Last Updated on December 16, 2024
Countries have unique salary requirements for hiring or moving talent, key components of a company’s global mobility program. Understanding these per-country salary requirements is crucial for navigating global immigration policies and requirements.
We’ll continuously track the minimum salary requirements for top countries based on visa categories to keep you and your team informed and compliant. This blog will be updated with new information as 2024 progresses. Check out our list below:
Andorra Minimum Wage
Andorra increased the country’s minimum wage requirements by 7 percent in 2024, totaling €1,376.27 per month or €7.94 per hour. The government is expected to make further increases to this minimum throughout 2024.
Aruba Minimum Salary Requirements
Aruba’s minimum salary requirement is set to Afl. 1.986,20 per month for employees 18 years or older as of 1 January 2024. This equals an average of Afl. 463,25 per week. The minimum wage is set to Afl. 926,65 per month for a domestic worker performing labor in a private residence and Afl. 10,30 per hour for a domestic worker laboring 22 hours or less per week. As of 1 January 2024, the new income limit will be Afl. 4.965,50 per month (the minimum wage Afl. 1.986,20 x factor 2.5).
Australian National Minimum Salary
Australia most recently updated its national minimum salary requirements in July 2023. Employees must make at least AUD 23.23 per hour. Meanwhile, foreign nationals employed under a temporary skilled migration income employer-sponsored program must meet the minimum salary threshold requirement of AUD 70,000.
Minimum Salary Requirements for Austria
Austria’s minimum salary requirements for work permit holders were updated on 1 January 2024, with the following rates applying by category:
- Red-White-Red Card: €3,030 gross per month
- EU Blue Card: €3,418.22 gross per month
- Work authorization-exempt status: €7,272 gross per month as of May 2023
Belgium Minimum Salary Increases
Belgium will increase its minimum salary requirements to €4,076 per month or €48,912 per year beginning 1 January 2025. The requirements are as follows by region and category:
Brussels
Belgium, Brussels Capital Region, will introduce new salary thresholds for work permits starting 1 October 2024. Salary thresholds for specific job categories will now be calculated based on a percentage of the region’s average gross monthly salary (€4,604), with only basic monthly remuneration considered. Key salary thresholds include:
- Senior management: €6,445.60 (140%)
- Highly qualified personnel: €3,591.12 (78%)
- Performing artists: €2,992.60 (65%)
- European Blue Card: €4,604 (100%)
- ICT manager: €5,294.60 (115%)
- ICT expert: €4,373.80 (95%)
- ICT trainee: €2,532.20 (55%)
Wallonia
The annual salary threshold for Wallonia will remain in place from 1 January to 31 December 2025.
- Highly skilled executives: 51,613 euros
- High skilled workers under 30 years of age: €41,290
- Work permit holders in Management functions: €86,110
- Blue Card holders: €66,738
- Blue Card workers with less than three years of experience: €53,390
- ICT interns: €33,370
Flanders
The minimum requirements for Flanders will increase on 1 January 2025. The following annual rates will apply:
- Highly educated: €39,129.60 (80% or €39,129.60 for young people over 30 years of age or nurses and teachers)
- Intra-corporate transferee (ICT) specialist or intern: €48,120
- Manager / ITC manager: €78,259
- EU Blue Card: €63,586
Brazil’s National Minimum Wage
The government of Brazil increased the country’s national minimum wage to R$1,412 on 1 January 2024. Since 23 November 2023, the government has also required companies to report salaries and occupations of positions regularly. If salary inequalities are identified, companies must create an action plan with goals and deadlines to correct these disparities. Inspection, receipt of complaints, and analysis of reports are the responsibilities of the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
Canada Minimum Wage Rate
Effective 8 November 2024, the starting hourly wage for workers entering Canada through the high-wage stream will be increased to 20% higher than its current level, the median wage in the applicable province or territory of work. This represents an increase to the existing threshold of between $5 and $8 per hour, depending on the province or territory of work.
