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D-Visas: Chancenkarte (“Opportunity Card”)
The Chancenkarte is aimed at non-EU nationals with an academic degree or a professional qualification. This visa will enable the holder to remain in Germany for a period of twelve months in order to find appropriate employment or to acquire additional qualifications with a view to finding employment.
Your documentation will be checked online by our external service provider TLScontact.
Once your documentation is complete, you will be transferred to the TLS Booking system. Please note that -due to high demand- we have to limit the number of applications per week. Once the capacity limit is reached, new online applications will automatically be transferred to a waiting list and will then be processed on a first come, first served basis.
We wish to point out that Chancenkarte applications will no longer be processed at the Embassy after 01.10.2026. Appointment bookings will be handled solely by TLScontact.
Applicants without a CSP appointment booking will be turned away. Neither the Embassy nor TLScontact offer walk-in appointments.
Please take care to select the correct visa section for your application:
Applicants residing in Scotland have to submit their application in the portal to the Consulate General in Edinburgh. Applicants residing in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, the British Channel Islands, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) have to submit their application to the Embassy in London.
Please find details of the correct visa department in the online portal. Incorrectly submitted applications cannot be processed.
We further wish to inform you that Chancenkarte applications will no longer be processed at the Embassy in London after 01.10.2026.
Your documentation will be checked online by our external service provider TLScontact in London. Once your documentation is marked complete, you will be transferred to the TLS London Booking system.
Please note that -due to high demand- we have to limit the number of applications per week. Once the capacity limit is reached, new online applications will automatically be transferred to a waiting list and will then be processed on a first come, first served basis.
Appointment booking will be handled solely by TLScontact.
Applicants without a CSP appointment booking will be turned away. Neither the Embassy nor TLScontact offer walk-in appointments.
In the Consular Service Portal, you will receive online notification as to whether your documents are complete. If documents do not meet the requirements, you will be asked to upload the missing or corrected documents. Your appointment at TLScontact will then be quick and efficient: you present the requested original documents, provide your biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) and pay the fee.
Please note: Corrections will only be requested once. Being invited to book an appointment does not necessarily mean that your documentation is complete. Final checks under immigration law will only be completed after your appointment.
Please read the following information very carefully before applying, then prepare the documents needed and only afterwards proceed to the online portal. Incorrectly uploaded documents or incomplete applications will result in longer processing times.
Visa-free travel
British citizens may apply to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for their residence permits after arrival in Germany and without having obtained a visa prior to travelling to Germany. Please note that you need to register your new residence (Anmeldung) with the authorities (Meldebehörde) within 2 weeks of having moved in and apply to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for your residence permit within the first 90 days of your stay in Germany. We strongly recommend contacting the local immigration office as soon as possible after your arrival in Germany in order to secure a timely appointment.
The visa-free privilege is also extended to citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Korea (Republic) and the United States of America.
All other nationalities require a Chancenkarte visa prior to travelling to Germany.
General information
Chancenkarten are issued initially for a maximum of one year. The Opportunity Card allows you to look for gainful employment in Germany, i.e. you can seek employment or become self-employed. While you are looking for gainful employment, you are allowed to have one or more part-time jobs totalling up to 20 hours a week. You can also do job trials for a maximum of two weeks per employer as part of your job search. The aim of the job trial must be either to obtain skilled employment, an apprenticeship or a place on a skills development programme (Qualifizierungsmaßnahme).
The Chancenkarte provides two pathways to look for a job in Germany:
Under the skilled professionals pathway, you must have a foreign professional or academic qualification that is fully recognised in Germany.
In this pathway
- You must hold a German academic degree or a comparable foreign academic degree. Your degree course must have taken a minimum of 2 years to complete. To find out whether your foreign degree is deemed comparable, please check whether both your degree and the awarding academic institution are listed as comparable in the official Anabin database. If either is not listed you need to obtain a “Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications” issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
or
- You must have undergone professional training in Germany or overseas. Your training must have taken a minimum of 2 years to complete. Any professional qualification obtained overseas must have been fully recognised by the competent body in Germany and you must be able to provide the formal recognition notice. To find out more about having your qualification recognised please refer to this database.
The points-based pathway provides a separate option for individuals holding an academic or professional qualification that is not deemed comparable or has not (yet) been fully recognised.
In this pathway
- You hold an academic degree. Your degree course must have taken a minimum of 2 years to complete and your academic degree qualification must be fully recognised in the country where it was awarded.
To find out whether both your degree and the awarding academic institution meet the requirements, please check the official Anabin database. A statement of conditional comparability (bedingt vergleichbar) is sufficient for the points pathway. If not listed, you need to obtain a “Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications” issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
or
- You must have undergone professional training. Your training must have taken a minimum of 2 years to complete and your qualification must be fully recognised in the country where it was awarded. Additionally, your qualification must have been assessed by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) (Digitale Auskunft zur Berufsqualifikation). If you completed a category A vocational education and training course at a German Chamber of Commerce Abroad (AHK) that meets the requirements of the Vocational Training Act [BBiG], this qualification may also be suitable.
