Do I need a job offer to come to Germany as a skilled worker?

If you want to work in Germany under the skilled worker route, you generally need an employment contract or a concrete offer for a qualified job from a German employer.

The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte), introduced in June 2024, is the exception. It uses a points-based system and allows qualified non-EU nationals to enter Germany for up to 12 months to search for qualified employment, even without a job offer in hand.