Germany’s New Opportunity Card (Chancen Karte) Requirements and Application Process

Germany’s Opportunity Card (Chancen Karte) provides a golden chance for candidates from non-EU countries to come to Germany to search for a suitable job. Interested applicants do not need a job offer to apply for the visa.

The opportunity card, which is also a residence permit with a duration of one year is granted to candidates whose qualification is recognized in Germany or who score 6 points against their qualification, work experience, and language proficiencies.

Candidates from non-EU countries can apply for the opportunity card from 1 June 2024. After getting this visa, coming to Germany and searching for a qualified job has been made easy by the German government. It is in addition to the other skilled worker visas in Germany. Furthermore, it will mitigate the burden of the biggest hurdle of job requirements—non-EU nationals complain about.

Benefits of the Opportunity Card

The new opportunity card is of great benefit for those interested in settling in Germany. Some of the main benefits are:

• One-year visa to stay in Germany,
• Part-time employment allowed (up to 20 hours per week) during the waiting time for getting a desired job,
• After finding the qualified job, a skilled worker visa can be attained (conversion automatically possible),
• in some circumstances, the opportunity card can also be extended for up to two years,
• Chances of permanent residency after passing a certain period in Germany on a skilled worker visa.

Who can apply for the Opportunity Card of Germany?

This card or visa could be obtained in two different ways:

Direct Qualification

When a candidate can show that he has a degree or qualification recognized officially from Germany, they can directly apply for the opportunity card without proving the requirements of the points-based system. If you want to acquire further information about recognition of qualification in Germany, please access the information here. Though these candidates do not have to meet the points-based criteria, they have to show that they meet the requirements of the financial means for living costs in Germany.

Non-EU nationals who can prove that their foreign qualifications are fully equivalent to German qualifications, in this case, are therefore considered “skilled workers” and can also apply for a Skilled Worker Visa according to Section 18 Paragraph 3 of the Residence Act.

Through Points Based System

All others must fulfill the requirements such as:

• You hold a university degree (it counts even if it is not recognized in Germany but it should be recognized in your country of origin) or a vocational qualification with 2 years of minimum vocational training (recognized in your country of origin). You will have to get a positive report about it from the online portal of ZAB Germany);
• You have passed a language test either in the English language at B2 level or in the German language at A1 level;
• You can support yourself in Germany for your living costs. You need to show it through a blocked bank account with a minimum of €11,208 per person. You can also prove it by having a “Statement of Declaration” (verpflichtungserklärung) which means a person in Germany can bear the cost of living for you. In this case, that person should be working full-time and earning enough money to be your financial sponsor. If you have a part-time job offer (20 hours per week) off from Germany, you do not need to prove financial requirements through the blocked account.
• you must also attain 6 points out of the available which are discussed below.

Citizens of the EU countries do not need to apply for this visa to work in Germany.

Points-based system of Opportunity Card

The so-called opportunity card works on a points-based system. Interested applicants must get a minimum of 6 points from the total available points.

Use our “Opportunity Card Calculator” to get an overview of your eligibility here.

Below is an overview, of how one can secure enough points to get the visa:

Partial recognition of Qualification

Qualification	Points
You have applied for the qualification recognition and got partial recognition	4
You have a qualification for a regulated profession and you are required to participate in compensatory measures before obtaining a license to practice your profession	4

Qualification from Bottleneck occupations (shortage occupations list)

Qualification relevancy	Points
If your formal qualification is from Bottleneck occupations list	1

Professional Experience

Work experience	Points
If you have professional work experience of 2 years in connection to your formal qualification (within the last 5 years)	2
If you have professional work experience of 5 years in connection to your formal qualification (within the last 7 years)	3

Age

Condition	Points
Under 35	2
Between 35 and 40	1

Language Proficiency

Language Skills	Points
German proficiency at CEFR A2	1
German proficiency at CEFR B1	2
German proficiency at CEFR B2	3
English proficiency at CEFR C1 or you are a native English speaker	1

Skilled worker potential of spouses or life partners

Relation	Points
Your partner or Spouse wants to come to Germany with you and they also score 6 points for the opportunity card, then you get an extra point for this eligibility.	1

Previous stays in Germany

Previous Stays in German	Points
If you have stayed in a continuous period of 6 months in the last 5 years in Germany, you can be awarded an extra point. The stays can be for work or study purposes. Tourism or meeting family purposes do not qualify for this eligibility.	1

Acceptable Langauge Tests

Your language proficiency must be proven through acceptable certificates which are issued by their respective awarding bodies. For English and German languages, these are:

English

You must show that you have English language proficiency if you do not have a German language certificate. In this case, you should prove it at CEFR level B2. If you want to score extra points for English, you can do it by showing that you have a score at the C1 level. The acceptable English tests are:

• IELTS
• TOEFL
• Cambridge English Certificate

German

You must show as a basic requirement of German language proficiency at A1 level if you are not showing English language proficiency level at B2. However, you can also get extra points for higher scores on German language tests. This is for A2 level one point, for B1 level 2 points, and for B2 level 3 points. The acceptable German language tests are:

• Goethe Certificate
• TestDaf
• GER

Please note that not all test certificates are available around the world. You must check at the embassy or consulate of Germany in your country of origin which tests are offered in your country.

