Chancenkarte: the job seeker visa for Germany
- Updated:
- 05.10.2026
From 1 June 2024, it is possible to obtain a Chancenkarte for fast-track entry into Germany. Given the huge demand for skilled labour in many sectors, the German government has introduced the Opportunity Card – a job-seeker visa valid for up to 12 months.
If you are a qualified worker with basic knowledge of German, you can take advantage of the new type of residence permit for jobseeking in Germany.
The job seeker visa for Germany is the Chancenkarte
Russian-language sources call it a “job search visa”, English-language ones a job seeker visa or opportunity card, and in the law it is called the Chancenkarte and set out in § 20a AufenthG. It is one and the same document: there is no separate “job search visa” in Germany besides it.
What it gives you:
- Up to a year to search. Under § 20a Abs. 5 AufenthG the card is issued “für einen Zeitraum von bis zu einem Jahr”.
- Side work of up to 20 hours a week and trial employment with an employer — “für jeweils höchstens zwei Wochen” per position (§ 20a Abs. 2 AufenthG).
- Extension of up to two years, if within that year you have an employment contract or a binding offer of qualified work and the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) has given its approval (§ 20a Abs. 5 AufenthG).
There are two routes to it, both set out in § 20a Abs. 3 AufenthG: either you are already a Fachkraft (skilled worker) with a recognised qualification, or you collect the required number of points under the system of § 20b AufenthG — the points table is further down this page. In both cases § 20a Abs. 4 requires language skills (German from A1 or English from B2) and a secured Lebensunterhalt (means of subsistence).
How the job seeker visa differs from a work visa: a work visa is issued against a contract already signed, while the Chancenkarte is the opposite — it exists so that you can look for that contract while in Germany. A comparison of all the work-related paragraphs is on the page about work visas for Germany.
Advantages of the Chancenkarte
- New simple way of entry
- Stay up to 1 year with the possibility of extension
- Right to work up to 20 hours per week
- Chance of finding full-time employment in your field of specialisation
- Possibility of switching to another residence permit
Chancenkarte requirements
Chancenkarte is a new type of residence permit for coming to Germany to look for work. The general requirements for obtaining the visa are:
- Knowledge of German at a level not lower than A1 or knowledge of English at a level not lower than B2
- 2 years of study or a university degree.
- Financial security (blocked account with a minimum of 1.091 € a month, that is 13.092 € for a year) or a guarantee.
- Health insurance for your stay in Germany — Incoming insurance.
Find out more, choose and take out health insurance for the Chancenkarte visa via the link.
Further conditions depend on two factors:
1. You are already a qualified professional and your qualifications are recognised in Germany.
In that case, no additional requirements are placed on you to obtain the Chancenkarte.
2. If the qualification is not recognised, you need to score an additional 6 points.
Allocation of points under the Chancenkarte scheme
There are many options to score at least 6 points for the Chancenkarte. Here is what you can get points for:
- 4 points for each condition
- Your profession is recognised internationally.
- You have permission to work in regulated professions (e.g. doctor, engineer, teacher), but you need to obtain a German licence.
- 3 points
- You have 5 years of professional experience (over the past 7 years).
- You have a B2 level of German.
- 2 points
- You have 2 years of professional experience (within the last 5 years).
- You are under 35.
- You know German at B1 level.
- 1 point
- You are between 35 and 40 years old.
- You have previously lived in Germany (for at least 6 months in a row within the last 5 years, but not as a tourist).
- You have a good command of English (C1 level).
- You have an A2 level of German.
- You have a qualification in a shortage occupation in Germany.
- You are applying alongside your spouse, who also meets the requirements.
After receiving the Chancenkarte
Whilst looking for a job, part-time work is possible and so is trial employment. The Chancenkarte is usually issued for one year. In cases where a job search leads to employment but not all the job requirements for switching to a work visa are met, the Chancenkarte may be extended for a period of up to two years with the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
How much does entry on a Chancenkarte cost?
The most common mistake during preparation is budgeting for just the consular fee. The bulk of the money doesn’t go to the consulate, but towards proving that you have enough to live on for the whole year of your search.
- Blocked account — €13,092. That is €1,091 for each of the twelve months. The money remains yours: after entry, the account is unblocked and pays out the same amount to you monthly. If the visa is issued for a shorter period, the sum is proportionally less—for the minimum 91 days, this is €3,309.
- Consular fee – €75. Not refunded if the visa is refused.
- Medical insurance for the entire duration of the visa. Without it, the visa won’t be issued; we break down the requirements for the policy below.
- Translation and certification of documents. Degree, work record book, experience certificates — sworn translation, with apostille if necessary. The total depends on the country and the number of documents.
- Degree recognition, if you are going down the route of partial recognition. The application is submitted before departure, and processing takes months.
Instead of a blocked account, a declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) from a person in Germany will suffice. How to open an account and how much it costs with various providers is covered in our guide to the blocked account.
Where Finber comes in
We are an insurance broker. The visa decision is made by the consulate, and recognition of a degree is handled by the state authorities — that is not our area. Our part of this list of requirements is two items, both financial and both arranged in advance.
- Insurance for the visa. The policy has to cover the whole period of stay and meet the requirements on the sum insured, otherwise the documents are not accepted. We select a tariff for the length of the trip and the age: travel health insurance for a visa.
- Blocked account. For most applicants this is the main way to prove financial means — the alternative to a formal declaration of commitment: how to open a Sperrkonto.
Both are needed before the application, not after. The insurance and the account are checked together with the rest of the documents, and they are exactly where applicants most often lose time.
