Do you qualify?
SAP consulting has two distinct tracks. Read both before applying.
Technical track (ABAP, BASIS, SAP BTP, Integration): ISCO-08 group 2511/2512 — sub-major group 25, shortage occupation. Qualifies for the Chancenkarte under the standard points system.
Functional track (FI, CO, MM, SD, HCM): ISCO-08 group 2421 — business analysis, not ICT. Qualifies for the Chancenkarte in principle but falls outside the shortage occupation point.
For either track you need a qualifying degree of at least 3 years (ISCED 6 or higher) and — if not fully recognised — 6 points.
Which route applies to you?
Technical track:
| Your situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Diplôme d'Ingénieur (ENSIAS eMBI, INPT, EMI), programme listed in anabin | Route 1: no points needed |
| Diplôme d'Ingénieur or Licence LMD Informatique, programme not listed | Route 2: 6 points required |
Functional track:
| Your situation | Route |
|---|---|
| DENCG from ENCG (Bac+5), programme listed in anabin | Route 1: no points needed |
| Master LMD Gestion/Finance from public university, programme listed | Route 1: no points needed |
| DENCG or Master LMD, programme not individually listed | Route 2: 6 points required |
| Intermediate ENCG Licence en Commerce et Gestion (year 3 only) | Route 2 — this is ISCED 6 only, not the full DENCG |
Route 2: points table
| Criterion | Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Partial equivalence (ZAB decision) | 4 | |
| Shortage occupation | 1 | Technical track only (ISCO 2511/2512). Functional track (ISCO 2421) does not earn this point |
| At least 2 years qualifying experience in last 5 years | 2 | |
| At least 5 years qualifying experience in last 7 years | 3 | |
| 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 — technical: Khalid, 28, SAP ABAP developer, ENSIAS eMBI Ingénieur (programme not listed), 3 years SAP ABAP experience, TOEFL B2, no German: 1 (shortage) + 2 (experience) + 2 (under 35) + 1 (English B2) = 6 points ✓
Worked example — functional: Leila, 27, SAP FI/CO consultant, DENCG ENCG Settat Bac+5 Finance (programme not listed), 3 years FI/CO implementation, IELTS B2, no German: 0 (not shortage — ISCO 2421) + 2 (experience) + 2 (under 35) + 1 (English B2) = 5 points ✗
Leila needs one more point. Adding German A2 (1 point) brings her to 6. Alternatively, if she is 26 at application, no change — she already has 2 for age. The issue is the missing shortage point: functional SAP consultants must compensate with language, age, or experience to reach 6.
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
Technical track:
- Passport, degree certificate with MFA apostille, transcript with MFA apostille, anabin printout or ZAB, language certificate, experience letters (ABAP version, modules, BTP components, architecture decisions, seniority), payslips, Sperrkonto certificate, health insurance
Functional track:
- Same structure. Experience letters must describe configuration decisions, business process design, and client-facing implementation ownership — not only data entry or test execution.
Which German mission handles your application
Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca. Jurisdiction follows your registered address. Book via digital.diplo.de.
Common mistakes
Functional SAP consultants counting the shortage occupation point. ISCO 2421 is not a shortage occupation. The 1 point is not available to the functional track. Start your points calculation from 0 on shortage and build from experience, language, and age.
Submitting the intermediate ENCG Licence (year 3) instead of the full DENCG (year 5). The intermediate diploma is ISCED 6 — it satisfies the base requirement but places you on Route 2 without the master-level ISCED 7 advantage.
No ENCG campus-specific anabin check. Each ENCG campus (Settat, Casablanca, Tanger, Marrakech, Kénitra) may appear separately in anabin or under its parent university. Check your specific campus, not "ENCG" generically.
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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