Marrying Someone on a Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card)
By Venkata Nagireddi, Founder & CEO, NRI Hearts (Atlanta, GA)
The Chancenkarte, or Opportunity Card, lets people come to Germany to look for work. Families sometimes hear that a prospective match "is in Germany" when they are still job-hunting there. For a spouse, that makes a real difference.
What is a Chancenkarte?
It is a residence permit for up to one year that lets someone look for work in Germany. It requires at least six points or a fully recognised qualification, plus proof of €1,091 a month to live on.
The figures are on the German Missions in India Opportunity Card page and in §20a of the Residence Act. Holders may work part-time for up to 20 hours a week on average, plus trial work of up to two weeks.
Can a spouse join someone on a Chancenkarte?
Usually not while the partner is only on the job-search card. For permits of this kind, the law requires the partner's stay to be expected to last more than a year, and the Chancenkarte is issued for up to one year.
This is our reading of §30(1) of the Residence Act together with §20a; no official explainer states a Chancenkarte spouse rule directly. Ask the German Missions in India about your own case before planning around it.
What changes when the partner finds a job?
Once the partner moves to a skilled worker permit or a Blue Card, the spouse's path opens up. For those permits, the spouse also does not need A1 German before the visa.
| Partner's stage | Spouse can join? | Spouse needs A1? |
|---|---|---|
| Job-hunting on a Chancenkarte | Usually not (see above) | Yes, if an application is possible |
| Working on a skilled worker permit (§18a/§18b) | Yes, subject to §30 conditions | No |
| Working on an EU Blue Card | Yes | No |
The exemption list is in §30(1). Our Blue Card guide explains why that permit is the easiest for a spouse.
Can both partners apply for a Chancenkarte together?
Yes, if both qualify on their own. A spouse or partner who also meets the requirements and applies at the same time earns the main applicant one extra point.
This is listed on Make it in Germany and in the points table attached to the Residence Act. Each person then holds their own card and must meet its conditions.
What should the family confirm before the wedding?
Ask directly whether the partner is working or still job-hunting, and which permit is on their residence card. Then agree how long the couple is prepared to live apart if the spouse has to wait for a work permit.
NRI Hearts does not verify visa, job or income details. Every profile is email-verified and manually reviewed by our team before it goes live, so these checks are the family's responsibility. When the time comes, the application itself is covered in our Germany spouse visa guide. Other situations are covered from NRI Marriage and Germany.
Next step
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Last updated: October 2026
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