Are you ready to grow your business?
Are you ready to grow your business?
Key takeaways:
Germany’s Opportunity Card, or Chancenkarte, lets qualified people from outside the EU move to Germany for up to a year to look for work. You don’t need a job offer to apply. That is what sets it apart from almost every other route into the German labour market.
It launched on 1 June 2024 and the numbers are climbing, which means more card holders are now applying for real vacancies. So this guide is written for both sides of that conversation. If you’re thinking of applying, you’ll find the requirements, the points system and the application steps below. If you’re an employer or work in HR and a candidate has just told you they hold an Opportunity Card, jump to the sections on trial work, part-time hiring and the switch to a work permit.
| Germany Opportunity Card | Key facts |
|---|---|
| What it is | A residence permit to look for work in Germany, in force since 1 June 2024. No job offer needed to apply |
| Who can apply | Non-EU nationals with a recognised qualification (skilled worker route) or at least 6 points (points route) |
| Validity | Up to 1 year |
| Work allowed | Up to 20 hours a week on average across all jobs, plus trial work of up to 2 weeks with each employer |
| Financial means | €1,091 net a month (2026), via a blocked account, a declaration of commitment or a part-time job contract |
| Where to apply | The German embassy or consulate in the applicant's country |
| After finding a job | Switch to an EU Blue Card or skilled worker permit at the local foreigners authority, without leaving Germany, before the card expires |
Sources AufenthG § 20a → AufenthG § 20b → Make it in Germany: At a Glance (Jan 2026) → Make it in Germany: Financial means (Jan 2026) → BMI: Opportunity Card from 1 June 2024 →
The Germany Opportunity Card is a residence permit that allows skilled non-EU nationals to live in Germany for up to one year while they look for a job, or while they take steps to get a foreign qualification recognised. It was introduced through the Skilled Immigration Act and sits in section 20a of the German Residence Act (AufenthG).
One point causes a lot of confusion, so it’s worth being clear about it early. The Opportunity Card is a job search permit. It is not a work permit. Holders can take on part-time work and short trial periods, but a full-time job needs a different residence permit, and that permit has to be granted before the full-time job starts.
What the card does offer is freedom. A standard German work visa is tied to a specific job with a specific employer. The Opportunity Card isn’t. Holders can meet employers in person, attend interviews without flying in for each one, and pick the role that fits.
Take-up has grown quickly. German authorities issued 1,659 Opportunity Card residence permits in the seven months after launch and 4,045 across 2025, with Indian nationals the largest group each year.
Opportunity Card residence permits issued in Germany
2024 (from 1 June)
1,659
Largest group: India (384)
2025
4,045
Largest group: India (873)
2026 (January to April)
1,211
Largest group: India (243)
Source: Deutscher Bundestag, Drucksache 21/6317, Federal Government answer of 5 June 2026.
For employers, those figures have a practical side. Some of the people answering your job ads may already be living in Germany and allowed to work part-time. For a full-time role, they’re one permit application away from being able to start.
There are two ways to qualify for the Opportunity Card. Which one applies to you depends on whether Germany already recognises your qualification.
If you hold a German qualification, or a foreign one that a German authority has recognised as fully equivalent, you count as a skilled worker (Fachkraft). You don’t need any points and you don’t need a language certificate. You still need to show that you can support yourself and that you have health insurance.
Most applicants use this route. You’ll need:
Whichever route you take, the basics are the same.
Germany Opportunity Card requirements in 2026
Source: §20a AufenthG; Make it in Germany, At a Glance (January 2026); Make it in Germany, financial security overview (January 2026); Make it in Germany, Opportunity Card Q&A; Federal Foreign Office (Dhaka), Opportunity Card FAQ.
No. There’s no upper age limit for the Opportunity Card. Age only affects your points. Applicants aged 35 or younger get two points, and those over 35 but not over 40 get one. Above 40 you score nothing for age, so the other criteria have to make up the six points.