Additionally
- You must have at least basic German language proficiency (level A1 CEFR - Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) or at least advanced English language proficiency (level B2 CEFR). Higher proficiency levels than the minimum requirements in either language are an additional advantage in the points-based system. Certificates must be provided to gain points.
and
- You must score a minimum of 6 points in the points-based system. For additional information on the points-based system including a self-check, please click here.
Some regulated professions such as medical doctors, nurses, teachers, architects, auditors, tax advisors and others require a formal licence to practise their profession in Germany. Please consult the database on recognition in regulated professions here.
Under German law, all residents must have sufficient health insurance cover. Please read our additional information on health insurance requirements.
How to apply for your visa:
1. Compile your supporting documentation
- Valid passport signed by the holder, issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least six months. The passport needs to have at least 2 consecutive blank pages (i.e. a blank double page spread).
Plus 1 photocopy of the passport biodata page - Current UK residence permit (share code incl. information on residence status and duration)/ visa (non-British applicants only).
Plus: 1 photocopy of the permit/ visa - 2 fully biometric passport photos, size 35 x 45 mm. Consult our FAQs for detailed requirements.
- Evidence of sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay, such as
- blocked account holding a minimum of EUR 1,091/ month or a total of EUR 13,092 (subject to change)
- OR formal commitment Verpflichtungserklärung
- OR work contract for a part-time job in Germany (up to 20 hours per week) with minimum net pay of EUR 1,091/month (subject to change)
- Confirmation of health insurance cover commensurate with the level of statutory German public health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung).
Please upload this document together with the evidence of sufficient funds. - If available: any additional evidence of further preparations for finding a job in Germany (i.e. correspondence with prospective employers, job offers, agency enquiries etc.)
-
Professional/ academic curriculum vitae.
Please upload this document under other/additional documents.
- Prepaid, self-addressed Royal Mail Special Delivery return envelope (up to 500g) in order to return your passport after processing (only applicants in Scotland with the Consulate General; not required for applications through our external service provider, TLScontact in London).
- Academic degree
We will need to see the original degree certificate or a copy either notarised by a notary public or certified by the issuing academic institution. Any original will be returned to you during your appointment. Any document in a language other than German, English or French needs to be translated into one of these languages by a certified or sworn translator- photocopy of the original/certified copy and translation (if applicable)
- 2 print-outs from the official database showing that both
- the qualification is listed as comparable, and
- the academic institution is listed as comparable
- OR “Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications”, issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
- Evidence of your professional qualification
We will need to see the original certificate or a copy either notarized by a notary public or certified by the issuing institution. Any original will be returned to you during your appointment. Any document in a language other than German, English or French needs to be translated into one of these languages by a certified or sworn translator.- Photocopy of the original/ certified copy and translation (if applicable).
- Photocopy of the formal assessment notice by the competent body in Germany confirming that your qualification has been recognised.
- Photocopy of the original/ certified copy and translation (if applicable).
- Academic degree or evidence of professional qualification
We will need to see the original degree certificate or a copy either notarised by notary public or certified by the issuing institution. Any original will be returned to you during your appointment. Any document in a language other than German, English or French needs to be translated into one of these languages by a certified or sworn translator.´- Photocopy of the original/certified copy and translation (if applicable).
- Photocopy of the confirmation that your degree/qualification has been assessed by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) (Digitale Auskunft zur Berufsqualifikation).
- Evidence of German and/or English language proficiency
Certificates issued by any institution testing in accordance with the standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) are accepted for both German and English. IELTS and TOEFL are also accepted as evidence for English. The tests must not be more than a year old. - Evidence of professional experience in relation to your formal qualification within the last 7 years (if applicable in the points-based system)
Confirmation in writing by your previous employer/s confirming the dates of employment and providing a description of the responsibilities. - Evidence of previous residence in Germany within the last 5 years (if applicable in the points-based system)
Confirmation of registration (Meldebescheinigung), rental agreements, employment contracts and/or similar
- Visa fees apply.
- Processing time: For some visa categories, we will require approval from other German government agencies, such as the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) or the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). If you have previously lived in Germany this will add to processing times, as the immigration office may need to look into your previous immigration record. Once a decision has been made on your application, we will contact you.
In this visa category, most applications are typically processed within 2-3 weeks after providing biometrics.
Although we will provide you with a file number, please be aware that we cannot respond to questions regarding the status of your visa application. Should we have any questions or should we require additional documentation to process your application, we will contact you.
2. Upload your documentation
General information on the application process can also be found here. After compiling the documentation, enter the Consular Services Portal and upload the above-mentioned documents.
Please note:
TLScontact will check each upload and request any necessary corrections online. The system will inform you when your uploaded documents have been reviewed.
You will be automatically directed to the booking system for an appointment to present the requested original documents, provide your biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) and pay the fee.
Please note: Corrections will be requested only once. Final checks under immigration law will only be completed after your appointment. If documents are missing, this might lead to longer processing times or even rejection of the application.
Access the Consular Services Portal
Additional information
The German missions abroadare unable to provide individual advice. For any additional information on the qualifications required, the recognition of qualifications etc. please contact the advisory service set up by the Federal Government; details are available here.
Further information on living and working in Germany is available here.
