Learn German — Courses, Self-Study & Practice Tips

Language Characteristics and Difficulty

Understand the language levels, study targets and practical demands before learning German in Germany.

Set a Realistic Language Target

For an English-speaking learner preparing to study, work or live in Germany, the most useful starting point is to define the language level required for the specific goal. Many German degree programmes require German knowledge at least at level B2, while some international degree programmes are taught partly or completely in English. Even when the classroom language is English, the German language remains useful for everyday situations such as shopping. The DAAD guide to learning German therefore recommends preparing through a language course at your home higher education institution, a language institute such as the Goethe-Institut, or an online course before arrival. Treat B2 as a planning reference for programmes that require it, but check the admission requirements of each higher education institution because requirements and deadlines may vary. A practical preparation plan should identify the classroom language, the required proof of language knowledge, and the time available before the intended start date.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees describes German integration courses through concrete stages rather than through a vague promise of fluency. A general integration course contains 600 language-course teaching units and 100 orientation-course teaching units, with one teaching unit lasting 45 minutes. The language course is divided into six sections of 100 teaching units: the first 300 units form the basic course and the following 300 units form the advanced language course. Special courses for women, parents, young adults and people who cannot read or write properly can comprise 1,000 teaching units, while intensive courses are available for particularly fast learners. These numbers are useful when estimating the scale of a formal learning route. They also show why a learner should not plan only around vocabulary apps or occasional conversation. A formal course combines language learning with repeated practice in the situations that affect daily life, including contact with authorities, conversations with neighbours and at work, letters and forms. The [BAMF integration-course guidance](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/Integration/Integrationskurse/Kursteilnehmer/Merkblaetter/630-036_merkblatt-auslaenderbehoerde-englisch.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=7) gives the official structure and participation rules.

Why Progress Can Feel Slow

The sources do not provide a single difficulty rating for German, and a responsible study plan should not promise that every learner will reach a particular level in a fixed number of days. Progress depends on the learner’s starting point, the level required, the amount of study, the amount of practice and the learning environment. The supplied English-learning reference makes the broader point that language-learning time varies according to current level, target level, previous languages, intensity and practice. The same planning principle is useful here: measure progress against a defined target and regular evidence rather than against a general claim that German is easy or difficult. For an English-speaking learner, the practical difficulty may appear in the volume of language needed for official forms, work conversations, study preparation and daily administration. These are not abstract topics. BAMF specifically lists shopping, public transport, authorities, housing, leisure, letters, emails, forms and job applications as course content. Use those situations to decide what “good enough” means for the next stage, then raise the target as your circumstances change. The BAMF description of integration courses explains why German is connected to work, applications, school support and meeting new people.

A learner should separate three different demands: understanding a course, managing daily life and demonstrating language proficiency in an examination. A degree programme may require proof of the classroom language; an integration course tests German at B1 through the German Test for Immigrants, or DTZ; and naturalisation requires sufficient German knowledge at B1 together with knowledge of the legal and social system and living conditions in Germany. The BAMF naturalisation information states that B1 is the relevant German level for naturalisation and that a successful integration-course certificate can provide evidence of B1 through the DTZ. These goals overlap but are not interchangeable. Someone applying to a German-taught university should plan for the institution’s stated admission proof, while someone preparing for integration or naturalisation should plan around B1 and the associated civic test. Write the target examination or administrative purpose at the top of your study plan. This prevents the common mistake of collecting general German exercises without preparing the reading, listening, writing, speaking or civic-knowledge tasks that the intended route actually measures.

Build Skills Around Situations

The most useful beginner German study sequence is the one that connects language to a real task. BAMF’s course description gives a practical inventory: shopping, public transport, contacting authorities, looking for accommodation, leisure activities, conversations with neighbours and workplace situations. It also includes writing letters and emails, filling in forms, making telephone calls and applying for a job. Use these areas as weekly themes. During a shopping week, practise the words and short exchanges needed to identify an item and complete the transaction. During an authorities week, study the language needed to understand a form and ask for clarification. During a housing week, practise the vocabulary connected with looking for a place to live and the written formats used for enquiries. The point is not to invent extra facts about German society; it is to make the official course topics visible in daily practice. The [BAMF English-language leaflet Learn German](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/Integration/LernenSieDeutsch/lernen-sie-deutsch_en.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=13) lists these areas and explains that the course is intended to build confidence in using familiar and new words correctly.

