Make it in Germany

What it is

Make it in Germany is the Federal Government's official portal for people who want to work in Germany. It covers the visa and residence routes, recognition of foreign qualifications, German language, and life after you arrive. It also has a self-check for the Opportunity Card, which German missions ask points-route applicants to print and include with their application.

Some of its pages sit behind a browser check, so if a page will not load, try again in a normal browser. German embassy pages (on the diplo.de domains) and the Federal Employment Agency repeat the key rules, and that is where the numbers below were checked.

Who it is for

A CS or software engineering graduate from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria or anywhere outside the EU who wants a tech job in Germany. You do not need German for many tech roles, but German raises your points and widens the jobs you can apply for.

The two routes that matter for tech

EU Blue Card. For people with a job offer and a recognised degree. As of 2026, the Federal Employment Agency lists the salary thresholds as:

• EUR 50,700 gross a year for the standard Blue Card, with no approval from the Federal Employment Agency needed.
• EUR 45,934.20 gross a year for shortage occupations (IT professions are among them), for career starters whose qualifying degree is no more than three years old, and for IT specialists without a degree who have at least three years of IT experience at academic level within the last seven years. This lower threshold needs the Federal Employment Agency's approval of the job's conditions.

The thresholds change every year, so check the figure for the year you apply. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) says Blue Card holders can get a settlement permit after 27 months of highly qualified work, or 21 months with German at B1.

Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte). For job seekers without an offer, available since 1 June 2024. You qualify either with a fully recognised qualification, or through points: a degree or at least two years of vocational training recognised in the country where you got it, German at A1 or English at B2, and at least 6 points from criteria such as recognition, language, experience, age and earlier stays in Germany. As of 2026, German missions ask for proof of EUR 1,091 a month (EUR 13,092 for 12 months), usually in a blocked account. The card lasts up to one year and you may work up to 20 hours a week or do trial work while you look.

How to use it well

1. Run the self-check first, then read the full page for your route.
2. Check your degree on anabin (see below) before you spend money on anything else.
3. Read your local German mission's checklist: documents and appointment systems differ by country.

Common mistakes and scams

• Paying an "agent" for a job offer or a visa slot. German missions say their forms are free and you do not need an agent.
• Using last year's salary threshold.
• Applying for the points route without proof that your degree is recognised at home.
• Never pay anyone for a job. Real employers do not charge you to hire you.

Where to go next on Sefism

• Plan the move step by step with the Tech jobs abroad roadmap and keep its cheat sheet open while you apply.
• Check your degree first with anabin and the ZAB Statement of Comparability.
• Read Can I get a software job in Germany without German?.