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I'm going to get a contract with a Romanian company for 2 yrs; they told me that I'm going to get a EU Blue Card. So I'm curious that:

  1. Is there difference/limitation between Blue Cards issued from different countries?
  2. Can I travel around Europe (specifically Schengen area, for vacation/holliday) with that Blue Card (Issued in Romania)?
  3. Can I switch my job & country? I'm not sure that I'll work on this company more than 1 year!

Note: My nationality is Iranian!

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  1. No there's no difference per country as it's an European document. There are differences between countries, as each country can decide how long it gives it and conditions to move and get permanent residence (for instance, 21 months in Germany if you are B1+ in German). One of the conditions of the card is to be highly paid (1.5 times the average gross salary of the country). Therefore, depending on the country, your salary might or might not be enough. However, since your application is sponsored by an employer, they will be aware of this and pay you accordingly. In 2015, the minimum threshold for Romania is 26k euro (source).

  2. You can travel for up to 90 days per 180 days period as a tourist with this document in other Schengen. Moreoever, it allows you to travel outside Europe to your home country without losing it. Some exceptions apply, I think for UK for instance where you would need a visa. As Phoog mentioned, Romania isn't part of the Schengen area yet, so your Blue card shouldn't allow you to travel to Schengen area and you will need a Schengen visa specifically. On the other hand, a German issued Blue card would allow you to travel around the Schengen area without visa (Travelling in Schengen short-term). Do note that this page contradicts the previous link as it says you are able to travel to other EU countries with a EU blue card without mentioning exceptions. It says to get more information on a different page but there's no link, so to be safe, either call the embassy of the Schengen country you wish to entry or just apply for a visa, which shouldn't be any trouble as you hold a long term residence permit already.

  3. You can switch job but you'll have to ask authorities for permission. After 2 years with an employer, you can switch jobs without asking authorities. You can switch countries but that will be through a new Blue Card, not the existing one as it will involve a new job. But in Romania case, the Blue card is given for a year and is then renewed (it's not automatic, you need to send the documents to renew it),
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    Since Romania isn't in the Schengen area, though, there's no "other Schengen" for the holder of a Romanian blue card. As far as I'm aware, such a person will need a Schengen visa unless he or she has an Annex II passport.
    – phoog
    Commented Apr 24, 2019 at 17:44
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    @phoog thank you, edited my answer, Slight problem is the contradictions on the EC website, where one link says you can travel with your blue card to EU countries as a tourist, and the other says only with Schengen blue cards...
    – Jean Rostan
    Commented Apr 25, 2019 at 7:51
  • Yes, it's not uncommon for official information sites like this to overlook exceptions to a general rule. The "during my short-term visit" section of the page you've linked to for short-term travel is full of such oversights, but the "during my long-term stay" section is more accurate. I would also point out (as does that page) that any Schengen residence permit allows travel to other Schengen states without a visa, not just a blue card. A recent question on Travel arose because of a misunderstanding about that.
    – phoog
    Commented Apr 25, 2019 at 14:03

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