Job seeker routeGermanyUpdated for 2026
Germany Opportunity Card 2026: Will You Get the 6 Points?
Move to Germany for up to a year to find a job, with no job offer first. Check your points in one minute, see the money you need, and find out if this is the right route for you.
What the Opportunity Card is
It is a job-search residence permit under Section 20a of the Residence Act. You come to Germany, look for work, go to interviews and try jobs out. It is not a work visa: once you find a qualified job, you switch to the matching permit at the local foreigners office. If you are still comparing routes, start with our Germany country page.
There are two ways to qualify. If your degree or vocational qualification is fully recognised in Germany (check it on the Recognition in Germany portal), you skip the points. Everyone else uses the points route and needs all four of these:
- A completed degree, or vocational training of at least two years, recognised where you earned it: a positive anabin entry, a Statement of Comparability or the Digital Statement on Professional Qualification.
- German at A1 or English at B2.
- At least 6 points: check yours below.
- Enough money for your stay: plan it below.
Interactive · 1 minute
Check your points
Tap what applies to you. The total updates as you go, and if you are short, you see the cheapest ways to close the gap.
Not sure whether your field counts as a shortage occupation? Check the official shortage list (PDF).
Money planner
How much do you need in the blocked account?
In 2026 you must show €1,091 for every month of your stay, usually in a blocked account (figure from Make it in Germany). If you prove fewer months, the card may be issued for a shorter time.
What the card lets you do
You can
- Live in Germany for up to one year while you search
- Work part-time, up to 20 hours a week in total
- Do trial work of up to 2 weeks per employer
- Switch to a work permit or the EU Blue Card once you have a qualified job
You cannot
- Take a full-time job on this card alone
- Count English B2 as points: it only meets the minimum
- Bring your spouse, unless they qualify and apply with you
- Stay after the year without switching to another permit
5 steps · tap each one
How to apply
Use the check above, then gather the documents behind each point: certificates, employer letters, language results, old visas and entry stamps. The official self-check gives a second opinion.
For a degree, a positive anabin entry or a Statement of Comparability. For vocational training, the Digital Statement on Professional Qualification.
Show €1,091 for each month of your stay, and buy health insurance for the whole visa period.
In many countries the Federal Foreign Office Consular Services Portal is the only way to apply. Upload your documents, then give fingerprints at your appointment.
No single processing time is published, and it varies by German mission.
Pick the one closest to you
Is this the right route for you?
Our suggestion
Go straight for a work permit or EU Blue Card
It is faster, and you get full work rights from day one.
Our suggestion
Use the job-seeker permit after graduation
It gives you 18 months instead of one year, and part-time work without restriction.
Our suggestion
Spend three months on German first
A2 German adds a point and costs far less than a refused application.
Our suggestion
The Opportunity Card fits you
Get your paperwork moving now. Interviews go better when you can turn up the next day.
Before you apply, look at the jobs we track in Germany and the Federal Employment Agency job search to see what employers in your field ask for. Still undecided? Our route chooser for Germany walks you through it.
Quick answers
No. Age only adds points: 2 under 35, 1 from 35 to 40, and none after 40. You can still qualify after 40 with points from other criteria.
No. Part-time up to 20 hours a week, plus two-week trials per employer. Full-time work needs a work permit once you have an offer.
The card ends and you must leave or switch to another permit you qualify for. Treat the year as a deadline.
No. English B2 meets the language minimum. You only get a point at C1 or as a native speaker.
Your spouse only if they also qualify and you apply together. Children can come under certain conditions, mainly if you can cover their living costs. See the official questions and answers.
Yes. You apply where you live, through the Consular Services Portal, and the German mission for your area handles it.
Related reading
- Germany: routes, costs and rules
- Job-seeker visas: look for work before an offer
- EU Blue Card in Germany
Sources
- Make it in Germany: Job Search Opportunity Card
- Make it in Germany: questions and answers on the Opportunity Card
- Residence Act, Section 20a (Federal Ministry of Justice)
- Federal Foreign Office: Consular Services Portal, Opportunity Card
- anabin: foreign qualifications database (KMK)
Last verified: 29 October 2026
NVConsult provides education and application guidance, not legal advice. No visa, job or outcome is guaranteed. Decisions rest solely with embassies, authorities and employers.
Summary
Who qualifies for Germany's Opportunity Card in 2026, the 6-point check, the money you must prove and the work allowed while you search.
Official sources
https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/visa-recognition/opportunity-card/job-search
https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/visa-recognition/opportunity-card/questions-answers
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__20a.html
https://digital.diplo.de/chancenkarte
Last verified: 2026-10-29