Welcome
Opportunity Card
The visa allows you to travel to Germany for job searching or to look for measures to recognize a foreign vocational qualification.
General Information
The "Opportunity Card" is a new legal framework in the German Residence Act designed to facilitate regulated access to job searching in Germany. In addition to job searching, it also allows for seeking measures to recognize foreign vocational qualifications in Germany.
The "Opportunity Card" can be obtained in two ways:
Option 1: Direct Access
Third-country nationals who can demonstrate full equivalence of their foreign qualifications, and are therefore considered "skilled workers", can receive the Opportunity Card without any further special requirements, provided they can secure their livelihood.
Option 2: Points System
All other applicants must demonstrate either a foreign higher education degree, a vocational qualification of at least two years (recognized in the respective country), or a vocational qualification issued by a German chamber of commerce abroad. Additionally, basic German (A1 level) or English language skills (B2 level) are required. If these conditions are met, applicants can accumulate points based on criteria such as recognition of qualifications in Germany, language skills, work experience, age, connection to Germany, and the potential of accompanying partners.
To obtain the Opportunity Card, a minimum of 6 points must be achieved. You can conduct a "Self-Check" here to see if you can collect enough points for the Opportunity Card.
The Opportunity Card is issued for a maximum of one year, provided that the livelihood can be secured during this time. It allows for trial work or part-time employment of up to 20 hours per week during your stay in Germany.
For more information about the Opportunity Card and general information on working and living in Germany, please visit Make it in Germany.
Required Documents
To apply, you will need the following documents (originals plus one set of copies) which need to be presented at your appointment.
In your application form (VIDEX), you provide all information regarding your entry and stay in Germany. You must complete this form and print it out once.
If you are a minor, your legal guardians must sign the application and give their consent.
A current biometric photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm front facial view with a light background), stamped, not older than 3 months. Digitally altered pictures will not be accepted.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of visa issuance. Please note that the document must have at least two blank pages (your visa will be affixed here upon a positive decision).
If you do not possess Canadian citizenship, please provide us with your Canadian residence permit.
Please also provide the original residence permit in Canada on the day of your appointment.
Proof of your residence in Canada can be, for example, your Canadian driver's license, electricity bill, water bill, or gas bill.
You can cover your living expenses in Germany through personal funds or a formal declaration of commitment. Additionally, if it is already foreseeable, a permitted side job under the Chancenkarte can also be considered. Please provide one of the following proofs:
- Blocked account: Please open the German blocked account well in advance of your visa application. Only the official confirmation of account opening from the bank, indicating the total deposited amount and the monthly available amount, will be accepted during the visa application. A confirmation that does not specify these amounts is insufficient; likewise, the deposit or transfer receipt without the bank's confirmation is not sufficient. AND/OR
- Declaration of commitment: Proof through a formal declaration of commitment according to §§ 66, 68 of the Residence Act, in which a person commits in writing to the German immigration authority to cover the costs (original + copy). Please note that the declaration of commitment needs to include the detail “nachgewiesen” (fully verified) on the second page of the document.
You will need private health insurance (often referred to as "incoming insurance") that is valid throughout the Schengen Area, with a minimum coverage amount of €30,000. This insurance must be valid for up to one year.
Depending on whether you are applying for your Opportunity Card under Option 1 or Option 2, please present the corresponding documents.
Option 1: Direct Access
Do you have a German vocational qualification or a German higher education degree? Or a foreign vocational qualification or a foreign higher education degree that is recognized in Germany? If so, you are considered a "skilled worker" according to § 18 III of the Residence Act and do not need to accumulate points to obtain the Opportunity Card. Please provide proof of your skilled worker qualification by:
- Vocational training certificate from Germany OR
- University degree from Germany OR
- Foreign diploma of your degree program OR
- a foreign certificate of completed vocational training.
If your certificate is not issued in German, a translation is required. The translation of your degree must be done by a certified translator.
If you hold a foreign academic degree, you can check whether it is recognized in Germany through the anabin database. The evaluation of your degree must show "Entspricht" or "Gleichwertig." Please print the search result from the database and bring the printout with you.
If you cannot meet this requirement, please contact the relevant German authority responsible for the recognition of foreign degrees: KMK
OR
If you do not have an academic degree but possess a completed vocational training abroad, please provide a notification of the determination of equivalence. You can find the relevant authority that can evaluate your foreign qualification at www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de
For regulated professions where a license is required for practice, such as doctors and engineers (find the list at Bundesagentur für Arbeit or European Commission), you need to provide:
A license to practice from the relevant recognition authority or a promise of the license to practice. For medical professions, this includes a decision from the licensing authority in Germany, such as a promise of the license to practice or the granting of medical licensure.
Option 2: Points System
If you are not considered a skilled worker (definition see above), you must meet and prove the following requirements:
- foreign vocational qualification AND proof of equivalence
- - either through
- a certificate from the "Central Office for Foreign Education" (ZAB) regarding your foreign vocational qualification (state recognition, minimum of 2 years of training) OR
- a partial recognition decision/deficit notice for your vocational qualification.
OR
- vocational qualification from a German Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the corresponding confirmation from the "Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training" (BIBB)
OR
- foreign university degree AND proof of official recognition of the degree - either through
- confirmation of (conditional) comparability of the foreign university degree (printout from the anabin database for your degree and your university) OR
- (if the degree is not rated as "equivalent" or "comparable" in the anabin database and/or the university is not rated with "H+"): certificate evaluation by the "Central Office for Foreign Education/Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen" (ZAB)
You must provide a certificate confirming your proficiency in the German language – at least A1 level
AND/OR
A certificate confirming your proficiency in the English language – at least B2 level!
The issuing organizations of the certificates 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.
Please check using the Self-Check on Make-it-in-Germany.de to see if you can collect the required 6 points for the Chancenkarte. Bring a printed copy of this verification to your appointment.
If you have legally resided in Germany for at least 6 continuous months within the past 5 years (Schengen short stays do not count!), please provide suitable documents to verify this, such as:
- Uncanceled rental agreements
- Employment contracts, service contracts, etc.
- Passports with visas and entry stamps
If your spouse/partner also wants to apply for a Chancenkarte - or has already done so - and plans to move to Germany with you, then one of you can earn 1 additional point for the Chancenkarte. If applicable, please provide corresponding proof of your spouse's/partner's Chancenkarte application.
Please provide evidence of your work experience in the last 5 or 7 years, if it is relevant to your professional qualification. This can include employment references, employer certifications, and a tabular curriculum vitae.
In certain cases, additional documents may be required.
Processing Time
Due to the regular need for approval from authorities in Germany, you should generally allow 4 weeks for the processing of your visa application (calculated from the submission of the complete application documents at the foreign representation).
Fees
See Fees for Visa applications at the Consulate General Toronto
Online Application and Appointment Booking via the Consular Services Portal
You can apply for the visa online through the Consular Services Portal of the Federal Foreign Office. After uploading your application and documents, your information will be checked for completeness. Any ambiguities will be clarified directly through the Portal. Once all documents have been verified online, you will receive an invitation link for appointment booking via the Portal.
During the subsequent appointment at the foreign representation, only your identity will be verified, your biometric data (fingerprints and photo) will be collected, and the fee will be paid. Please also make sure to provide the original documents (listed in the checklist which is provided to you along with the appointment booking invitation link).
Click here for online application via the Consular Services Portal