Germany Opportunity Card points calculator: the table, the 6-point rule and three examples

Points only matter if you are not a fully recognised skilled worker. If your qualification is fully recognised in Germany, you qualify for the card without points ¹.

For the points route, the law first requires two things ¹:

• A qualification: a foreign vocational qualification from training of at least two years, or a university degree, recognised by the state where you obtained it. A qualification issued by a German chamber of commerce abroad under German vocational training rules also counts. A competent German body must confirm the qualification.
• A language: at least basic German (A1) or English at B2.

If you meet both, you then need at least 6 points ³. You also need to prove your funds, at least 1,091 EUR a month in 2026 according to the London mission ⁶.

The criteria are in section 20b of the Residence Act and the points in the annex to the Act ^{2 3}. The language levels follow the definitions in section 2: good German is B2, sufficient is B1, adequate is A2 and basic is A1 ⁴.

Criterion	Condition in the law	Points
Partial recognition	A German authority found your foreign qualification needs adaptation or compensation measures to be equivalent, or to practise a regulated profession	4
German, good	B2	3
German, sufficient	B1 (only if you get no points for B2)	2
German, adequate	A2 (only if you get no points for B2 or B1)	1
English	C1	1
Work experience, long	At least 5 years in the last 7, related to your qualification and gained after it	3
Work experience, short	At least 2 years in the last 5 (only if you get no points for 5 years)	2
Shortage occupation	Your qualification is in an occupation group listed in section 18g(1), sentence 2, no. 1	1
Age, up to 35	Not older than 35 when you apply	2
Age, 35 to 40	Older than 35 and not older than 40	1
Previous stay	At least 6 months of continuous legal stay in Germany in the last 5 years	1
Partner	Your spouse or registered partner meets the requirements, applies at the same authority and moves with you	1

Three rules decide how the rows combine ²:

• German counts once. You get points for your highest level only: 3, 2 or 1.
• Experience counts once. Five years in the last seven gives 3; otherwise two years in the last five gives 2.
• Age counts once. 2 points if you are 35 or younger, 1 point if you are older than 35 and not older than 40, nothing after 40.

The shortage occupation point refers to the occupation groups listed for the EU Blue Card in section 18g ²: ISCO-08 groups 132, 133, 134, 21, 221, 222, 225, 226, 23 and 25 ⁵. The German missions in Canada list the same criteria, including 1 point for a partner who moves with you ⁷.

Write down one value per group and add them:

Score = recognition (0 or 4) + German (0 to 3) + English (0 or 1) + experience (0, 2 or 3) + shortage occupation (0 or 1) + age (0 to 2) + previous stay (0 or 1) + partner (0 or 1)

The highest possible score is 16, our sum of the top option in each group ³. You need 6 ³.

English B2 is an entry condition and earns no points. The English point starts at C1 ². German A1 is also only an entry condition: German points start at A2 ^{2 3}.

All three people are fictional.

Profile A: Lucía, 29, software developer. Degree recognised in Mexico, not yet assessed in Germany. English C1, German A1. Three years of work experience since graduating. Moving alone.

Criterion	Points
Age up to 35	2
Work experience, 2 years in the last 5	2
English C1	1
German A1	0
Total	5

Lucía meets the entry conditions (a recognised degree and English B2 or better) but has 5 points, one short of 6. Reaching German A2 would add 1 point. So would a partner who applies with her, or a shortage-occupation point if her occupation group is on the section 18g list.

Profile B: Daniel, 38, nurse. Three-year nursing diploma. The German recognition authority issued a notice saying he needs an adaptation course before full recognition. German B1. Six years of nursing work in the last seven.

Criterion	Points
Partial recognition	4
German B1	2
Work experience, 5 years in the last 7	3
Age 35 to 40	1
Total	10

Daniel is well above 6. The partial recognition notice alone gives him 4 points.

Profile C: Marta, 42, accountant. University degree recognised in Colombia. English B2, German A1. Eight years of experience after the degree. She studied in Germany for six months three years ago, and her husband applies with her.

Criterion	Points
Work experience, 5 years in the last 7	3
Previous stay in Germany	1
Partner	1
Age over 40	0
English B2	0
Total	5

Marta meets the entry conditions but scores 5. English B2 counts as an entry condition and earns no points: the English point starts at C1. German A2 or English C1 would bring her to 6.

• Experience not linked to the qualification. The law counts experience related to your qualification and gained after it ². Years in an unrelated job do not count.
• Old language certificates or unrecognised providers. The German missions in Canada accept certificates from ALTE-certified providers, and TOEFL for English ⁷. London also accepts IELTS, and the test must not be more than a year old ⁶.
• Age on the wrong date. Age is measured when you apply ².
• Partner who does not apply. The partner point needs your partner to meet the requirements, apply at the same authority and enter with you ².

The government can change the points and the threshold by regulation ². Check the annex before you apply.