Beginning 28 October 2024, employers will no longer be able to use attestations from professional accountants or lawyers to prove their business’s legitimacy. The government will enhance data sharing by building on existing information-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial partners and employer registries. These measures aim to prevent the misuse of the foreign worker pathway and ensure stronger worker protections.
The government will introduce further adjustments, if needed, to help ensure that only compliant employers with demonstrable labor needs can access the TFW Program.
As of 1 April 2023, Canada’s federally regulated private-sector employers must update payroll information to reflect the new minimum wage rate. If the minimum wage rate in a particular province or territory is higher than the federal minimum wage, employers must follow that higher rate.
Increase in Colombia’s Minimum Wage
Colombia’s minimum wage increased to COP 1,300,000 monthly on 1 January 2024. Employers should generally ensure that foreign national employees continue to be paid an average monthly wage that is 100 times more than the minimum wage.
Czech Republic Minimum Wage Requirements
The Czech Republic’s minimum wage requirements increased on 1 January 2024. Foreign nationals holding an employee card and work permit or an employee card must make an average of CZK 18,900 monthly. Foreign nationals must also prove to hold at least CZK 3,130 when sponsoring a dependent.
Denmark Minimum Salary Rates
On 1 January 2024, Denmark updated the country’s visa and work permit minimum salary requirements. The following rates apply by visa category:
- Pay limit and the fast-track schemes: DKK 487,000 per year.
- Supplementary Pay Limit scheme applications: DKK 393,000 per year.
All visa applications submitted between 1 October and 31 December 2023 will be evaluated according to the income statistics from the second quarter of 2025. For additional information on these requirements by residence or work permit category, check here.
Minimum Wage Requirements for France
France increased its national minimum wage by 2 percent on 1 November 2024. The gross annual minimum wage will be set to €21621.6. The thresholds for the country’s immigration categories are as follows:
- Talent salarié en mission/intragroup employee: €38,918.88
- Talent salarié qualifié/qaulified employee: €43,243.20
- Talent mandataire Social (legal representative): €64,864.80
Estonia Minimum Fund Requirements
On 14 March 2023, Estonia updated the minimum fund requirements for primary applicants registering for short-term employment under a D visa. The new minimum amount is set to €1,200 at the time of application. The applicant will not be required to provide proof of funds for spouses and minor children who plan to accompany them to Estonia.
Ireland’s National Minimum Wage
Ireland will delay increasing its minimum annual remuneration (MAR) for employment permits until after January 2025. The Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) is the lowest annual salary for which an employment permit can be issued. It was increased in January 2024 as part of a roadmap outlining further increases until 2026. For more details, refer to the “Outcome of the Review of the Employment Permits Occupations Lists“, published in December 2023.
National Minimum Wage for Latvia
The government of Latvia will increase the national minimum monthly wage to €740 beginning 1 January 2025. Previously, this rate was set to €700. The adopted Regulation applies to employers and employees. According to the announcement, these measures will better align the country’s minimum wage requirements with the standard of living throughout the country.
Luxembourg Increases Minimum Salary Requirements
The government of Luxembourg increased the minimum salary requirement for EU Blue Card holders on 23 December 2022. As a result, the new salary levels for regular occupations increased to €84.780 and to €67.824 for shortage occupations.
Germany Minimum Salary Requirements
Germany introduced a new Minimum Wage Act effective on 1 January 2025. The government will enforce a general statutory minimum wage of €12.82 per hour across the country.
Greece: New Minimum Wage Requirements
The government of Greece increased its minimum wage on 1 April 2024. As a result, the minimum daily wage will increase to EUR 37.07 and EUR 830 yearly. According to the government, this wage increase aims to reduce wage discrimination by age.
Hong Kong Statutory Minimum Wage
The authorities of Hong Kong will introduce a new statutory minimum wage on 1 May 2023. The minimum wage will increase from HK $37.5 per hour to HK $40.
