Key facts
Until June 2024, Germany offered a simple six-month job seeker visa: degree holders could enter and search, with no points calculation. That visa no longer exists — the Opportunity Card, introduced with the big 2024 reform, replaced it completely.
The legal foundation changed too: the card is now governed by §20 of the Residence Act, with a transparent points matrix you can check before paying any fee.
Both old and new systems let you search from inside Germany. The new one gives you 12 months instead of 6, allows 20 hours of weekly work instead of none, and permits unlimited trial shifts — a real money-earning and employer-testing advantage.
Recognition of vocational training opens the card to technicians and tradespeople, which the old degree-only rule excluded. In practice the card is a broader, longer, fairer version of what came before.
You need 6 points. A recognised degree or vocational qualification is the entry ticket; your certificate level, work experience, German A2-B2, English C1 and age under 35 all add points on top.
Every point must be documented: language points need certificates, experience points need employer letters, qualification points need embassy-attested documents. Incomplete claims are the top refusal reason.
For new applicants, there is effectively no old route anymore. If you already hold a visa granted before the reform, your existing conditions remain valid until renewal — but extensions now follow the new rules.
This matters for planning: do not build your strategy around a six-month job hunt. The realistic 2026 frame is 12 months with part-time work, which changes how much blocked money you need.
Candidates under 35 with a bachelor, some experience and B1 German routinely reach 6 points. The smart sequence: compute points first, gather certificates while preparing to B2, then book the appointment with a complete file.
Many candidates also use the card to attend employer interviews in person, which converts to contracts far faster than online-only applications. The card is a search tool — your German level is the conversion rate.
Book a free counselling session — we map the route, points, costs and documents for your profile.