In Demand List of Professions in Germany

You can score 1 extra point if your profession is from the Bottleneck Professions list in Germany. Following is the current and updated list of the Bottleneck jobs or shortage occupations in Germany:

Group 25 – Information and communications technology professionals

251. Software and applications developers and analysts	252. Database and network professionals
2511 Systems analysts2512 Software Developers2513 Web and multimedia developers 2514 Applications programmers2519 Software and applications developers and analysts not elsewhere classified	2521 Database designers and administrators 2522 Systems administrators2523 Computer network professionals2529 Database and network professionals not elsewhere classified

Group 23 – Teaching professionals

231. University and higher education teachers	232. Vocational education teachers	233. Secondary education teachers	234. Primary school and early childhood teachers	235. Other teaching professionals
2310 University and higher education teachers	2320 Vocational education teachers	2330 Secondary education teachers	2341 Primary school teachers 2342 Early childhood educators	2351 Education methods specialists 2352 Special needs teachers 2353 Other language teachers 2354 Other music teachers 2355 Other arts teachers 2356 Information technology trainers 2359 Teaching professionals not elsewhere classified

Groups 221, 222, 225,226 – Health Occupations

221. Medical doctors	222. Nursing and midwifery professionals	225. Veterinarians	226. Other health professionals
2211 Generalist medical practitioners 2212 Specialist medical practitioners	2221 Nursing professionals 2222 Midwifery professionals	2250 Veterinarians	2261 Dentists 2262 Pharmacists 2263 Environmental and occupational health and hygiene professionals 2264 Physiotherapists 2265 Dieticians and nutritionists 2266 Audiologists and speech therapists 2267 Optometrists and ophthalmic opticians 2269 Health professionals not elsewhere classified

Group 21 – Science and engineering professionals

211. Physical and earth science professionals	2120 Mathematicians, actuaries, and statisticians	213. Life science professionals	214.Engineering professionals (excluding electrotechnology)	215. Electrotechnology engineers	216. Architects, planners, surveyors and designers
2111 Physicists and astronomers 2112 Meteorologists 2113 Chemists 2114 Geologists and geophysicists	2120 Mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians	2120 Mathematicians, actuaries, and statisticians	2141 Industrial and production engineers 2142 Civil engineers 2143 Environmental engineers 2144 Mechanical engineers 2145 Chemical engineers 2146 Mining engineers, metallurgists and related professionals 2149 Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified	2151 Electrical engineers 2152 Electronics engineers 2153 Telecommunications engineers	2161 Building architects 2162 Landscape architects 2163 Product and garment designers 2164 Town and traffic planners 2165 Cartographers and surveyors 2166 Graphic and multimedia designers

Groups 132, 133, 134 – Managerial Occupations

132. Manufacturing, mining, construction, and distribution managers	133. Information and communications technology service managers	134. Professional services managers
1321 Manufacturing managers 1322 Mining managers 1323 Construction managers 1324 Supply, distribution, and related managers	1330 Information and communications technology service managers	1341 Childcare services managers 1342 Health services managers1343 Aged care services managers 1344 Social welfare managers 1345 Education managers 1346 Financial and insurance services branch managers 1349 Professional services managers not elsewhere classified

Required documents to apply for the visa

You must at the time of applying for the opportunity card present essential and supporting documents to satisfy the visa officer that you fulfill the visa requirements thus the application should be approved.

Essential documents

• A valid passport (please check that it has a validity beyond the intended visa expiry);
• a passport-sized photograph;
• visa application form for the opportunity card;
• a recognized university degree,
• a vocational qualification with vocational training of a minimum 2 years (proofs),
• language proficiency certificate in English at CEFR level B2 or in the German language at CEFR level A1,
• proof of financial means that you can support yourself in Germany during the time you want to search for a job. You need to show it through a blocked bank account with a minimum of €1,027 net per month. You can also prove it by having a “State of Declaration” (verpflichtungserklärung) which means a person in Germany can bear the cost of living for you. In this case, that person should be working full-time and earning enough money to be your financial sponsor

Points scoring documents (6 points are mandatory to get)

• Documents of spouse if applying with you;
• proof of your previous stay in Germany for a minimum of six months if you want to get 1 extra point (it is however not mandatory). Please note the tourist stay cannot be accepted towards the proofs.
• proof of work experience of 2 or 5 years. This can be in the form of a work experience confirmation letter from your current or previous employer,
• proof of German language proficiency at CEFR level A2 to B2, or the English language at CEFR level C1 (for extra points only);
• proof of vocational training report from ZAB Germany; or
• proof of university degree qualification.

Applying for a Visa in the German Embassy

Candidates from non-EU countries can apply for the opportunity card through the online portal of the German government named “Counselor Service Portal” or at the Embassy or Consulate of Germany in their country of origin.

Opportunity Card Visa Fee

The visa fee for the opportunity card is €75. You need to pay it in the German embassy in your local currency. The visa application with the online submission option does not exist. However many embassies offer the online visa application form to be used and that can be printed after filling in online.

Once you reach Germany, you will have to get your opportunity card from the Foreign Authorities. You may have to pay €100 extra fee for the card. Once you find a suitable job related to your qualifications, you can have your visa changed into a residence permit for skilled workers.

Difference between qualified professionals, specialists, and Experts

Qualified professionals

Qualified professionals are people who have completed vocational training of at least two years or have a comparable qualification.

Specialists

Specialists are people qualified to the grade of Meister or technician, or who have a university degree or similar qualification.

Experts

Experts are people who have completed at least four years of university studies or a comparable course.

Frequently asked questions about Chancen Karte Germany