Germany Opportunity Card Points Calculator: How to Qualify in 2026

First: do you even need points?

There are two ways into the Opportunity Card, and only one of them involves counting points. If your foreign qualification has already been formally recognised in Germany as fully equivalent to a German qualification, you are treated as a skilled worker and can receive the card without scoring anything.

Everyone else goes through the points route. That is the lane most Nigerian applicants are in, because full recognition is a separate procedure with its own fees and waiting time, and it is compulsory only for regulated professions such as nursing or medicine.

So before you add anything up, know which lane you are in. If you hold a full recognition decision, the table below is not your concern — your document file is.

The gateway you must clear before any point counts

Points are only examined once you meet the basic conditions, and there are three of them. First, a qualification: either a university degree, or a vocational training qualification of at least two years, recognised by the state in the country where you studied or trained.

Second, language: German at A1 level or English at B2 level, as a minimum floor. Third, money: proof that you can cover your living costs for the stay, usually through a blocked account or a formal sponsorship declaration — the required amount is reviewed by the German authorities each year and has been in the region of a thousand euros per month, so check the current figure before you fund anything.

Fail any of those three and your six points are irrelevant. Clear all three, and the scoreboard decides.

The 2026 scoreboard: what each item is worth

You need at least six points. These are the categories.

Partial recognition of your qualification, or a licence to practise a regulated profession: 4 points. This is the single biggest item, but it requires a real decision from the competent German recognition body — not a self-assessment.

Qualification in a shortage occupation: 1 point. The occupations are listed in German employment regulations and cover areas such as IT, several engineering fields, nursing and other health roles, and parts of construction and skilled trades. The list is reviewed periodically.

Work experience: 2 points for at least two years of qualified experience in the last five years, or 3 points for at least five years in the last seven. You take one or the other, not both.

German language: 1 point for A2, 2 for B1, 3 for B2, 4 for C1 or above. English: 1 point for B2 or above.

Age: 2 points if you are under 35, 1 point if you are 35 to 39. From 40 there are no age points. Previous stay in Germany: 1 point for a lawful stay of at least six months in the last five years (tourist and visitor stays do not count).

Spouse or partner applying with you: 1 point, if that person also meets the Opportunity Card requirements in their own right.

Three worked examples

Chidi, 29, software developer. BSc in Computer Science from a Nigerian university, three years at a Lagos fintech, German at A2, English certificate at B2. Age under 35 gives 2, two years of relevant experience gives 2, A2 German gives 1, English B2 gives 1. Total: 6 points. He qualifies on points and his floor requirement is met by the English certificate.

Amina, 37, registered nurse. Six years of hospital work, no German yet, English at B2. Age 35–39 gives 1, five years of experience in the last seven gives 3, a shortage occupation gives 1, English gives 1. Total: 6 points — just enough, with nothing to spare if one item is rejected.

Emeka, 42, accountant. Degree, eight years of experience, English B2, no German. No age points, 3 for experience, 1 for English, and accounting is not generally on the shortage list. Total: 4 points. He is two short. Reaching B1 German would take him to 6; B2 would give him a safety margin.

Points people award themselves wrongly

“I am Nigerian, so English is automatic.” The rule asks for proof of B2 English. Some German missions accept evidence such as a degree taught in English; others expect a recognised test result. Do not budget your points around an assumption — ask the mission handling your file what it accepts.

Treating an ANABIN listing as partial recognition. Checking your institution and degree in the ANABIN database tells you how your qualification is classified, and a Statement of Comparability from the central office for foreign education helps your file. Neither is the same as the formal recognition decision that earns the 4 points.

Counting the wrong work experience. The experience must be qualified and connected to the qualification you are relying on, within the stated time window. Unrelated jobs, unpaid help in a family business and work you cannot document with contracts, payslips or tax records are weak ground.

Getting the age cut-off wrong. Your age is assessed when you apply, not when you start preparing. If you turn 35 or 40 in 2026, that birthday can quietly remove a point — plan your submission around it.

The cheapest ways to add points

For most Nigerian applicants under 40, German lessons are the best value. Going from nothing to A2 is one point, B1 is two, B2 is three. Exams are offered by recognised providers such as Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD and TestDaF; fees and sitting dates vary, so confirm them with the test centre directly.

An English certificate is the next easiest, because it can do two jobs at once: satisfy the basic language floor and add a point.

The shortage-occupation point is not something you can buy — either your qualification falls in a listed field or it does not. Check the current list rather than relying on a forum post from last year.

The 4-point recognition item is worth pursuing if you are in a regulated profession anyway, but it is slow and costs money, so treat it as a parallel project, not a quick fix.

Evidence: what actually proves each point

Think in terms of one document per point. Degree or trade certificate plus transcripts and, where relevant, an ANABIN printout or Statement of Comparability for the qualification. Language certificates from recognised providers for each language point you claim.

For experience: employment contracts, reference letters on company letterhead with dates and duties, payslips and any tax or pension records you can obtain. Vague letters that only say “he worked with us” tend to be the weakest part of Nigerian applications.

For a previous stay in Germany: old residence permits or visa pages. For a partner point: marriage documents plus that person's own qualification and language proof. Expect certified translations and certified copies, and expect every claimed point to be checked.

Score yourself, then verify before you spend

Do the arithmetic honestly, twice: once counting only points you can evidence today, and once counting what you could evidence in six months. If the first number is below six, your plan is a study plan, not an application plan.

The German government's official Make it in Germany portal publishes the criteria and a free self-check, and the German diplomatic missions in Nigeria publish the documents they require. Those are the only sources worth trusting on point values.

Be careful with anyone promising a guaranteed score, a guaranteed visa or a shortcut for a fee. Nobody can add points that the regulation does not give you, and the embassy decides, not an agent.

Common questions

This article is general information for Nigerian readers rather than legal or immigration advice; point values, money thresholds and accepted documents can change, so confirm the current rules with the German mission in Nigeria or the official Make it in Germany portal before spending money.