Chancenkarte from Chile: Points, Process and Costs

By the GoGermany Editorial Team · 2026-08-05

How Chilean jobseekers can get Germany's Chancenkarte in 2026: the two routes, the six-point scoring table, the roughly 13,000 euro Sperrkonto, and an eight-step process through the German Embassy in Santiago.

The Chancenkarte (opportunity card) is Germany's points-based residence permit for skilled jobseekers who do not yet have a job offer. It lets you live in Germany for up to 12 months to look for qualified work, with the right to take part-time and trial jobs while you search. For Chilean nationals, who are third-country nationals (citizens of a country outside the EU/EEA), it is one of the most flexible legal doors into the German labour market — and Chile's short-stay visa waiver gives you an option most applicants do not have. This guide explains the two routes into the card, how the six-point system works, the money you must prove, the step-by-step process through the German Embassy in Santiago, and what it all costs in 2026.

Who the Chancenkarte is for

The card was created under the Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz (Skilled Immigration Act) and is aimed at people who are genuinely employable but want to job-hunt on the ground rather than from abroad. As a Chilean applicant you qualify through one of two routes.

Route 1 — Full recognition (no points needed)

If your foreign qualification is fully recognised in Germany, you get the Chancenkarte automatically, without collecting points. This means either a university degree or a vocational qualification that has passed Anerkennung (the official recognition of your foreign qualification as equivalent to a German one). Regulated professions such as doctors, nurses and teachers almost always need this recognition anyway, so this route often makes sense for healthcare candidates.

Route 2 — The points track

If your qualification is only partially recognised, you can still get the card by scoring at least six points on a fixed scale. To enter this track you need, at minimum, either a recognised university degree, a recognised two-year vocational qualification, or a qualification acknowledged by the Chilean state that took at least two years, plus basic German (A1) or English (B2). You then add points for the factors below.

The six-point scoring table

You need six points or more. Points are awarded across several categories; the table below shows the main ones. You cannot combine both age brackets, and language points do not stack for the same language.

You can estimate your own score before you apply with our Chancenkarte points calculator, and sanity-check whether the card is the right permit for you with the eligibility checker.

Proof of funds: the Sperrkonto

Because the Chancenkarte does not come with a job, you must prove you can support yourself for the year. The cleanest way is a Sperrkonto (blocked account) — a German bank account where money is deposited and then released to you in fixed monthly instalments, so the authorities know your living costs are covered.

For 2026 the required amount is roughly €13,000 for a 12-month stay (about €1,091 per month). The exact figure is set each year by the German government and tends to rise, so confirm the current rate before you transfer. Alternatives to a blocked account include a Verpflichtungserklärung (a formal declaration of financial sponsorship by someone in Germany) or proof of a part-time job offer that covers your costs. You can work out exactly how much to block, and compare providers, with our Sperrkonto calculator.

Funding it from Chile. The Chilean peso (CLP) is freely convertible and there are no exchange controls, so there is no legal barrier to moving euros into a German blocked account. At roughly 1 EUR ≈ 1,050 CLP in early 2026, €13,000 is on the order of 13–14 million CLP — a large sum, but one you can transfer through your Chilean bank or an international transfer service. Most applicants cover it from savings, family support, or a sponsor's Verpflichtungserklärung. Start arranging the transfer early so the funds clear before you apply.

The 8-step process through the German Embassy in Santiago

Most applicants apply for the entry visa that becomes the Chancenkarte at the German Embassy in Santiago (Deutsche Botschaft Santiago de Chile). Expect the process to take a few months, so start well ahead. (See the visa-waiver option in the next section — it may let you skip the embassy entirely.)

