Chancenkarte from Tunisia: Points, Process and Costs

By the GoGermany Editorial Team · 2026-08-03

How Tunisian skilled workers can get Germany's Chancenkarte in 2026: the two routes, the 6-point system, Sperrkonto proof of funds and the real cost in euros and dinars.

As a Tunisian national you are a third-country national (a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA), which means you need a visa to look for work in Germany. Since June 2024 the Chancenkarte ("opportunity card") gives skilled people a way in: a residence permit that lets you live in Germany for up to 12 months and job-hunt in person, take trial jobs (Probearbeit) and part-time work of up to 20 hours a week while you search. This guide explains the two routes to the card, the points you need, the money you must prove, and what the whole thing actually costs from Tunis in 2026.

Two routes to the Chancenkarte

There are two completely separate ways to qualify. You only need one.

Route 1 — Full recognition (as a Fachkraft). If your qualification is fully recognised in Germany — an official Anerkennung confirming your Tunisian degree or vocational diploma is equivalent to the German one — you get the Chancenkarte automatically, with no points needed. Regulated jobs (doctors, nurses, many engineers, teachers) always go through this recognition route. This is the cleaner path but the recognition process takes time.

Route 2 — The points track. If your qualification is only partially recognised, or you don't want to wait, you can qualify on points. To enter this track you must first meet the baseline:

• a university degree or a vocational qualification of at least two years, recognised by the state in the country where you earned it, and
• German at A1 (Anfänger, basic) or English at B2.

Meet the baseline and then you need to collect at least 6 points from the table below.

The 6-point table

You add the points; they are not cumulative within the same category (e.g. you count only your highest German level). Our Chancenkarte calculator tallies your score in a minute, and the eligibility checker tells you whether Route 1 or Route 2 fits you better.

A note for the trades. Germany's shortage lists are heavy with skilled crafts — electricians, welders, plumbers/Sanitär-Heizung-Klima, car mechatronics, construction, care work, IT. This is very like the demand that drove the Westbalkanregelung (the Western Balkans scheme). If you hold a real Tunisian trade qualification (CAP/BTP/BTS) in one of these fields, you are in a strong position both for points and for actually landing a job once you arrive.

Proof of funds: the Sperrkonto

Because you cannot take a full-time job on the Chancenkarte, you must prove you can support yourself for the search. The standard proof is a Sperrkonto (a blocked account): money deposited with a German provider that you can only draw down in monthly instalments once you arrive.

For 2026 you should budget for roughly €13,000 for the 12 months — about €1,091 per month, in line with the rate the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' authority) uses. Alternatives to a blocked account exist (a formal Verpflichtungserklärung — a sponsor's declaration of commitment — from someone in Germany, or proof of part-time work already lined up), but for most applicants from Tunis the blocked account is the clean option. Work out your exact figure with the Sperrkonto calculator.

The 8-step process via the German Embassy in Tunis

Applications are made at the Deutsche Botschaft Tunis (German Embassy, Tunis), usually with an appointment booked online.

1. Check your route and points. Decide Route 1 (recognition) or Route 2 (points), and confirm you clear 6 points if you go the points way.
2. Get your qualification assessed. Check your university in the anabin database and, if needed, request a ZAB Statement of Comparability (Zeugnisbewertung) for a degree, or start formal Anerkennung through the relevant German chamber/authority for a vocational or regulated job.
3. Gather and legalise your documents. Passport, diplomas, transcripts, work references, CV, language certificates. Tunisia is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so most public documents need an apostille from the competent Tunisian authority rather than full consular legalisation — but always confirm the current requirement on the embassy's checklist, as German missions sometimes ask for extra verification.
4. Get certified German translations. Documents must be translated into German by a sworn/certified translator (vereidigter Übersetzer). Budget time and money for this.
5. Open your Sperrkonto and deposit the ~€13,000.
6. Take out health insurance valid from day one in Germany (travel/incoming cover for the search phase; you switch to statutory Krankenversicherung once employed).
7. Book the appointment and submit your file at the embassy in Tunis: application form, biometric photos, passport, proof of funds, insurance, qualification evidence and the visa fee.
8. Receive the visa, travel and register. On arrival do your Anmeldung (address registration) at the Bürgeramt, then convert the visa into the Chancenkarte residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde.

Processing typically takes several weeks to a few months, so start early.

What it costs in 2026

Costs vary, but here is a realistic planning table. Euro figures are official/typical; dinar figures use an indicative rate of about 1 EUR ≈ 3.4 TND (check the live rate — the dinar moves).

The visa itself is cheap; the blocked account is the real hurdle. In dinars, ~€13,000 is around 44,000 TND, and Tunisia's foreign-exchange controls limit how much hard currency an individual can move abroad in a year. Plan the transfer well ahead: use your bank's authorised channels, keep documentation of the source of funds, and don't leave the currency allocation to the last week before your appointment. Some applicants use a family Verpflichtungserklärung from a relative already in Germany to sidestep part of this.

Turning the search into a job (and a Blue Card)

The Chancenkarte is a means to an end: a real job offer. Land a qualifying offer and you can switch, from inside Germany, to a work residence permit — and if the job pays above the salary threshold and matches your degree, to the Blaue Karte EU (EU Blue Card), the fast-track permit for graduates that leads to permanent residence in as little as 21–27 months. A trade qualification instead points you to a standard skilled-worker permit.

So the smart move is to arrive job-ready. Build a German-style, one-page CV, write a sharp cover letter, rehearse with our interview prep, and keep pushing your German — even B1 hugely widens the jobs open to you. Start with learn German months before you fly.