Language courses - Key for Mobility

Learning the German language

New to Germany and want to learn the language? Attending the integration course will help you with that. If you speak no German or only a little, attendance is mandatory, in other words you have to take the integration course.

The immigration office (Ausländeramt) gives you a certificate of eligibility and a list of course providers, in other words language schools. Then you can find a language school in your area and register there.

You can also find the addresses of all integration course providers under the heading Important addresses. There you can search for course providers near your place in Germany. Then you will see the results with information such as address or telephone number on a map.

Language level assessment, lessons and final examination

Once you have registered with the course provider you take a language level assessment. This enables them to find out which course is best for you. The cost to you is 1.20 € per lesson. If you don’t have much money, you will not have to pay and/or your travel expenses will be reimbursed. The integration course consists of a language course and an orientation course.

The language course consists of 600 lessons. Here you learn the language with aspects of everyday life, such as shopping, housing, children, media, leisure, school and work, or appointments with the doctor.

At the end you take your final examination (“German language test for immigrants”; DTZ). After the examination you are awarded an “Integration course certificate”. You can then speak, read and write German to level A2 or B1 standard. Many employers want to see this certificate. Sometimes you also need it for an authority, such as the immigration office.

What if you don’t pass the final examination? Then you can repeat the 300 lessons. And you can retake the examination as well.

Special courses

There is a special integration course for young people up to the age of 27, the youth integration course. It helps you if you want to do vocational training. Information is available from the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF).

In some towns, specialised courses are also offered, such as courses aimed at women only, literacy courses or courses with childcare. Ask at your language school.

How long is the integration course?

The integration course normally consists of 700 lessons:

The language course is 600 lessons. Usually you have 4 or 5 lessons per day. The weekend is free. Then the course lasts 6 to 7 months. But there are also more intensive courses, as well as morning, afternoon or evening courses. Ask the course provider.

The orientation course follows the language course and consists of 100 lessons. You usually have 5 lessons per day for this as well. Then the course lasts 3 to 4 weeks. But there are also more intensive versions of this course, as well as morning, afternoon or evening courses. Ask the course provider.

How long is the youth integration course?

It consists of 945 lessons. The language course consists of 900 lessons, the orientation course consists of 45 lessons.

Where can I do an integration course?

Many language schools offer these courses. Find language schools near you, phone them up or search for them on the internet using this website:

BAMF – Looking for an integration course