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 Diplôme d'Ingénieur d'État (5 years, ISCED 7) meets the base requirement. OFPPT Technicien Spécialisé en Sécurité Informatique (Bac+2) does not.
Which route applies to you?
| Your situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Diplôme d'Ingénieur (ENSIAS SSI, INPT Cyber, ENSA Oujda), programme listed in anabin | Route 1: no points needed |
| Diplôme d'Ingénieur, programme not individually listed | Route 2: 6 points required |
| OFPPT diploma | Not eligible |
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 work |
| 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 | French and Arabic do not award points |
| 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: Adil Serroukh, 29, cybersecurity engineer, INPT Cyber Ingénieur (programme unlisted), 3 years security engineering experience, IELTS 7.5 (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 Moroccan MFA apostille
- Academic transcript with Moroccan MFA apostille
- anabin printout or ZAB Statement of Comparability
- Language certificate
- Experience letters (threat modelling, pen testing, SIEM/SOAR, IR leadership, security architecture decisions, seniority) and payslips. Certifications (OSCP, CISSP, GIAC) as supporting attachments only.
- Sperrkonto certificate (€13,092)
- Travel health insurance
Which German mission handles your application
Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca. Jurisdiction follows your registered address. Book via digital.diplo.de.
Common mistakes
OFPPT Sécurité Informatique diploma submitted as the qualifying degree. OFPPT diplomas are Bac+2 vocational credentials — below ISCED 6, not eligible for the Chancenkarte.
Certifications counted toward points. OSCP, CISSP, CEH, and GIAC certs do not contribute to the 6-point total. They strengthen your dossier for employers once you're in Germany, but they don't affect Chancenkarte eligibility.
Experience letters describing only reactive SOC work. Ticket-closing and alert-triage are analyst tasks. Qualifying experience must show engineering design: threat modelling, security architecture decisions, 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 relevant German mission before applying.
See also
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