The EU Blue Card was meant to make Europe a magnet for skilled workers, yet Belgium, France and the Netherlands still have not applied its rules in full. The European Commission sent each of them a reasoned opinion on the Blue Card Directive in its October infringement package, published on 1 October.
The step is the second stage of an infringement case. It tells a government that Brussels considers it in breach of Directive (EU) 2021/1883 and gives it two months to respond. If the answer fails to satisfy the Commission, the case can go to the Court of Justice, and the package signals that financial penalties could follow in this file.
The recast directive dates from October 2021 and replaced the first Blue Card scheme with simpler admission rules. It lowers barriers for highly qualified non-EU workers, makes intra-EU mobility easier and gives holders a faster path to long-term residence. Countries had to apply it in national law, and the Commission opened cases against laggards years ago, including a formal notice to France in January 2024.
France has since acted. A law of 30 April 2025 cut the minimum contract length for a Blue Card from twelve months to six, reduced the residence period before a move to another member state from 18 months to 12, and widened the qualification routes. Advisers note, however, that the salary threshold of €53,836.50 stays in place until a new decree sets the figure, so the transposition looks unfinished.
The Netherlands has a different problem. Parliament passed the original bill in May 2025, but the government later decided to drop a labour market test that the Dutch immigration services found unworkable. An amending bill went to the Tweede Kamer in June 2026, and the Senate is holding the original text until the change clears. Commercial immigration trackers list 2026 monthly thresholds of €5,942 for most applicants and €4,754 for recent graduates.
Belgium has also been slow. Immigration advisers have followed delays in its Blue Card reform for several years, and Brussels now puts it in the same group as its neighbours. Employers who hire foreign engineers, doctors and technology staff in these countries face uncertainty about which rules apply, and that doubt slows recruitment. Companies that plan a Blue Card hire need to know the salary floor and the processing time before they make an offer.
The directive lets each country set its salary threshold within a band tied to the national average wage, and it requires a minimum contract of six months. Applicants who hold a degree or have proven professional experience can qualify, and families may join them. These common features are meant to give skilled newcomers the same basic deal in every participating country.
That uncertainty hurts the very people the directive aims to serve. A skilled worker comparing job offers in Europe wants clear salary thresholds, predictable processing and the right to move between countries. When national rules lag, candidates may choose destinations outside the Union with simpler systems.
The two-month deadline falls around the start of December, so replies from the three capitals should arrive soon. A credible timetable, with dates for the Dutch Senate vote and the French decree, could persuade the Commission to hold off on a referral. Without it, the Blue Card dispute could end up in Luxembourg, where the Court would decide whether the three countries kept the promise they made in 2021.
For Europe’s labour markets, the stakes are practical. Every month of delay leaves the Blue Card weaker as a tool for filling skills gaps, and the Commission has chosen to press the three governments to finish the job.
