Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte, Germany)

The Opportunity Card, called the Chancenkarte in German, lets you travel to Germany to search for work, or to take steps to get your foreign qualification recognised. You do not need a job offer to apply.

The card is issued for a maximum of one year. During that time you can work part time and try out jobs, and when you find a skilled job or an apprenticeship you switch to the right residence permit. It is open to applicants from outside the EU and the EFTA states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

The official portal sets out two routes.

Option 1 is for people whose foreign qualification is fully recognised in Germany, or who hold a German vocational qualification or university degree. If you are in this group, no points system applies.

Option 2 uses the points system. You first need a vocational qualification of at least two years or a university degree that is recognised by the country where you earned it. You then need at least 6 points. You must also meet the language requirement, described below.

For both options you must show you can pay your way during the search.

You need at least 6 points on Option 2. The official portal lists these criteria:

• Qualification partly recognised in Germany, including cases where further training is needed for a regulated profession: 4 points
• Qualification in a shortage occupation: 1 point
• At least two years of professional experience within the last five years: 2 points
• At least five years of experience within the last seven years: 3 points instead of 2
• German at A2: 1 point, at B1: 2 points, at B2 or above: 3 points
• English at C1 or above, or native speaker: 1 extra point
• Age up to the day you turn 35: 2 points, age 35 to 40: 1 point
• At least six continuous months of legal residence in Germany within the last five years, not counting tourism or visits: 1 point
• A spouse or partner who already meets the Opportunity Card requirements: 1 point

Every point you claim must be backed by evidence, so collect your certificates and references before you apply. The portal also offers an online self-check, and German embassies ask for a printout of it.

To prove your qualification, the portal lists a positive anabin result or a Statement of Comparability (Zeugnisbewertung) for foreign degrees, or a positive Digital Statement on Professional Qualification for vocational qualifications. Some AHK certificates may also qualify.

On Option 2 you need German at CEFR level A1 or English at level B2. Option 1 needs no language proof, although German is recommended. One German embassy states that certificates must come from ALTE-certified organisations and that TOEFL is also accepted, so check what your embassy accepts.

You must show enough funds for the job search. There are two ways to do that:

• A blocked bank account with a minimum of 1,091 euros net per month, which is the 2026 figure on the official portal
• A declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) from someone in Germany

If you use a blocked account, the bank confirmation must state the total amount deposited and the amount available each month. Ask your embassy how many months of funds it expects, because the portal gives only the monthly figure.

The card allows you to take one or more part-time jobs totalling up to 20 hours a week. You can also do job trials of up to two weeks per employer, aimed at qualified employment, an apprenticeship or a qualification programme.

If you receive a concrete job offer for skilled work but a regular residence permit cannot yet be issued, the card can be extended for up to two years. The portal gives the same extension if your job meets the qualified-employment rules but you qualify for no other residence title.

The steps are:

• Check your eligibility, ideally with the official online self-check.
• Apply online through the Consular Services Portal of the Federal Foreign Office.
• After the online check, book an appointment at the embassy or consulate to give fingerprints and a photo, pay the fee and show your original documents.
• Once you find a job, an apprenticeship or decide to become self-employed, apply to your local foreigners authority for the matching residence permit.
• If you already live in Germany with a valid residence title, contact your local foreigners authority instead.

One German embassy lists these documents: the application form, a biometric photo, a passport valid for at least six months with two blank pages, proof of funds, health insurance with minimum cover of 30,000 euros valid across the Schengen area, qualification certificates with certified translations, and the self-check printout. Lists differ between embassies, so use yours.

The same embassy says processing takes about four weeks from a complete application. Fees are set by each mission. The Federal Foreign Office lists 75 euros for a national visa, so ask your embassy what applies to the card.

Graduates of German universities or vocational training have a different option. A job-seeker residence permit under Section 20 of the Residence Act gives 18 months to search for work and allows unrestricted part-time work. The official portal presents it as a separate route from the Opportunity Card. See our guide on staying to work after you graduate.