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Opportunity Card
Purpose and target group
The opportunity card (Section 20a of the Residence Act [AufenthG]) improves your chances of making contact with German employers and finding qualified employment in Germany. Further information are available at Make it in Germany.com.
How can I get the Opportunity card?
If you live outside the EU, you will generally require a visa for the purpose of gainful employment which will be issued by the competent German diplomatic mission. You can enter Germany on this visa. Prior to expiry of the visa, you must subsequently apply to the local immigration authority for your working and residence permit.
How can I get the opportunity card? Explainers video
Conditions
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.
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).
- Proof of language proficiency: You either have German language skills of at least level A1 as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or English language skills of at least level B2 (CEFR).
What documents must be submitted during the application process?
To apply for a visa at the embassy, you will need the following documents in the original with one set of copies. Please sort the individual sets (original + one set of copies) in the order listed below.
Please do NOT staple the application documents!
A current biometric passport photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm with a light-coloured background) according to the photo sample table of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The photo should not be older than three months.
Personally signed passport (original with one copy of the passport data page), with at least two completely empty pages and sufficient validity.
If you do not have your habitual residence in Switzerland, the German Embassy in Bern is not responsible for processing your application.
Own funds on bank account: own bank statements of the last 3 months (containing a minimum of €1,027 net per month, for twelve month) or
Secondary employment: If you already have a specific part-time job in Germany in prospect, you can provide evidence of this in the form of an employment contract or a binding job offer stating the weekly working hours and monthly earnings or
Proof of financial means: blocked bank account confirmation (containing a minimum of €1,027 net per month, for twelve month) or a declaration of commitment.
Proof of language skills for Option 2: German level A1 or English Level B2 (GER).
Health insurance in line with EU standards (covering the entire Schengen area, min. coverage of 30,000 €, valid from the day of entry for twelve months.
detailed motivation and professional CV
Information sheet with check list to down load
The German Embassy Bern reserve the right to ask for additional documents at any time during the processing of your application.
Postage expenses of 7 Swiss Francs
and
Visa fee of 75 Euro payable by cash in Swiss Francs or in Euro by Visa or MasterCard (information here).
Appointment booking
Please book an appointment here to submit your application. New appointments are regularly activated in the appointment system. Unfortunately, there are no additional appointments.
To submit your application, please appear in person at the visa section of the embassy (Willadingweg 78, 3006 Bern) at your pre-booked appointment. Please book one appointment per person - also for children. The visa office will accept your complete application documents and the fee and take your biometric data. It is not possible to submit an application without an appointment.
Processing time
In this visa category, most applications are typically processed within 2-3 weeks (calculated from the day you procided all documents).
During the application process
Please do not contact the mission abroad to check the status of your application during the normal processing period. Such inquiries are extremely time-consuming for the visa department and cannot be answered. We will contact you by email as soon as the decision has been made. In principle, all communication can only take place with the applicant themselves, a legal representative or an authorized person.
Decision about the application
You will be informed as soon as the embassy has decided on your application. Your passport is required for the visa to be issued.
Please check your visa label as soon as you have your passport with the visa in your hands. You should inform us immediately of any errors so that we can issue a new visa.