As of June 2024 a visa for a Chancenkarte (opportunity card) can be obtained if you are qualified and looking for a suitable employment in Germany.

The following options are open to you:

OPTION 1:
You have a foreign professional or academic qualification that is fully recognised in Germany. Alternatively, you obtained your university degree or professional qualification in Germany. More information regarding the recognition procedure can be found at: Anerkennung in Deutschland

OPTION 2:
You score a minimum of six points in the points system in addition to meeting the following requirements: You have successfully completed vocational or academic training. It is important that the qualification is recognised by the country in which you obtained it. In addition, your vocational qualification must have required at least two years of vocational training. To support your visa application, you will need a positive result for this qualification, which you can apply for online at the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). Moreover, you need to proof sufficient knowledge of German at level A1 or knowledge of English at level B2 in the form of a language certificate recognized by the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) or TOEFL.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

APPLYING FOR A VISA IN THIS CATEGORY IS ONLY POSSIBLE IF YOU FALL EITHER UNDER OPTION 1 OR OPTION 2! APPLICATIONS WITH A QUALIFICATION WHICH IS NOT RECOGNISED OR HAS NOT BEEN CHECKED POSITIVELY BY THE CENTRAL OFFICE FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION (ZAB) CANNOT BE ACCEPTED!

Application procedure

All applicants are advised to take an online appointment prior to applying for their visa. Personal appearance at the German Embassy is mandatory.

Please bring the following documents:

• Valid passport issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least another year as of date of visa application) with at least two empty pages
• 1 recent biometrical passport photo (not older than six months)
• 1 application form (please use VIDEX)
• Declaration on True and Complete Information
• Copy of all pages of your passport (A4 size copy)
• Citizenship certificate
• Bio Data Sheet (CV)
• Proof of qualification and experience certificates for future employment in Germany

• Proof of financial means to cover the costs for the time by one of the following documents:
  a) A Blocked account (“Sperrkonto”) , which is not mandatory for applying but may be requested during the visa process.
  b) Formal sponsorship letter from a sponsor living in Germany(“Verpflichtungserklärung”)
  c) Proof of financial status: e.g. letter from employer (providing information regarding annual/monthly income and duration of employment with the company), company registration, land ownership certificate, evidence of tax payment, personal bank statements, etc.
  d) Secondary employment: If you have a concrete opportunity for secondary employment in Germany, you can present an employment contract or a binding job offer detailing the weekly working hours and your monthly wage.

• Certificate about compulsory health insurance (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) from German employer valid from date of employment.

• Visa Fee of Euro 75,00 (equivalent in NPR)

and the following...

For Option 1 (skilled worker):

• Certificate of vocational training in Germany OR
• Certificate of degree from a university in Germany OR
• Recognition of the equivalence of the foreign vocational qualification from the respective agency responsible for recognition OR
• Recognition of equivalence of the foreign university degree (printout from the anabin database for your university degree) OR (if the qualification is not assessed as “entspricht” (comparable) or “gleichwertig” (equivalent) and/or the institution is not classified as “H+”)
• Statement of comparability by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) OR (in the case of regulated professions in which permission is required to exercise the profession, for example, doctors, engineers; complete list is available from the Federal Employment Agency or the European Commission)
• Permission to exercise a profession issued by the authority responsible for recognising qualifications, or assurance of permission to exercise a profession (for example, for medical professions: decision of the licensing authority in the federal territory, i.e. assurance of permission to exercise a profession or issuing of medical licence

For Option 2 (not skilled worker):

• Foreign vocational training qualification and corresponding certificate issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) regarding your foreign vocational training qualification (state-recognised qualification, duration at least two years) OR
• Notice of partial recognition / Deficit notice for your vocational qualification OR
• Foreign university degree certificate and poof of state recognition of university qualification – either in the form of
  a) Recognition of (conditional) comparability of the foreign university degree (printout from the anabin database for your university degree and your university) OR
  b) a statement of comparability by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) - if the degree is not assessed as “entspricht” (comparable) or “gleichwertig” (equivalent) in the anabin database and/or the institution is not classified as “H+”
  c) Vocational qualification issued by one of the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad with the relevant confirmation from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)
• Certificate of your knowledge of the German language – at least A1 AND/OR
• Certificate of your knowledge of the English language – at least B2 - The issuer of the certificate must be certified by the Association of Language Testers in Europe(ALTE); alternatively, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is also accepted

You can also collect points for the opportunity card (details on the number of points awarded are available on our website and at Make it in Germany) by proving the following:

• Proof of your professional experience in the last 5 or 7 years insofar as this is connected to your vocational qualification: employment references, confirmation of employment from your employer, etc.
  

• If you have been legally resident in Germany for an uninterrupted period of at least 6 months in the last 5 years (short stays under the Schengen Agreement do not count!), please prove this by providing suitable documents, for example, - valid rental contracts - terms of employment, service contracts, etc. - passports with visas and entry stamps
  

• Does your spouse/registered partner also want to apply for an opportunity card – or have they already done so – to then enter Germany together with you? If yes, one of you can collect 1 additional point for the opportunity card. Please enclose proof of the opportunity card application submitted by your spouse/partner.

All documents have to be provided in German or English language or together with a certified translation.

In case of visa approval you will be requested to present a travel health insurance and a flight booking (please refer to the website regarding travel health insurances accepted).
Submission of incomplete documentation may result in the rejection of your application. The guidelines are subject to change without prior notice.