Germany Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)

The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) lets qualified people from outside the EU come to Germany without a job offer and look for skilled work. It rests on Sections 20a and 20b of the Residence Act and has been in force since June 1, 2024.

The first card runs for up to 12 months. During the search, holders can work part time and take trial jobs. A holder who finds qualified work switches to a work permit, or in some cases to a follow-up card.

It is a job search permit. It suits people who want to settle into a German job, not those who plan to keep working remotely for foreign clients; the freelance permit is the route for independent work.

Either a skilled worker with a qualification fully recognized in Germany, or at least six points plus a state-recognized degree or vocational qualification of at least two years and German at A1 or English at B2.

Points are awarded under Section 20b for:

• partial recognition of a foreign qualification
• German skills, or English at C1
• recent work experience in the field
• a qualification in a shortage occupation
• age, with points up to age 40
• an earlier legal stay in Germany of at least six months in the past five years
• a spouse or registered partner who also qualifies and applies at the same time

Applicants on the points route must have their foreign qualification confirmed by a competent German body. Every applicant must show enough money to live on for the stay.

• Proof of funds: €1,091 for each month of the planned stay, or €13,092 for a full year in a blocked account, per the German mission in Yerevan. A formal obligation letter from a sponsor or a part-time job contract can also count.
• Qualifications: the degree or vocational certificate, with the recognition or confirmation from the German body that assessed it.
• Language: certificates for the German or English level claimed.
• Health insurance for the stay, since a secured livelihood includes health cover.
• Standard visa documents: passport, national visa application, CV and a cover letter describing the job search. Missions publish their own checklists, so the list for the responsible mission governs.

• National visa fee: €75, paid in local currency, per the German mission in Nairobi.
• Proof of funds: €13,092 for a 12-month card shown through a blocked account. The money stays the applicant's, but it is tied up and released monthly.

Recognition procedures, translations, language tests, insurance and blocked account charges are extra and vary by provider and profession.

At the German embassy or consulate responsible for the place of residence, usually through the Federal Foreign Office Consular Services Portal (Auslandsportal).

1. Get the qualification recognized or confirmed by the competent German body.
2. Fill in the application in the Auslandsportal and upload the documents, as the German mission in Pristina describes.
3. Attend the appointment at the mission with originals, give biometrics and pay the fee.
4. After entry, register the address within two weeks and follow the local foreigners authority's instructions for the card.

Processing times vary by mission. The government may also cap the number of cards issued to applicants abroad, under Section 20a(7).

The job search card is issued for up to 12 months, and missions issue it for at least 91 days.

Follow-up card: The job search card cannot be renewed as such. A follow-up Opportunity Card of up to two years is possible with an employment contract or binding job offer for qualified work in Germany approved by the Federal Employment Agency, when no other work permit applies. A new job search card needs a gap abroad at least as long as the previous card stay. The card can run for no more than 3 years in total.

Work while searching: part-time work averaging up to 20 hours a week, plus trial jobs of up to two weeks per employer.

Path to residence: Not directly. Holders who find qualified work switch to a skilled worker permit or EU Blue Card, which can lead to a settlement permit.

Family reunification rules for card holders are not set out in the sources checked. A spouse who qualifies can apply for a card at the same time and earns the main applicant a point.

No special tax rule applies to card holders. Germany treats a person as tax resident with a home in Germany or a continuous stay of more than 6 months, per Section 9 of the Fiscal Code, and residents are taxed on worldwide income. Wages from a part-time job in Germany are taxed through payroll.