Job search (Opportunity Card)
When you do not yet have a job offer, the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) is a national visa for qualified people to come to Germany and look for work, applied for through the Auslandsportal.
GERMANY · STAYING TO LOOK FOR WORK
Looking for work in Germany: the Opportunity Card and qualified-work routes.
Looking for work or taking up a qualified job in Germany is not a short-stay Schengen trip; these purposes fall under the long-stay (national) visa category. This guide separates the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) from the routes to work after a job offer, and points you to the right official source for current conditions.
Prepared for applicants from Türkiye who want to look for work or take up a qualified job in Germany. Conditions depend on recognition of qualifications, language and funding; the final eligibility decision rests with the official authority.
GERMANY / DEUTSCHLAND
Job search is not a short-stay Schengen trip; it is a national route.
Short answer
Looking for work or working in Germany requires a national (D) visa, because it is a stay of more than 90 days for the purpose of work; it cannot be done on a short-stay Schengen visa. The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) is a national visa for qualified people to come to Germany and look for work, and the application is made online through the Auslandsportal. If you already have a job offer, an EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) or other work visas come into play depending on your recognised professional qualification. Check the current eligibility conditions on Make it in Germany and the recognition portal; this page gives no definite eligibility or job-finding guarantee.
- Visa type
- National (D) — over 90 days
- Short-stay Schengen
- Not suitable for job search
- Opportunity Card
- National visa to look for work
- If you have a job offer
- EU Blue Card / work visa
- Application
- Auslandsportal (online)
- Conditions
- Make it in Germany / recognition portal
Separate the two main routes
Looking for work and working after a job offer are different applications.
Working after a job offer
If you have a recognised professional qualification and a job offer, an EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) or other work visas can be applied for online.
Not on this page
Short-stay tourist/visit applications (separate pages) and any personal eligibility decision. This page helps you understand the right route.
Settle these before applying
Recognition of qualification
Whether your professional or academic qualification is recognised in Germany is decisive for work and for some application routes. Check your recognition status on the recognition portal.
Language and other criteria
Language level, experience and similar criteria matter depending on the route. Verify the current criteria on Make it in Germany; this page does not quote a numeric score/threshold.
Funding
There may be a requirement to show you can support yourself during the job-search period; check the current requirements from the official source.
Where and how to apply?
Job-search and work applications fall under the national visa; the general direction:
applicationchannel
- AuslandsportalThe Opportunity Card and many work visas are applied for online through the Auslandsportal (digital.diplo.de/visa). Registering on the portal is not yet a legally effective application on its own.
qualification
- Recognition documentsDiploma/professional documents and, where applicable, a recognition decision; check your recognition status on anerkennung-in-deutschland.de.
sourceofconditions
- Make it in GermanyFor the current eligibility conditions of the Opportunity Card and work visas, see the official source make-it-in-germany.com.
common
- Passport and general documentsPassport and the other documents required by the route; the exact list is stated in the official source and the portal flow.
Current conditions can change; verify the Opportunity Card criteria and work-visa requirements from the official source (Make it in Germany, Auslandsportal). This page does not give a score/threshold value.
Points to watch in a job-search application
- Not a short-stay SchengenJob search and work cannot be done on a short-stay tourist/visit visa; a national (D) visa and the online portal process apply.
- No guaranteeNo route guarantees finding a job or definite eligibility; the official authority decides and conditions can change.
- The current source prevailsOpportunity Card criteria and work conditions are updated over time; confirm from the official source before applying.
Job-search questions
Is a tourist visa enough to look for work in Germany?
No. Looking for work and working are stays of more than 90 days for the purpose of work and require a national (D) visa. A short-stay Schengen/tourist visa is not suitable for this purpose.
What is the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)?
It is a national visa for qualified people to come to Germany and look for work, applied for online through the Auslandsportal. Check the current eligibility criteria on Make it in Germany.
I have a job offer — which route?
If you have a recognised professional qualification and a job offer, an EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) or other work visas come into play; the application is again made online through the portal.
How does the points system work?
The current criteria and assessment for the Opportunity Card are explained on Make it in Germany and official sources. This page does not carry numeric thresholds that may change; check the official source before applying.
Sources and verification
The official pages below were checked on 3 November 2026.
- Employment (national) visas — German missions in Türkiye Make it in Germany (Opportunity Card and work conditions) Anerkennung in Deutschland (recognition of qualifications)
Elite Leader Consultancy · last official check: November 3, 2026
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