I have been reluctant to write this article.
Perhaps because I lacked the courage to look back at what happened. Or, more importantly, because I do not want to encourage people to believe that there is a “perfect virgin land” somewhere in the world — a place where moving to Germany could solve all your life problems.
No, it didn’t. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
But this journey opened my eyes again. It showed me how blind I had been, and how much I still needed to learn. It gave me the courage to face unexpected challenges and eventually transformed me into someone mentally stronger and healthier. Then, when the journey was over, I left.
This article records my personal experience applying for Germany’s Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) in August 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan, as a Taiwanese citizen.
Official information from the German Federal Government:
https://digital.diplo.de/Chancenkarte
At the time, my application included:
Graduate Degree
I had a German graduate degree, so I was automatically recognized as a skilled worker without going through the Anabin process.
Language Certificate
I submitted my IELTS certificate as proof of English ability.
Financial Proof
The required minimum was: €1,192 × 12 months = €14,304
However, this is only the minimum visa requirement. My rent in Frankfurt alone was around €1,100/month, so a realistic monthly budget was closer to €2,000. Munich and Berlin can be even more expensive.
CV
Reference
This was the most confusing part.(A reference of what exactly?) The system asked for the name, phone number, and address of a reference person. I eventually provided my university professor’s contact information.
Motivation Letter
I explained that I planned to find an engineering job in Frankfurt and described my professional background.
Place of Stay
Since I did not know where I would live, I used an Airbnb address.
Insurance
I used Mawista insurance to cover my 12-month stay.
Planned Stay Duration
October 2025 – September 2026.
After preparing the documents, I created an account on Auslandsportal, selected the Opportunity Card application, and uploaded everything online.
During the review process, the German Institute Taipei contacted me through the Auslandsportal chat whenever they had questions. Usually, I was given about one week to provide corrections or additional documents.
After the online review was completed, I received a link to schedule an appointment, submitted my passport in person, and paid the €75 visa fee.
One month later, my Opportunity Card visa was approved and delivered to my home address.
And then, the real story began.
對於寫這篇文章，我其實有很大的抗拒。
或許是因為我沒有勇氣重新回頭看那段經歷；又或者，更大的原因是，我不想鼓勵那些對搬到國外充滿期待的人，以為世界上真的存在一塊「完美的新大陸」，只要搬去德國，人生的問題就能迎刃而解。
不，事情並不是這樣。可能剛好相反。
但那段經歷確實再次打開了我的眼界，讓我看見自己曾經有多麼天真，也讓我學會如何面對那些完全出乎意料的人生事件。經歷了那些衝擊之後，我變得更堅強、更健康，也有勇氣離開。
本文記錄的是我於 2025 年 8 月，以台灣籍身份在台北申請德國 Chancenkarte（Opportunity Card，機會卡） 的完整過程。
德國聯邦政府在官方網站上對 Opportunity Card 的申請資格有詳細說明，而當時我符合的條件如下：
- 學歷證明：我持有德國研究所學位，因此直接被認定為「技術人才（Skilled Worker）」，不需要再透過 Anabin 進行學歷認證。
- 語言能力證明：我提交的是 IELTS 英文成績。
- 財力證明：當時要求至少有 €1,192 × 12 個月 = €14,304 的存款。(但我後來在法蘭克福的房租是一個月€1,100，因此一個月真實的生活花費大概是€2,000。慕尼黑和柏林物價會更高。請不要輕信德國的「官方數字」)
- 履歷（CV）
- Reference（推薦人）：這是整個申請中最令人困惑的一項。系統要求填寫推薦人的姓名、電話與地址，但並沒有清楚說明這位推薦人應該是誰。我最後填寫的是我研究所教授的聯絡資訊。
- Motivation Letter（動機信）：需要說明你打算如何找工作、想在哪個城市發展，以及會運用哪些專業技能。我當時寫的是希望到法蘭克福擔任工程師。
- 住宿地址（Place of Stay）：由於當時我根本不知道最後會住在哪裡，因此直接填寫了一間 Airbnb 的地址。
- 醫療保險：我使用的是 Mawista，投保期間涵蓋整整 12 個月。
- 預計停留期間（Planned Stay Duration）：我填寫的是 2025 年 10 月至 2026 年 9 月。
接著，我在 Auslandsportal 建立帳號，選擇 Opportunity Card，填寫基本個人資料，並直接在平台上傳所有申請文件。
整個預審過程都是在線上完成的。如果德國在台協會的承辦人員對我的資料有任何疑問，他們會透過 Auslandsportal 的聊天功能與我聯繫。通常他們會給我一週左右的時間補件或修改資料，之後再繼續審查。
當線上預審完成後，我收到一封電子郵件，裡面附有預約連結。我依照指示預約到德國在台協會，親自遞交護照，並支付 75 歐元 的簽證申請費。
大約一個月後，我的 Opportunity Card 簽證核發完成，並直接寄送到我的住家地址。
然後，真正的故事才正要開始。