Iceland Standard Living Wage
The government of Iceland increased the required living standard income for applicants applying for residence permits and the right to citizenship in the country. As of 15 February 2023, applicants 18 years of age or older must have an income of at least ISK 217,799 per month. The standard income for married couples will increase to ISK 348,476 per month.
Israel’s Minimum Prevailing Wage
Israel increased the country’s minimum monthly prevailing wage requirements for foreign national experts on January 1, 2024. As a result, the new wage is set at NIS 24,758, marking an increase of 5.5%.
The Netherlands New Salary Thresholds
The Netherlands will increase the country’s minimum wage per hour beginning 1 January 2025. As a result, the following minimum wage rates will apply:
- 21 years and older, € 14.06
- 20 years, € 11.25
- 19 years, € 8.44
- 18 years, € 7.03
- 17 years, € 5.55
- 16 years, € 4.85
- 15 years, € 4.22
New Zealand Median Wage Rates
The government of New Zealand will increase the country’s median wage to NZD $31.61 an hour beginning in February 2024. This measure will change the wage thresholds for foreign nationals employed under skilled residence visa categories, including the Accredited Employer Visa (AEWV), the Skilled Migrant Category and several occupations covered under a Sector Agreements or the Green List.
New Salary Threshold Requirements for The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) government revised salary threshold increases for foreign national employees seeking to bring family members to the country. As a result, the threshold will only increase from £18,600 to £29,000 in the spring of 2024. The government has not currently shared a timeline for when the previously announced threshold of £38,700 will be introduced.
South Korea’s Gross National Income Requirements
The government of South Korea will increase the country’s gross national income (GNI) per capita beginning 1 July 2024. The new GNI of KRW 44,051,000 will remain in place until 31 March 2025. Currently, the GNI per capita is KRW 42,490,000. Authorities use the GNI to determine eligibility for certain visa categories in the country.
National Salary Rate for Spain
Spain will increase the national minimum wage (SMI) to EUR 1,134 in 2024. The government also underlined that the regulation prohibits on-call work and zero-hour contracts so that workers will not have to be permanently available to employers.
The rule requires the company to strictly record all the conditions of the employment relationship in writing, such as the duration of the contract, the type of working day and the distribution of hours, the records, the salary and the length of the probationary period.
New Salary Threshold Requirements for The United Kingdom
The UK will increase its National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates, including the National Living Wage (NLW) in April 2025. As a result, the following rates will apply:
| NMW Rate | Increase (£) | Percentage increase | |
| National Living Wage (21 and over) | £12.21 | £0.77 | 6.7 |
| 18-20 Year Old Rate | £10.00 | £1.40 | 16.3 |
| 16-17 Year Old Rate | £7.55 | £1.15 | 18.0 |
| Apprentice Rate | £7.55 | £1.15 | 18.0 |
| Accommodation Offset | £10.66 | £0.67 | 6.7 |
According to UK officials, this will increase pay for over 3 million workers and mark an increase to the National Living Wage of 6.7%
Minimum Wage in Vietnam
The government of Vietnam introduced new regional minimum wages on 1 July 2024. The regional minimum wage increased by six percent from VND200,000 to VND280,000 monthly.
Specifically, the regional minimum wage for Regions I, II, III and IV shall rise by VND280,000, VND250,000, VND220,000, and VND200,000 VND to VND4.96 million, VND4.41 million, VND 3.86 million, and VND 3.45 million, respectively.
About Envoy Global
Envoy Global’s team works across the globe to ensure a streamlined and compliant global immigration process. From helping to file paperwork to meeting local requirements, our global team actively tracks and advises on vital considerations within the immigration process, including minimum salary requirements. To learn more about minimum salary requirements and other key considerations in the immigration process contact our global immigration team today.
Content in this publication is for informational purposes only and not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. For additional information on the issues discussed, consult an attorney at Corporate Immigration Partners, P.C., or another qualified professional of your choosing. On non-U.S. immigration issues, consult your Envoy representative, or another qualified representative of your choosing.