Germany Opportunity Card: Points, Funds and Work Rules

Most German work visas start with a job offer. That's a problem if you're a qualified nurse in Lagos or an accountant in Manila who can't land interviews from 5,000 kilometres away. The Opportunity Card was created for exactly that gap: it lets you move to Germany first and job hunt in person.

It isn't a free pass, though. You need a real qualification, some language skills, savings you can prove and, for most people, enough points. This guide walks through each requirement, what the card lets you do once you arrive and how to turn it into a proper work permit. Figures are correct as of September 2026, so check your local German mission's page before you apply.

What the Opportunity Card actually is

The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte in German) is a residence permit for job searching, set out in Section 20a of the Residence Act. It's issued for up to one year.

During that year you can:

• live in Germany and look for qualified work
• attend interviews in person and meet employers
• work part time to cover some living costs
• do short trial jobs so employers can test your skills

What it doesn't do is give you a job. Nor can it be renewed as a plain job-search card. The whole point is to find qualified work and move onto a longer-term permit.

If you already have a German job offer, you probably don't need this card at all. Our guide to Germany jobs that lead to a work visa explains the direct routes.

Two ways to qualify

The law gives you two paths. Which one you use depends on whether Germany has already recognised your qualification.

Path 1: fully recognised skilled workers

If a German authority has confirmed that your degree or vocational qualification is fully equivalent to a German one, you count as a skilled worker (Fachkraft). According to the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, or BA), you then get the card without any points or extra language requirements. You still need to show enough money to live on.

Most applicants don't have full recognition before they apply, so the second path is far more common.

Path 2: the points route

Everyone else must meet three basic conditions first:

1. A qualification. Either a university degree or vocational training of at least two years, recognised by the state in the country where you got it.
2. Language skills. German at A1 level or English at B2 level, on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
3. At least 6 points from the table below.

The German Embassy in Nairobi adds that language certificates should be no older than 12 months, so plan your test date around your application.

The points table explained

The points come from Section 20b of the Residence Act and its annex. Six is the minimum.

You score for your highest level within each group, so B2 German gives you 3 points, not 3 plus 2 plus 1. The same logic applies to experience and age.

Three example profiles

Amina, 29, civil engineer, English C1, 4 years' experience. She scores 2 for age, 2 for experience, 1 for engineering as a shortage group and 1 for C1 English. That's 6 points, enough to qualify.

Rahul, 38, accountant, English B2, 8 years' experience. He scores 1 for age and 3 for experience. That's 4 points. Reaching A2 German would add 1, and B1 would add 2, taking him to 6.

Grace, 33, nurse, started recognition. If the German nursing authority has issued a notice saying she needs an adaptation course, she scores 4 for partial recognition plus 2 for age, which already makes 6.

Proof of funds: the €1,091 rule

You must show you can support yourself for the whole stay. The BA gives the 2026 figure as €1,091 a month. For a 12-month card, that's €13,092.

German missions accept three main types of proof:

• A blocked account (Sperrkonto). You deposit the full sum with a provider in Germany, and it pays out a fixed monthly amount once you arrive.
• A formal declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung). Someone living in Germany signs this at their local foreigners authority, promising to cover your costs. The authority checks their finances.
• A part-time employment contract. Some missions accept a contract for work within the 20-hour limit, showing the hours and monthly pay.

The monthly figure can change, usually at the start of a year. Check it on your mission's page right before you pay into a blocked account.

Money: what the Opportunity Card really costs

The visa fee is only a small part of the bill. Budget for all of this:

Your blocked account money isn't lost, because it pays out to you monthly. But you can't touch it before you arrive, so you need separate savings for the flight, deposit and first weeks.

For a realistic picture of rent, insurance and transport once you land, see our cost of living in Germany for immigrants guide.

Health insurance on the card

The Nairobi mission asks for proof of incoming health insurance covering the entire stay. Once you start a job that's subject to social security, you'll normally move into statutory health insurance through your employer. Read the policy terms carefully, as cheap travel policies often exclude pre-existing conditions and cap cover.

Working while you search

This is the part that makes the card attractive. Under Section 20a, you can:

• Work part time in any job for up to 20 hours a week on average. It doesn't have to match your qualification, so café, warehouse or delivery work is allowed.
• Do trial work (Probebeschäftigung) of up to two weeks with each employer. This must be qualified work, or work that could lead to training or support a recognition measure.

The part-time limit is an average, but don't treat that as a loophole. Keep records of your hours, and don't let a side job crowd out your real goal of finding qualified work.

At Germany's 2026 minimum wage of €13.90 gross an hour, 20 hours a week works out at roughly €1,200 gross a month. That can cover a room in a shared flat in many cities, but not much more, so savings still matter.

Switching to a work permit

The card is a stepping stone. Once you find a job, you apply to the local foreigners authority (Ausländerbehörde) to switch. Under Section 39 of the Residence Ordinance, you can do this from inside Germany without first going home.

The usual destinations are:

• EU Blue Card for graduates in a job matching their degree that meets the salary threshold. See our EU Blue Card requirements guide.
• Skilled worker permit for people with a recognised degree or vocational qualification in a matching job.
• Recognition partnership or qualification measures if your qualification still needs work before full recognition.

The follow-on Opportunity Card

If you find qualified work but don't yet meet the rules of another permit, you may be able to get a follow-on card for up to two years. According to the BA, this needs a job contract or binding offer for qualified work and the BA's approval. After that, a further extension as an Opportunity Card isn't possible.

If your degree still needs assessing, our guide on how to get your qualifications recognised in Germany covers anabin, the Statement of Comparability and the Recognition Finder.

Step by step: from eligibility check to arrival

1. Check your qualification. Confirm it's a degree or at least two years of state-recognised vocational training.
2. Count your points honestly. Use the table above. If you're at 4 or 5, plan how to add language points.
3. Book your language test. Get A1 German or B2 English at minimum, from a recognised provider.
4. Gather documents. Degree and transcripts, proof that your qualification is recognised in your home country, work references with dates and duties, and a CV.
5. Set up proof of funds. Open a blocked account or arrange a declaration of commitment.
6. Buy health insurance that covers the full stay.
7. Book your visa appointment at the German mission responsible for where you live, and follow its checklist exactly.
8. After arrival, register your address (Anmeldung) within the local deadline, collect your residence permit and start applying for jobs.

Scams to watch for

The Opportunity Card attracts a lot of paid "consultants". Be careful if anyone:

• guarantees an approved card or a job for a fee
• sells a "points certificate" or claims to be an official points assessor
• tells you the card works without a recognised qualification
• offers to lend you money for the blocked account in exchange for a fee
• sells visa appointment slots

There's no official pre-assessment you must pay for. The mission checks your points itself when you apply.

Your Opportunity Card checklist

• Confirm your qualification is at least two years and recognised at home.
• Calculate your points and close any gap with language study.
• Book a language test so the certificate is less than 12 months old when you apply.
• Arrange €1,091 a month in proof of funds, and extra savings for your first weeks.
• Buy health insurance for the full stay.
• Prepare translated, certified documents.
• Check the latest requirements on your German mission's page.
• In Germany, target qualified jobs from day one and track your part-time hours.

The Opportunity Card rewards people who arrive prepared. If you land with enough German to get by, a clear target job and savings to last, a year is a real chance to build a career in Germany.