Chancenkarte points explained: how the 6-point system actually works
Facts as of 08/2026 · reviewed every 6 months · by Benjamin Farmer
The short answer
The Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) lets you move to Germany for up to a year to search for a job, without a job offer in hand first. If your foreign degree or vocational qualification is already fully recognized in Germany, you qualify automatically — no points needed. If it isn't, you need at least 6 points on a scale that rewards partial qualification recognition (up to 4 points), professional experience and German or English language level (up to 3 points each), being under 35, prior time spent in Germany, and a few smaller factors. You also need proof you can support yourself — roughly €1,091 per month on a blocked account — and once in Germany you may work part-time, up to 20 hours a week, while you search.
- Minimum points (if not automatically qualified)
- 6 points (§ 20a AufenthG)
- Automatic qualification
- fully recognized foreign degree, or a 2+ year vocational qualification fully recognized in Germany
- Language baseline
- German A1 or English B2 required to apply at all
- Financial proof (2026)
- ≈ €1,091/month on a blocked account (≈ €13,092 for 12 months)
- Work rights while searching
- up to 20 hours/week in any job, plus trial employment up to 2 weeks per employer
- Validity
- up to 1 year initially; extendable up to 2 more years with a qualified job offer approved by the Federal Employment Agency
The two ways in: automatic, or points
There are two doors. If your foreign university degree or a vocational qualification of at least two years is fully recognized in Germany, you walk straight in — no points calculation needed. If your qualification is only partially recognized, or not assessed yet, you go through the points system and need to reach 6 points on the table set out in the annex to § 20a AufenthG.
The points table
Points stack from several categories — you don't need all of them, just enough to clear 6:
- Qualification — partial recognition of a foreign degree, or permission to practise a regulated profession: 4 points.
- Professional experience — at least 5 years' relevant experience in the last 7 years (with completed vocational training): 3 points. At least 2 years in the last 5 years: 2 points.
- German language — B2 or higher: 3 points. B1: 2 points. A2: 1 point.
- Age — 35 or younger: 2 points. 35–40: 1 point.
- Other single-point factors — at least 6 months' prior stay in Germany (non-tourist) in the last 5 years; excellent English (C1); a recognized shortage-occupation qualification; or a spouse/partner who separately meets the Chancenkarte requirements: 1 point each.
Why the point total is worth calculating before you apply
The categories overlap in useful ways: someone with a partially recognized degree (4 points) who also holds German B1 (2 points) already clears the 6-point bar without needing age or prior-stay points at all. Someone younger with strong experience but weaker German can get there through the age and experience categories instead. Because there's more than one route to 6, it's worth listing everything that could apply to you — including easy-to-forget ones like six months spent in Germany years ago on a different visa, or a partner who separately qualifies.
The blocked account: proving you can support yourself
You need to show you can cover living costs for the whole period you plan to stay, typically via a Sperrkonto (blocked account): about €1,091 per month in 2026, so roughly €13,092 for a full 12 months. The figure is tied to an annually adjusted reference rate, so always check the current amount before opening the account — don't rely on a number from last year's blog post.
A formal sponsorship declaration (Verpflichtungserklärung) from someone already in Germany can substitute for the blocked account in some cases — check with the German mission handling your visa application.
What you can and can't do once you're here
- Work part-time, up to 20 hours a week, in any job while you search — it doesn't need to match your qualification.
- Trial employment (Probebeschäftigung) of up to two weeks per employer is allowed, with no cap on how many trials you take.
- If you land a qualified job offer, the card can be extended up to 2 more years once the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) approves it — and normally you'd switch to a proper work visa or EU Blue Card at that point rather than staying on the Chancenkarte.
- The 20-hour cap doesn't apply once you've moved to the extended, job-offer-based version of the card.
Common mistakes
- Assuming you need the points system at all — a fully recognized degree or 2+ year vocational qualification skips it entirely.
- Under-counting your points by forgetting less obvious categories, like a partner who separately qualifies or a past stay in Germany.
- Using a stale blocked-account figure from an old blog post — the amount is set annually; verify the current one before transferring funds.
- Treating the Chancenkarte as a work visa — the 20-hour limit is real, and full-time employment on your qualification generally needs a different permit once you have an offer.
- Leaving language proof until the visa appointment — book your A1/B1/B2 certificate exam early, as slots can be the real bottleneck.
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Benjamin Farmer
Executive German coach and licensed § 34d broker in Bavaria. I place international professionals with German employers — free for candidates — and walk them through exactly these steps every week.
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This guide is general information for orientation — not legal, tax or insurance advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; the facts above were last verified 08/2026 against the sources listed below and are reviewed every six months. For decisions about your specific case, rely on the responsible authority or on qualified professionals — legal questions are handled by our partner immigration lawyers, tax questions by cooperating tax advisors.
Sources: § 20a AufenthG — Chancenkarte (gesetze-im-internet.de) · Handbook Germany — Opportunity Card for jobseekers · Make it in Germany — Job search opportunity card