Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte): looking for work in Germany with the points system

If you hold a German qualification, or a foreign degree or vocational qualification that is fully recognised in Germany, you count as a skilled worker. You can get the Opportunity Card without points and without a language certificate. You can show full recognition with an anabin printout, a ZAB Statement of Comparability or a recognition notice. You still need proof of funds and health insurance.

Basic conditions, which you must meet before points count:

• a foreign university degree, or vocational training of at least two years, that is state-recognised in the country where you got it, confirmed by the ZAB. Alternatively, a qualification from a German Chamber of Commerce Abroad (AHK) certified by the BIBB;
• German at A1 or English at B2, proven with a certificate;
• at least 6 points from the table below.

Points table

• Partial recognition of your qualification in Germany (a notice stating that adaptation measures are needed): 4 points
• German B2 or higher: 3 points; German B1: 2 points; German A2: 1 point
• English C1 or higher: 1 point
• Professional experience: at least 5 years within the last 7 years: 3 points; at least 2 years within the last 5 years: 2 points
• Qualification in a shortage occupation: 1 point
• Age: 35 or younger: 2 points; over 35 and up to 40: 1 point
• Previous lawful stay in Germany of at least 6 continuous months within the last 5 years: 1 point
• Partner applying together who also meets the Opportunity Card requirements: 1 point

Within each group, only the highest level counts: German B2 gives 3 points, not 3 + 2 + 1. Experience points depend on the experience relating to your qualification. The official self-check on Make it in Germany lets you test your score.

Example: a 33-year-old engineer with a state-recognised degree, English B2, three years' relevant experience and German A2 would have 2 (age) + 2 (experience) + 1 (German A2) = 5 points. One more point, for example from a qualification in a shortage occupation or from German B1, would make 6. This is an illustration only; the embassy assesses each case.

You must show you can cover your living costs for the stay. The 2026 figure is €1,091 per month: €13,092 for the full 12 months. At least one German embassy states a minimum of €3,309 for a 91-day stay. Ways to prove it:

• a blocked account (Sperrkonto) with a provider, opened before you apply; the embassy wants the official confirmation showing the total deposit and the monthly payout;
• a declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung, §§66–68 AufenthG) from someone in Germany who agrees to cover your costs and whose ability to pay has been checked;
• a part-time or trial employment contract showing hours and monthly pay, within the 20-hour limit.

Health insurance: for the visa, incoming travel health insurance for the whole stay is accepted. If you apply for the card from inside Germany, Berlin's LEA requires German statutory or comparable private insurance; foreign insurance is not enough.

• Part-time work of up to 20 hours a week on average, in any job, not only qualified ones.
• Trial employment of up to two weeks per employer, if the job is qualified, leads to vocational training, or supports recognition of your qualification.
• No self-employment (Berlin LEA).
• No basic income support: holders of an Opportunity Card are excluded from Grundsicherungsgeld, so your funds and part-time income must carry you.

• Switch to an employment permit: once you have a suitable offer, apply at the immigration office for the matching permit before the card expires. Options include the EU Blue Card, a §18a/§18b skilled worker permit, the experience-based route or a vocational training permit. See the EU Blue Card and Skilled worker residence permits guides.
• Follow-up Opportunity Card (Folge-Chancenkarte): if you find qualified employment but do not meet the conditions of any other employment permit, the card can be extended once for up to two years. You need a contract or concrete job offer, and normally approval by the Federal Employment Agency.
• If your search fails: you must leave Germany when the card expires, unless another permit applies. You can only get a new Opportunity Card after spending at least as long outside Germany as you spent here on the previous one.

Skilled workers already living in Germany can also apply at the local immigration office. This applies if they entered with a national visa for job seeking or hold an employment permit or Blue Card. A common case is losing a job: Berlin's welcome centre points out that an Opportunity Card can allow part-time work while you look for a new qualified position. You may only start the part-time job once the card is issued. People who entered visa-free cannot apply for it in Berlin.

Couples can apply together. If both meet the requirements, the main applicant gains a point for the partner. Joining an Opportunity Card holder later as a dependent family member is usually difficult. The rules for joining a spouse normally expect a stay of more than one year, and the search card lasts at most 12 months. Ask the embassy before planning around it.