What insurance is needed for a visa and why travel insurance is not enough
Medical insurance must be shown at the latest when collecting the visa at the consulate. The requirements for the policy are specific, and it is precisely these that people most often trip up on:
- the policy is valid throughout the Schengen area, and not only in Germany;
- minimum insured sum — €30,000 per person;
- coverage for the entire validity period of the visa, not just the first few weeks.
This policy is called Incoming-Versicherung. Standard 30-day travel insurance isn’t valid here: they check both the duration and the amount of cover. Once you’ve found a job, the Incoming policy is cancelled, and you switch to statutory health insurance — the contributions are split 50/50 with the employer. Which policy is suitable for a visa and what to look for in the terms and conditions is covered in our guide to travel insurance for entering Germany.
First 30 days in Germany: what to do and in what order
A year feels like a long time right up until you realise the first weeks are swallowed up by paperwork. The order here is not arbitrary: every subsequent step requires a bit of paper from the previous one.
- Anmeldung — registration of residence. By law (§ 17 BMG), you have two weeks from moving in to do it. Without an Anmeldung, you can’t open a proper bank account or get a tax ID (Steuer-ID).
- The Steuer-ID (tax identification number) is sent by post. It is assigned automatically after registration, usually within two to three weeks. Your employer will ask for the number on your very first day — we explain how it differs from the Steuernummer (tax number) in our article about Tax numbers in Germany.
- Bank account. Needed for salary, rent and unlocking the blocked account — how to choose a Girokonto (current account).
- Degree recognition, if the procedure is not yet complete. It determines which residence permit you can switch to after the Chancenkarte — how recognition of qualifications works.
- Job search. Job boards, applications and what to look for in the contract — work in Germany.
- Schufa. You won’t have it for the first few months, and that’s fine, but landlords ask for it — what SCHUFA is and how to get it.
What’s next: from the Chancenkarte to a work visa
The Chancenkarte is not an endpoint, but a year to find a job and transition to a standard residence permit. Exactly which permit you transition to depends on your salary and whether your degree is recognised.
- EU Blue Card (EU Blue Card) — with a university degree and a salary above the threshold. It is the shortest route to permanent residence — Blue Card conditions.
- Work visa for specialists — if the qualification is recognised but the salary is below the Blue Card threshold — work visa for Germany.
- Extension of the Chancenkarte by up to two years — if a job offer for skilled work already exists, but not all the conditions for a work visa have been met. The extension is processed within Germany and requires the consent of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit.
As soon as the contract is signed, the standard German procedure kicks in: income tax, social security contributions and health insurance. It is useful to look at the figures in advance — you end up with noticeably less of your gross salary than it seems from the job advertisement.
Frequently asked questions
Is German needed?
One of two options is mandatory: German from A1 or English from B2. That is, you can enter without German. But German has a stronger impact on the points: A2 gives 1 point, B1 gives 2, B2 and above give 3, whereas English C1 only adds 1.
Is it possible to work under the Chancenkarte scheme?
Yes, up to 20 hours a week on average. In addition, you’re allowed a trial period with a potential employer for up to two weeks. Full-time employment isn’t possible on this visa: as soon as you find a permanent job, you’ll need to switch to a different type of residence permit.
Is a blocked account compulsory?
No, that’s just one way of doing it. A declaration of support (Verpflichtungserklärung) from someone in Germany would also be acceptable, as would a part-time job totalling the same 20 hours, provided it brings in at least €1,091 a month. In practice, a blocked account is usually requested because it can be verified with a single document.
Can I bring my family with me?
Formally, family reunification is possible under the general rules: you need to prove financial support for the whole family, knowledge of the language by the spouse and sufficient housing. In practice, with a Chancenkarte this is difficult — you yourself are living on a blocked account. More often, applications are submitted as a couple, each for their own card: for this, both receive an extra point.
What happens if you don’t find a job for a year?
An extension of up to two years is provided for by law only if there is an offer of qualified employment. Without it, the permit simply expires. There is no automatic “second attempt” in the law, so in such a situation it makes sense to go not to a forum but to an immigration lawyer — much depends on the specific circumstances and on the authority.
Chancenkarte or a direct work visa — which is better?
If you have already found an employer and have the contract in hand, you do not need a Chancenkarte: apply directly for a work visa or Blue Card. The Chancenkarte makes sense when you do not have a job yet and find it difficult to search from abroad — whereas from Germany, with the opportunity to attend interviews in person, it is noticeably better.
About the author and sources
Author. Valery Melech, Finber. Versicherungsmakler (insurance broker) licensed under § 34d para. 1 GewO and Immobiliardarlehensvermittler (real estate loan broker) under § 34i GewO, IHK Rhein-Neckar. Over 20 years of practice, around 6’000 clients.
Sources. Conditions and points — § 20a and § 20b Aufenthaltsgesetz (Residence Act). Amounts, the visa fee and insurance requirements – German Federal Foreign Office information sheet on the Chancenkarte visa, as of April 2026. Breakdown of points and rules of stay – bulletin Bundesagentur für Arbeit 02/2026.
Status. The amount for proving financial resources is reviewed along with the maximum BAföG (state student finance) rate, usually once a year. Data verified in August 2026.
This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice on immigration law.
The Chancenkarte provides a great opportunity for qualified professionals to enter Germany quickly and legally to look for a job. This is an innovative step that responds to the growing demand for professionals in various sectors of the economy. If you meet the requirements and are ready for new challenges, the Chancenkarte can be your key to a successful career in Germany. Do not miss the chance to take advantage of this innovation to realise your professional ambitions.
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Please add that this amount of €1,027 is per month. The candidate must have this amount multiplied by 12 months, which is not easy, especially for someone from a non-EU country. There is also the option of obtaining a guarantee provided by someone who lives in Germany and is able to vouch for such a candidate, and they must earn at least €1,400 per month.