1. Check your qualification. Look your degree up in the Anabin database and, if needed, start the Anerkennung process for a regulated profession. This is the slowest single step — begin it first.
2. Score yourself. Confirm you meet Route 1 (full recognition) or reach six points on Route 2.
3. Sort your German or English proof. Get a recognised certificate (Goethe, telc, ÖSD for German; IELTS/TOEFL for English). If you are starting from zero, our learn German course takes you from the alphabet upward.
4. Open a Sperrkonto and deposit the required funds, or arrange a Verpflichtungserklärung.
5. Apostille and translate your documents. Chile is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so your Chilean documents (degrees, birth and marriage certificates, police record) do not need embassy legalisation — a single apostille from the Chilean authorities is enough. In Chile you can apostille documents through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or online via the government's apostille service. You then need certified translations into German by a sworn translator.
6. Book your appointment for a national (D) visa on the embassy's booking system. Book as soon as your file is nearly ready, as slots can be limited.
7. Attend the interview with your full file: passport, application forms, biometric photos, proof of qualification, language certificate, proof of funds, CV and motivation letter, and health insurance for the trip.
8. Collect the visa, travel, and register. On arrival, do your Anmeldung (address registration) and, within the visa's validity, convert it into the Chancenkarte residence title at the local Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' authority).

A sharp CV and cover letter make the interview and later job hunt far easier — build them with the CV builder and cover-letter generator, and rehearse with interview prep.

The Chilean advantage: apply from inside Germany

Chile is on Germany's list of visa-privileged countries: Chilean passport holders can enter the Schengen area without a visa for short stays (up to 90 days in any 180). This gives you a second route that most third-country nationals do not have. Instead of applying at the embassy in Santiago, you can travel to Germany visa-free and apply for the Chancenkarte residence permit directly at the local Ausländerbehörde, before your 90-day short stay runs out.

This in-country route can be faster and lets you scout cities and network in person. But it carries real risk: you must have your complete file — recognition, points or full Anerkennung, funded Sperrkonto, apostilled and translated documents — ready before you fly, and you must not start working until the permit is issued. If the Ausländerbehörde is slow or asks for more documents, your legal short stay is still ticking. Cautious applicants use the embassy route in Santiago precisely because the visa is granted before departure. Weigh the two carefully, and confirm current rules, as the in-country option depends on you meeting every requirement on arrival.

Costs in 2026

Budget for the fees below. Most are charged in euros; the CLP figures are approximate, based on 1 EUR ≈ 1,050 CLP in early 2026 (the rate moves, so treat these as a guide).

Beyond the blocked funds, realistic one-off costs run to roughly €500–€1,500 before you even land — so build them into your budget from the start.

From jobseeker to worker: the Blue Card

The Chancenkarte is a search permit, not a work permit for a specific role. Once you sign a qualifying employment contract, you switch your status — most often to the Blaue Karte EU (EU Blue Card), the residence title for university graduates with a job that meets a set salary threshold. For 2026 the general Blue Card salary floor is around €48,300 gross per year, with a lower threshold (about €43,760) for shortage occupations and recent graduates. The Blue Card is attractive because it offers a fast track to permanent residence and easier family reunification.

Where the demand is. Germany is actively short of skilled workers, and Chilean candidates are well placed in several fields: healthcare (doctors, nurses, care workers), engineering (mechanical, electrical, civil, mining-adjacent), and IT (software developers, data and cybersecurity specialists). Many of these are official Engpassberufe (shortage occupations), which both earns you a point and can lower the Blue Card salary bar.

Realistic timeline

Recognition can take 2–4 months (longer for regulated professions), opening a blocked account a couple of weeks, and the visa itself often 6–12 weeks after your appointment — on top of the wait for an appointment slot. From decision to landing, budget 4–8 months on the embassy route; the visa-free in-country route can be quicker if your file is genuinely complete. The two things to start first are the qualification recognition and the funding of the Sperrkonto, because both are outside your day-to-day control.

Bottom line

For a Chilean jobseeker, the Chancenkarte is a genuine, legal route into Germany's labour market — especially if you work in healthcare, engineering or IT. Nail three things early: get your qualification recognised (or reach six points), fund your Sperrkonto, and get your German up to at least B1. Chile's visa waiver even lets you choose between applying in Santiago or travelling first and applying inside Germany. Do it right, and the 12-month search window gives you a strong chance of landing a job and converting to the Blue Card.