Do you qualify?
The Chancenkarte lets you move to Germany without a job offer and search for cybersecurity roles for up to 12 months. You need a qualifying degree (ISCED 6 or higher) and — if not fully recognised — at least 6 points.
A 4-year BSc CS or BSc CE from a recognised Ghanaian university meets the base requirement. HNDs from Technical Universities (below ISCED 6) do not satisfy the minimum degree threshold.
Which route applies to you?
| Your situation | Route |
|---|---|
| 4-year BSc from H+ institution, programme listed | Route 1: no points needed |
| 4-year BSc, programme not individually listed | Route 2: 6 points required |
| HND | Not eligible as base qualification |
Route 2: points table
| Criterion | Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Partial equivalence (ZAB decision) | 4 | |
| Shortage occupation (cybersecurity, ISCO-08 group 2529) | 1 | |
| At least 2 years qualifying experience in last 5 years | 2 | Security architecture scope, not only SOC analyst |
| At least 5 years qualifying experience in last 7 years | 3 | Replaces 2-year tier |
| German A2 / B1 / B2+ | 1 / 2 / 3 | |
| English at B2 or higher (certificate required) | 1 | WAEC English not accepted — IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge required |
| Age under 35 | 2 | |
| Age 35–39 | 1 | |
| Prior lawful German residence ≥ 6 months in last 5 years | 1 | |
| Spouse applies jointly | 1 |
Worked example: Akua Sarpong, 30, cybersecurity engineer, BSc CS UG-Legon (programme not listed), 3 years security engineering experience (OSCP, SIEM, zero-trust architecture), TOEFL 95 (C1), no German: 1 (shortage) + 2 (experience) + 2 (under 35) + 1 (English) = 6 points ✓
Financial requirement: the Sperrkonto
€13,092 in a blocked Sperrkonto before your appointment. Open at least 4 weeks early (Fintiba, Coracle, Expatrio).
What you can do on the Opportunity Card
- Part-time work: up to 20 hours per week on average
- Trial employment: up to 2 weeks per employer
- Freelancing: not permitted
Document checklist
- Passport (at least 2 empty pages)
- Degree certificate with MFARI apostille
- Academic transcript with MFARI apostille
- anabin printout or ZAB Statement of Comparability
- Language certificate (IELTS/TOEFL/Cambridge or Goethe-Institut/telc/ÖSD)
- Experience letters (threat modelling, pen testing, SIEM/SOAR, zero-trust architecture, IR leadership, seniority) and payslips. Certifications (OSCP, CISSP, GIAC) as supporting attachments — they do not contribute to points.
- Sperrkonto certificate (€13,092)
- Travel health insurance
Common mistakes
WAEC English submitted as the language certificate. Not accepted. IELTS Academic, TOEFL, or Cambridge B2/C1 is required for the English language point.
HND submitted as base qualification. HNDs are below ISCED 6 and do not meet the minimum degree requirement for the Chancenkarte.
Certifications counted toward points. OSCP, CISSP, and GIAC certifications are not in the Chancenkarte points table. They are useful when applying for jobs once in Germany, but they do not affect your score.
Experience letters describing only reactive SOC work. Alert-triaging and ticket-closing are analyst tasks. Qualifying experience must show security architecture, threat modelling, or penetration test programme ownership.
Sources
- § 20a AufenthG, Bundesministerium der Justiz
- Opportunity Card: Make it in Germany
- anabin database, KMK / ZAB
Not legal advice. Verify requirements with the German Embassy Accra before applying.
See also
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