You need six points. They come from a fixed list in the Residence Act, and a few of the criteria don’t stack. Only your highest German level counts, for example, and you can’t claim both work experience lines at once.
Germany Opportunity Card points system
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Qualification | |
| Partial recognition of your foreign qualification in Germany (adaptation measures still needed) | 4 |
| Qualification in a shortage occupation group (as defined for the EU Blue Card) | 1 |
| Work experience (count one line only) | |
| 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 |
| Language (German: count your highest level only) | |
| German B2 | 3 |
| German B1 | 2 |
| German A2 | 1 |
| English C1 | 1 |
| Age when you apply | |
| 35 or younger | 2 |
| Over 35, up to 40 | 1 |
| Connection to Germany | |
| At least 6 months of lawful, uninterrupted stay in Germany in the last 5 years (tourist stays do not count) | 1 |
| Your spouse or registered partner also qualifies and applies with you | 1 |
| Minimum you need | 6 |
Source: §20b AufenthG; Munich foreigners authority (KVR), Chancenkarte points system.
Two examples show how it adds up in practice.
A 30-year-old data analyst has a bachelor’s degree recognised in her home country, five years of relevant experience since graduating, and English at C1. She scores 2 points for age, 3 for experience and 1 for English. That makes 6, enough to qualify without any German at all.
A 38-year-old mechanical engineer has had his degree partially recognised by the competent German authority, which still requires an adaptation course. He has German at B1. That gives him 4 points for partial recognition, 2 for German and 1 for age, so 7 in total.
Keep in mind that the federal government can change the points and the minimum score by regulation. Before you apply, run the official Opportunity Card self-check on Make it in Germany.
Life on an Opportunity Card in Germany comes with a few clear rules. Most problems we see come from misunderstanding two of them.
The 20-hour limit is a total. The law allows employment of up to 20 hours a week on average, across all jobs combined. A holder with two part-time jobs shares those 20 hours between them. It isn’t 20 hours per employer.
Trial work is per employer, and only for qualified roles. On top of the 20 hours, a holder can do trial work of up to two weeks with each employer. The trial has to be for a qualified job, a training position or a recognition measure. It isn’t a way to cover a staffing gap with unqualified work.
Full-time employment is off the table until a new residence permit has been granted. And if you want to work for yourself, use the year to prepare: the next step is a self-employment residence permit, which you apply for before the card runs out.
Family is the other common question. If your spouse or registered partner also meets the requirements, you can apply together (and one of you gets an extra point for it). Otherwise, a spouse generally needs a residence title of their own, and children can join under certain conditions, mainly if you can cover their living costs.
One last practical point: once you move into a flat, you have two weeks to register your address with the local registration office.
Living in Germany on an Opportunity Card
| You can | You cannot |
|---|---|
|
|
Source: §20a AufenthG; Make it in Germany, First steps with the Opportunity Card.
“The first thing employers ask is whether they can put an Opportunity Card holder straight onto a full-time contract. Not yet. Until the new permit comes through, it’s 20 hours a week across every job the person has, plus short trial periods. So we always ask candidates what other work they’re doing. It’s an easy question to skip, and it’s the one that catches people out.”
— Samantha Petersen, HR Consultant at ThisWorks
The Germany Opportunity Card application runs through the German mission (embassy or consulate) in your country. Here is the process from start to finish.
How to apply for the Germany Opportunity Card, step by step
Tap a step to see the details.
Run the official Opportunity Card self-check on Make it in Germany and work out your points.
You need an anabin printout showing your degree as equivalent and your university as H+, or a ZAB statement of comparability. Regulated professions also need a permission to practise, or confirmation that you will get one. Start early: this step usually takes the longest.
On the points route you need German A1 or English B2 from a recognised provider. Higher levels earn extra points.
Open a blocked account or arrange a declaration of commitment, or use a part-time job contract of up to 20 hours. Take out health insurance that covers your whole stay.
