Moving to Germany for work used to follow one strict order: land the job first, get the visa second. The Opportunity Card — Chancenkarte in German — turns that order around. It lets qualified workers from outside the EU enter Germany without a job offer and spend up to twelve months looking for skilled work on the ground. You qualify either as a recognised skilled worker or by scoring at least six points for your qualifications, experience and language skills.
It is not a work permit or a free pass: you need qualifications and proof you can support yourself. But if you have been applying to German employers from abroad without success, this card was designed for you.
Overview
The Opportunity Card was introduced on 1 June 2024 under Section 20a of the Residence Act. It replaced the old job-seeker visa for most applicants: instead of six months with no right to work, you now get up to a year, part-time work rights while you search, and a transparent points system.
Once hired, you switch to a work residence permit from inside Germany — our Germany work visa guide covers the options.Two Ways to Qualify
The skilled worker route. If your foreign qualification is fully recognised in Germany, you count as a skilled worker and need no points at all. This covers:
- A university degree comparable to a German one — check your degree and university in the official anabin database; if either is not listed as comparable, you need a Statement of Comparability from the ZAB.
- Vocational training of at least two years, fully recognised by the competent German body, proven by the formal recognition notice.
- A degree or training qualification obtained in Germany itself.
The points route. If your qualification is not (yet) recognised in Germany, you can still qualify — provided your degree or training (at least two years) is recognised in the country where you earned it, you meet the language floor below, and you reach six points. Vocational qualifications here also need a digital statement from the ZAB. The federal portal Make it in Germany offers a free Self-Check that tests your eligibility first.
The Points System Explained
Points are awarded once per category, taking the highest value that applies. You need six or more:
- 4 points — your foreign qualification has been partially recognised in Germany, or you hold permission to practise a regulated profession such as nursing, teaching or engineering.
- 3 points — five years of professional experience within the last seven years, following vocational training of at least two years; or good German at B2.
- 2 points — German at B1; or two years of professional experience within the last five years, following vocational training; or you are aged 35 or younger.
- 1 point — German at A2; or English at C1; or you are aged 35 to 40; or you lived legally in Germany for at least six months within the last five years (tourist stays do not count); or your qualification is in a shortage occupation; or your partner also meets the requirements and applies with you.
Your score is not printed on the card — the points only decide whether you get in.
Requirements
The same baseline applies to everyone:
- Language floor (points route): at least German at A1 or English at B2. This is an entry minimum, not a scoring item — A1 earns no points, and German scoring starts at A2. Certificates must come from providers testing to ALTE standards, such as the Goethe-Institut, telc or ÖSD, and IELTS or TOEFL for English.
- Money: proof that your living costs are covered for the whole stay — see the next section.
- Health insurance comparable to German statutory cover, for the full stay.
- A valid passport.
Money: The Blocked Account
The standard method is a blocked account (Sperrkonto): you deposit the full amount up front, and after arriving you can only draw it down month by month.
German missions currently publish the required amount as €1,091 per month — €13,092 for a full twelve-month card. The figure is adjusted from time to time, so confirm the exact sum on the Federal Foreign Office's Opportunity Card page before transferring any money. Two alternatives are accepted instead:
- A formal declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) from someone in Germany who undertakes to cover your costs.
- A German part-time work contract (up to 20 hours a week) paying at least €1,091 net per month.
The card's length follows your financing: funds covering eight months mean an eight-month card, not the full year.
What the Card Allows
- Up to twelve months in Germany to look for qualified employment, or to prepare for self-employment.
- Part-time work of up to 20 hours a week while you search.
- Trial employment of up to two weeks per employer, where the trial aims at qualified work, an apprenticeship or a training measure.
- A direct switch once you are hired: with a qualified job offer you move onto a work residence permit — often the EU Blue Card — without leaving Germany.
- A follow-up card in one specific case: with a qualified job offer that does not yet meet the conditions for another residence title, a follow-up Opportunity Card of up to two years can be granted, with the Federal Employment Agency's approval. You cannot renew the card simply to keep searching.
Family reunification is not part of the package: a spouse cannot join you on the card itself, though a partner who qualifies independently can apply for their own — and applying together earns you a point.
How to Apply
Applications from abroad run through the Federal Foreign Office's Consular Services Portal:
- Check yourself first. Run the Self-Check on Make it in Germany and confirm your qualification's status in anabin. If you need a ZAB statement or recognition procedure, start now — it is the slowest piece of the file.
- Count your points honestly and gather the evidence for each one: recognition notices, employer references, language certificates.
- Arrange your proof of funds — open and fund the blocked account, or obtain the declaration of commitment — plus health insurance.
- Apply on the Consular Services Portal: create an account, complete the application and upload your documents.
- Respond to the online pre-check. Uploads are reviewed for completeness; corrections are requested online, usually only once, so upload carefully.
- Attend your appointment at the mission or its service provider: present the originals, give fingerprints and a photo, and pay the €75 visa fee.
- Wait for the decision, then travel. In Germany, register your address within 14 days and start applying for jobs at once — the clock is already running.
Documents
- Valid passport (valid at least six more months, with a blank double page) and two biometric photos, 35 × 45 mm.
- Degree or training certificates, plus anabin printouts or your ZAB statement; on the skilled worker route, the recognition notice.
- Language certificates from an ALTE-standard provider.
- Proof of funds: blocked account confirmation, declaration of commitment, or the part-time work contract.
- Health insurance confirmation, and a CV covering your education and work history.
- For points: written employer confirmations of experience, and evidence of any previous legal stay in Germany.
- Certified translations for any document not in German, English or French.
Common Mistakes
- Believing A1 German earns a point — it is only the entry floor; scoring starts at A2.
- Counting experience without the qualification behind it — experience points presuppose completed training or a degree.
- Depositing last year's blocked account figure — the amount changes, and a small shortfall can stall the file.
- Using a language certificate the missions do not accept — without ALTE certification, the certificate and its points do not count.
- Planning to renew the search year — no extension exists for continued job hunting; the follow-up card requires a job offer.
FAQ
Do I need a job offer to apply for the Opportunity Card?
No — that is the entire point of the card. You need a qualification plus full recognition in Germany or six points, and proof of funds. The job search happens after you arrive.
Can I work full-time on the Opportunity Card?
No. While searching you may work up to 20 hours a week part-time, plus two-week trial periods per employer. Full-time work starts once you switch to a work permit.
Is German compulsory?
Not exactly. The points route accepts A1 German or B2 English as its floor, and the skilled worker route sets no language minimum. In practice, B1 German or better improves both your points and your job chances.
Can my spouse come with me?
Not through family reunification on this card. Your partner can apply for their own card if they qualify — a joint application adds a point — and reunification opens up once you hold a work permit.
What happens when the year runs out?
Ideally you have already switched to a work permit. A qualified job offer that does not yet fit another title can bring a follow-up card of up to two years, with the Employment Agency's approval. With neither, the card simply ends.
Summary
The Opportunity Card is Germany's most straightforward job-search route in years: a recognised qualification or six points, a language floor of A1 German or B2 English, €1,091 a month secured in a blocked account or equivalent, and up to twelve months in the country with part-time work rights while you hunt. Do the slow paperwork first — recognition, certificates, funding — then apply through the Consular Services Portal, and treat the year as a deadline.