Meridian · Freshness tracker

What's changed.

Dated updates to visa, tax, residency, citizenship, housing, and labour policy across every country tracked. Every entry cites its primary source and the date we last verified it.

Subscribe via RSS ↗ · 3 entries shown

Country All countriesAQAntarcticaAUAustraliaBRBrazilCACanadaCNChina (Mainland)EGEgyptFRFranceDEGermanyHKHong KongIEIrelandITItalyJPJapanMXMexicoMAMoroccoNLNetherlandsNZNew ZealandPTPortugalSGSingaporeZASouth AfricaKRSouth KoreaESSpainAEUnited Arab EmiratesGBUnited KingdomUSUnited States
Category All categoriesVisa & immigrationResidencyCitizenshipTaxationLabourHousingHealthcareOther
In force 1 Jan 2025
In force Labour

Statutory minimum wage raised to €12.82 per hour

The Minimum Wage Commission's recommendation was adopted and the statutory national minimum wage (Mindestlohn) rose from €12.41 to €12.82 per hour on 1 January 2025. A further increase to €13.90 is scheduled for 1 January 2026.

Who it affects: Low-wage employees nationwide; mini-job thresholds also adjusted accordingly.

Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales ↗ · Bundesregierung (Federal Government) ↗ · verified 2026-04-18

In force 1 Jun 2024
In force Labour

Western Balkans Regulation quota doubled to 50,000 per year

The annual quota under the Western Balkans Regulation (Westbalkanregelung) — which allows nationals of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia to take up any employment in Germany regardless of qualification — was doubled from 25,000 to 50,000 places per year and was made permanent.

Who it affects: Workers from the six Western Balkans countries seeking any category of employment in Germany.

Bundesregierung (Federal Government) ↗ · BAMF — Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge ↗ · verified 2026-04-18

In force 1 Jan 2023
In force Labour

Bürgergeld replaces Hartz IV (Arbeitslosengeld II)

The Bürgergeld reform came into force on 1 January 2023, replacing the previous Arbeitslosengeld II ("Hartz IV") regime. Standard rate raised, asset-protection thresholds materially expanded for the first two years of receipt, and sanction rules softened. Further rate increase applied on 1 January 2024.

Who it affects: Jobseekers and low-income residents in Germany.

Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales ↗ · Bundesregierung (Federal Government) ↗ · verified 2026-04-18