Depending on the mission, apply online through the Federal Foreign Office’s Consular Services Portal or through the mission’s own appointment system, then attend your appointment. You can apply up to three months before you plan to travel.
Register your address at the local residents’ registration office within two weeks of moving in.
Once you have a qualified job, apply to the local foreigners authority (Ausländerbehörde) for a work residence permit. Do this before your card expires.
Source: Make it in Germany, At a Glance (January 2026); Federal Foreign Office (Cairo), Opportunity Card information sheet (April 2026); Make it in Germany, First steps with the Opportunity Card.
Each mission publishes its own checklist, so always check the page of the German embassy or consulate you’re applying through. Expect to provide:
The Opportunity Card itself is only one part of the cost. The application fee covers the national visa, and further fees apply for residence permits issued once you’re in Germany. On top of that, budget for the ZAB statement of comparability (if you need one), your language test, certified translations and health insurance. The biggest commitment is the money you need to show in your blocked account. That isn’t a fee, though: it’s your own money, released to you in monthly amounts while you live in Germany
The Opportunity Card is meant to be a bridge, and the switch is where it pays off. Once a holder finds a qualified job, they apply to the local foreigners authority for a work residence permit. They can usually do this without leaving Germany. The application must go in before the card expires.
The employer’s part is mostly paperwork: the signed employment contract and a Declaration of Employment (Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis). Where the new permit needs approval from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), the foreigners authority requests it. Full-time work can only begin once the new permit has been granted.
Which permit comes next depends on the job and the person’s qualification. For most graduates in well-paid roles it’s the EU Blue Card in Germany. For others it’s a skilled worker permit or one of the other routes covered in our guide to getting a work permit in Germany.
Where you can go from the Opportunity Card
| Next residence permit | When it fits | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| EU Blue Card§18g AufenthG | A qualified job that matches a recognised or comparable degree and meets the Blue Card salary threshold | EU Blue Card guide → |
| Skilled worker permit§18a / §18b AufenthG | A qualified job in line with a recognised or comparable vocational or academic qualification | Work permits → |
| Experienced professionals or recognition partnership | Your qualification is not fully comparable, but you meet the other conditions | Work permits → |
| Self-employment permit§21 AufenthG | You plan to set up your own business | Ask your local foreigners authority |
| Follow-up Opportunity Card§20a(5) AufenthG | You have a qualified job, but don’t yet meet the conditions for another permit. Up to two years, with Federal Employment Agency approval. Not for auxiliary or semi-skilled work. | Explained below |
Source: §20a AufenthG; Make it in Germany, First steps with the Opportunity Card.
There’s one option that most guides skip. If a holder has found a qualified job but doesn’t yet meet the conditions for another permit (say, they’re short of the work experience a particular route asks for), the card can be extended as a follow-up Opportunity Card for up to two years. It needs a contract or binding job offer for qualified work and Federal Employment Agency approval. It’s only available when no other permit fits, and it can’t be used for auxiliary or semi-skilled jobs.
Not every type of employment works for the job that follows the card. According to Make it in Germany, the follow-on job generally can’t be subcontracted employment, where an agency employs you and lends you to another company. The company you actually work for has to be the one that signs your employment contract
“Start the permit application as soon as the contract is signed. Don’t leave it to the last few weeks of the card. The foreigners authority needs the contract and the Declaration of Employment, and appointment waiting times vary a lot from city to city. Employers who prepare those documents early give their new hire a much calmer start.”
— Nicoletta Papadopoulos, Junior HR Consultant at ThisWorks
If a company wants to hire you, the next step is a work permit. Point them to our work permit and visa support. We help employers get the paperwork right so you can switch from the Opportunity Card without leaving Germany.
Yes, within the limits of the card. You can offer a part-time job of up to 20 hours a week, and trial work of up to two weeks for a qualified role, without a separate approval from the Federal Employment Agency. Anything beyond that, including any full-time role, has to wait until the candidate has switched to a work permit.
