attached.
How long does the EU Blue Card take at the German Embassy Manila?
Typically 4 to 10 weeks. The § 81a Vorabzustimmung fast-track procedure reduces total time to approximately 6 weeks.
Sources
- § 18g AufenthG — EU Blue Card — Bundesministerium der Justiz
- EU Blue Card — Make it in Germany — Federal Government
- anabin database — KMK / ZAB
- German Embassy Manila — Auswärtiges Amt
We are not a law firm. This page provides general information only, not legal advice.