Germany's Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) in 2026: Points, Funds and Work Rules

The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) is a German residence permit that lets a skilled person from outside the EU come to Germany to look for work for up to one year, without a job offer. You qualify either because your qualification is fully recognised in Germany, or by scoring at least 6 points for things like partial recognition, experience, language skills and age.

It is set out in sections 20a and 20b of the German Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz). While you search you can work part-time and try out jobs, and once you find qualified work you can move to a work permit or an EU Blue Card.

Two ways to qualify

Route 1: you already count as a skilled worker

If your foreign degree or vocational qualification has full equivalence in Germany (recognition, or Anerkennung), you count as a skilled worker (Fachkraft). You then get the card without points. You only need to show you can support yourself and have health insurance.

Route 2: the points system

Without full recognition, you need to meet two basic conditions first:

• A qualification: a foreign university degree, a vocational qualification of at least two years that is recognised by the state where you earned it, or a vocational qualification from a German Chamber of Commerce abroad.
• Language: German at level A1 or English at level B2, at least.

Then you need at least 6 points from the table below.

The points table

Criterion	Points
Partial recognition of your qualification in Germany	4
At least 5 years of relevant experience in the last 7 years	3
At least 2 years of relevant experience in the last 5 years	2
German at B2 or higher	3
German at B1	2
German at A2	1
English at C1 or higher	1
Aged up to and including the day of your 35th birthday	2
Aged 35 to 40	1
Qualification in a German shortage occupation	1
At least 6 months of continuous legal stay in Germany in the last 5 years (tourist stays do not count)	1
Your spouse or partner also qualifies and applies with you	1

Experience and German language points do not stack within the same row group: you get the highest band you meet. A typical example: a 32-year-old software developer with six years of experience and B1 German scores 2 (age) + 3 (experience) + 2 (German) = 7 points.

Proof of funds

You must show you can live on your own money for the whole stay. German missions currently ask for €1,091 a month, which is €13,092 for a 12-month card (and €3,309 for the 91-day minimum). You can prove it with:

• a German blocked bank account (Sperrkonto), shown by the bank's official confirmation of the total deposit and the monthly amount,
• an employment contract or binding offer for part-time work in Germany that shows the weekly hours and monthly pay, or
• a formal declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) from someone who can prove they can pay, no older than 6 months.

The monthly figure can change. Check the amount on your German mission's page before you open the blocked account.

How long it lasts and what you can do

• Length: up to 12 months. You must plan to stay at least 91 days.
• Part-time work: on average up to 20 hours a week in any job while you search.
• Trial work (Probebeschäftigung): trial periods of up to two weeks at a time with an employer, as long as the job is qualified work, leads to vocational training or fits a recognition measure.
• Health insurance: you need incoming health insurance that covers the whole stay.

Switching to a work permit

The point of the card is to turn a search into a job. Once you find qualified work, you apply to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for the permit that fits:

• an EU Blue Card if you have a degree and the salary reaches €50,700 a year in 2026 (€45,934.20 for shortage occupations and recent graduates),
• a skilled worker permit for recognised degrees or vocational qualifications, or
• a permit for experienced professionals, which needs a salary of €45,630 a year in 2026 unless the employer applies a collective agreement.

If you find a job but no other residence permit is available to you, a follow-on Opportunity Card (section 20a) can extend your stay by up to two more years. It needs a contract or binding offer of qualified employment and the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Employers should read our guide to hiring international talent in Germany and the German Blue Card compliance guide.

How to apply

1. Check your qualification on the recognition database (anabin) or get a statement from the central office for foreign education (ZAB).
2. Take an accepted language test (German A1+ or English B2+). The embassy in Nairobi, for example, asks for a certificate no more than 12 months old.
3. Open a blocked account or arrange another proof of funds.
4. Apply as your German mission instructs. The embassy in Nairobi, for example, only takes applications online through the Federal Foreign Office portal, then invites you to an appointment for biometrics and original documents.
5. After arrival, register your address (Anmeldung) within two weeks of moving in.

The national visa fee is €75. Processing and appointment times depend on the mission (Nairobi quotes about two months), so start early. Comparing countries? Sweden has a similar idea for graduates: see the Swedish job-seeker permit, and our Sweden vs Germany vs Netherlands comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many points do I need for the Chancenkarte?

You need at least 6 points if your qualification is not fully recognised in Germany. If it is fully recognised, you need no points at all, only proof of funds and health insurance.

How much money do I need for the Opportunity Card in 2026?

German missions ask for €1,091 a month, which is €13,092 for a full 12-month stay. A blocked account is the usual proof, but a part-time job contract or a declaration of commitment also work.

Can I work on a Chancenkarte?

Yes. You can work on average up to 20 hours a week in any job, and do trial work of up to two weeks at a time with a potential employer. Full-time work needs a switch to a work permit or Blue Card.

Can I extend the Opportunity Card?

The card itself lasts up to one year. If you have an offer of qualified work but no other residence permit is available to you, a follow-on card under section 20a can give up to two more years, with Federal Employment Agency approval.

How Settio helps

Planning your own move? Our free tools answer the common questions in under a minute: is this salary enough for a permit and how long the decision takes.

Once you are hired, Settio helps your employer or immigration agency run the case in one place: a plan with every step before the move, an employee portal on your phone after arrival, and reminders before your permit runs out.

Sources

6 official sources

• Auswärtiges Amt (German Embassy Nairobi): Chancenkarte (§§ 20a + 20b AufenthG)
• Gesetze im Internet: § 20a AufenthG (Chancenkarte)
• Stadt Nürnberg: Aufenthaltserlaubnis zur Beschäftigung (Chancenkarte)
• Auswärtiges Amt (German Embassy Belgrade): Mindestgehalt Arbeitsmigration 2026
• Bundesagentur für Arbeit: Blaue Karte EU (newsletter 03/2026)
• Gesetze im Internet: § 17 Bundesmeldegesetz (registering an address)