Before anyone starts, check the candidate’s residence title and its expiry date. Ask about other jobs they have, because the 20 hours are counted across all of them. After that, a part-time hire is a normal German employment relationship: a written contract, registration and payroll from the first day, and at least the statutory minimum wage.
Hiring an Opportunity Card holder: employer checklist by stage
Choose a stage to see what to do.
Source: §20a AufenthG; Make it in Germany, First steps with the Opportunity Card; Make it in Germany, Opportunity Card Q&A.
Not every company that wants to hire in Germany has a German entity. Options include setting one up, registering as a foreign employer, or working with an employer of record, which employs the person on your behalf and handles German payroll and compliance. Which of these fits an Opportunity Card hire depends on the permit route, because some routes rule out agency-type employment. That’s why it’s worth checking the setup before the permit application goes in, not after.
Some card holders already know who they want to work for. They may have a former employer back home, or a client they’ve worked with remotely, who would like to keep them on now they live in Germany. That can work, but the employment has to be set up properly in Germany. There must be an employer that is directly party to the contract, and German payroll and social security have to be in place. If that sounds like your situation, share this guide with your future employer and ask them to get in touch with us.
These three routes often get mixed up, but they do different jobs. The Opportunity Card is for people who don’t have a job yet. The EU Blue Card and the skilled worker permit are for people who do. In practice, many card holders use the first to land the second.
Opportunity Card vs EU Blue Card vs skilled worker permit
| Opportunity CardNo job offer needed | EU Blue Card | Skilled worker permit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job offer needed to apply | No | Yes | Yes |
| What it is for | Job search or qualification recognition | Qualified work for graduates (or equivalent) | Qualified work in line with a recognised qualification |
| Full-time work | No: up to 20 hours a week plus trial work | Yes, in the approved job | Yes, in the approved job |
| Salary threshold | None | Yes, see our Blue Card guide | Depends on the case |
| Length of first permit | Up to 1 year | Contract length plus 3 months, up to 4 years | Up to 4 years |
| Best for | Qualified people without a job offer yet | Graduates with a qualifying job offer | Qualified professionals with a job offer in their field |
Source: §20a AufenthG; §18g AufenthG; §18 AufenthG; Make it in Germany, EU Blue Card.
For salary thresholds and the full Blue Card process, see our EU Blue Card in Germany guide.
An Opportunity Card holder can be a strong hire: already in Germany, already job-hunting, and often already familiar with your team after a trial. What slows things down is usually the paperwork around the switch, or the question of how to employ someone in Germany without a local entity.
We help employers with the work permit and visa process, with payroll and compliant employment, and with hiring in Germany more broadly, including through Employer of Record where the permit route allows. If you have an Opportunity Card candidate in mind, talk to our team about the right setup.
No. There is no upper age limit. Age only affects your points: applicants aged 35 or younger get two points, and those over 35 but not over 40 get one. Older applicants can still qualify through the other criteria.
No. The card is designed for people who don’t have a job offer yet. If you do have a part-time offer of up to 20 hours a week, it can help you prove your financial means.
Yes. An employer can offer you part-time work within the 20-hour limit and a trial of up to two weeks for a qualified role. For anything more, you switch to a work permit, usually without leaving Germany.
Expect the national visa fee, a residence permit fee once you’re in Germany, and costs for recognition, a language test, translations and health insurance. You also need to show €1,091 a month (2026) in financial means, which stays your own money.
A spouse or partner who also qualifies can apply alongside you. Otherwise, family members generally need their own residence title, and children can join under certain conditions.
The card ends when it expires. To get a new Opportunity Card for job searching, you first have to spend at least as long abroad, or lawfully in Germany on another basis, as you spent on the previous card.
Hiring an Opportunity Card holder means getting the permit switch, the contract, the payroll and the timing right together. Our work permit support and payroll services cover each of those steps, so your new hire can move from the card to a work permit without leaving Germany. Get in touch to talk through your next hire in Germany.
