Chancekarte

The Chancenkarte is a residence permit for skilled workers without a job offer who want to come to Germany to look for qualified employment. It is based on a transparent points system and on basic professional qualifications, and it aims to reduce Germany’s skills shortage in fields such as IT, engineering, healthcare and other bottleneck professions.

Key features:

You can enter Germany without a pre‑arranged job, search for work locally, and work part‑time up to 20 hours per week while searching.

Initial permission is typically granted for up to one year, with possible extension in some cases if you are close to securing qualified employment or vocational training.

Once you secure a full‑time skilled job, you must switch to an appropriate work‑related residence permit (for example, Skilled Worker permit or EU Blue Card).

2. Basic eligibility: two tracks
You can get the Chancenkarte in two main ways.

Recognised skilled worker track

If your foreign qualification is fully recognised as equivalent to a German one (e.g., in the ANABIN database as “entspricht” or fully recognised vocational training), you may qualify without using the points system, provided you meet the general conditions (funds, language, etc.).

A fully recognised degree alone can automatically satisfy the 6‑point threshold in practice, but in this track, recognition is treated as sufficient.

Points‑system track

If your qualification is not fully recognised or you want to rely on a mix of strengths (experience, language, age, ties to Germany), you must reach at least 6 points in the official points system.

You still need at least 2 years of vocational training or a university degree as a baseline, plus work experience in a relevant skilled field.

In both tracks, you must also show sufficient financial means, health insurance, and a clean legal background.

3. The Chancenkarte points system (2025–2026 rules)
The exact breakdown may evolve, but the current 2025–2026 guidance shows points for education, work experience, language skills, age, ties to Germany, and spouse’s profile.

Typical structure (examples from official‑style summaries and advisory sites):

Education and professional qualification

Fully recognised degree or qualification comparable to a German one: often treated as 4–6 points by itself, and in some interpretations automatically meets the threshold.

Qualification in a recognised shortage occupation (e.g., IT, engineering, healthcare, certain technical trades): +1 point.

Work experience

5+ years of relevant work experience in the last 7 years: up to 3 points.

2+ years of experience in the last 5 years: typically 2 points.

Language skills

German B2 or higher: commonly 3–4 points.

German B1: around 2 points.

German A2 or English C1/B2: usually 1–2 points (A1 German or B2 English is the minimum basic requirement to apply at all).

Age

Under 35 years: 2 points.

35–40 years: 1 point.

Ties to Germany

Previous stay in Germany of at least 6 months in the last 5 years (e.g., language course, study, internship, previous work): 1 point.

Spouse’s profile

Spouse who also qualifies for the Chancenkarte and applies with you: 1 additional point.

You can mix and match points from any categories; you simply need a total of 6 or more to qualify under the points track.

4. Rights, limits, and how it compares to other visas
While you hold the Chancenkarte, your status is that of a job‑seeking skilled worker with limited work rights.

Main rights:

Stay in Germany for up to 12 months to search for qualified employment or vocational training.

Work part‑time up to 20 hours per week to support yourself and gain local experience.

Undertake short trial employments (“Probearbeit”) of up to 2 weeks with an employer, which helps convert offers into contracts.
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Main limits:

You cannot take full‑time ongoing employment until you switch to a proper work residence title (EU Blue Card, Skilled Worker permit, etc.).

You must maintain sufficient funds; many guides reference a figure around 11,000–12,000 EUR in a blocked account or similar arrangements for a year, comparable to student benchmarks.

If you do not secure a qualifying job or training by the end of your permitted stay, extension options are limited, and you may have to leave Germany.

Compared with other routes:

Job Seeker Visa: also allows you to look for work, but usually requires a recognised qualification and often stronger German, and it doesn’t always allow part‑time work to the same flexible extent.
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EU Blue Card: requires a concrete job offer and salary above the 2026 thresholds (about 50,700 EUR per year, or 45,934.20 EUR for shortage occupations and qualifying IT profiles).

Chancenkarte fills the gap for talented professionals who don’t yet have a German job offer or full recognition but can still demonstrate strong potential.

5. Application steps and documents
The official process runs through Germany’s consular online portal and local embassies/consulates.

Typical steps:

Check basic eligibility

Confirm you have at least two years of vocational training or a university degree and relevant skilled work experience.

Decide whether you qualify as a recognised skilled worker or need to rely on the 6‑point system, then roughly calculate your points.

Gather required documents

Valid passport and completed application forms.

CV in German or EU format, degree and vocational certificates, language certificates, and work‑experience letters.

Proof of funds (blocked account confirmation, sponsorship letter, or adequate savings), plus German‑compliant health insurance.

Accommodation proof (hotel booking or rental) and a short plan for how you will search for skilled work in Germany.

Apply at the German mission

Submit your application online via the consular portal and book a biometrics/visa appointment at the German embassy or consulate in your country of residence.

Pay the applicable visa fee and attend the appointment with originals and copies of all documents.

After approval

You receive a national D‑visa to enter Germany, then register your address and obtain the physical residence permit card from the local foreigners’ office (Ausländerbehörde).

Start your job search, use the permitted part‑time work and trials wisely, and as soon as you secure a suitable full‑time offer, start your application to switch to a work residence permit.