• Choose one immediate goal: university admission, integration-course completion, workplace communication or naturalisation preparation.
• Record the required language level and accepted examination in the official information for your programme or procedure.
• Organise practice around shopping, public transport, authorities, housing, work, letters, emails, forms and telephone calls.
• Use a placement test or other level check before committing to a course section.
• Review progress through tasks you can complete, not only through the number of words or lessons studied.

Official Language Courses and Tests

Compare integration courses, vocational language courses and German examinations using official requirements and costs.

The Integration-Course Route

The official integration course is the clearest structured route for many immigrants who live permanently in Germany and speak little or no German. The general course consists of a 600-teaching-unit language course followed by a 100-teaching-unit orientation course. The language course has six sections of 100 units, divided into a 300-unit basic course and a 300-unit advanced course. The orientation course covers Germany’s legal system, culture and recent history. It also addresses rights and duties, daily life, traditions, regulations, liberties and democratic values such as religious freedom, tolerance and equal rights for different social groups. A placement test is administered by the course provider before the course begins, and the test is free of charge. The result determines the course and section at which the learner should start. Learners can move between sections, skip or repeat certain sections, depending on their knowledge and learning speed. The [BAMF information sheet for integration-course participation](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/Integration/Integrationskurse/Kursteilnehmer/Merkblaetter/630-121_merkblatt-oeffnung-Integrationskurse.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=11) gives the detailed structure, eligibility route and timing rules.

Eligibility depends on residence status and personal circumstances. Foreign nationals whose first residence title was granted after 01.01.2005 and who live permanently in Germany are legally entitled to attend an integration course; if they cannot make themselves understood in German, they may be obliged to attend. Citizens of the European Union, nationals who have lived legally in Germany for a longer period, and German nationals without sufficient German may apply for admission through the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Ethnic German resettlers usually have a free entitlement, and spouses and children may also be entitled when they are included in the admission notification. Certain asylum applicants, people with a temporary suspension of deportation and holders of particular temporary residence permits can apply for admission under the specified rules. Since the eligibility categories are tied to legal status, do not assume that an English-speaking student, worker or family member automatically qualifies. Ask the responsible foreigners authority, the regional BAMF office, a Migration Counselling Service for Adult Immigrants or a Youth Migration Service. The [BAMF guidance for longer-term residents, EU and EEA citizens](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/Integration/Integrationskurse/Kursteilnehmer/Merkblaetter/630-009_merkblatt-zum-antrag-auf-zulassung.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=10) describes the application route and the one-year validity of admission.

Tests and Certificates

The integration-course final assessment has two parts. The language test is the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer, or DTZ, and the orientation-course test is called “Leben in Deutschland,” or “Life in Germany.” Successful completion requires sufficient German at language level B1 in the language test and a pass in the “Life in Germany” test. Both final tests are free of charge. If the learner passes both, BAMF awards the “Zertifikat Integrationskurs,” or integration-course certificate. If the learner does not demonstrate B1 after completing the language course and taking the language test, the learner may, under the stated conditions, apply once to repeat up to 300 language-course teaching units. The final test can then be taken again free of charge. The BAMF integration-course page also links to information about course content, attendance and costs, special course types, rights and obligations, and the final examination. Keep the certificate and result documents because they can later serve different administrative purposes.

University applicants need to distinguish the integration-course tests from higher-education language examinations. The supplied comparison of DSH and TestDaF states that both correspond to B2/C1 under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and assess writing, listening and reading. Each uses three performance levels: DSH-1, DSH-2 and DSH-3 for DSH, and TDN 3, TDN 4 and TDN 5 for TestDaF. The middle level is described as qualifying for university study. DSH can only be taken at licensed universities or higher education institutions in Germany, is decentralised and may differ by location and date. TestDaF can be taken worldwide at licensed test centres, is centralised and uses the same dates worldwide. The comparison also states that TestDaF requires at least TDN 4 in all four test sections for study in Germany, with no compensation between sections, whereas DSH has no minimum performance requirement in each subtest and allows stronger parts to compensate for weaker ones. Check the institution’s own examination rules before registering. The DSH and TestDaF comparison is an educational comparison dated February 2015, so use it as orientation and confirm current acceptance with the institution.

Costs and Course Timing

Many integration courses require a cost contribution of €2.29 per teaching unit. The contribution is paid before each course section of 100 teaching units and before the orientation course, and missed teaching units are not refundable. The official BAMF guidance says that people receiving Bürgergeld, unemployment benefit or subsistence assistance, people who are financially needy for other reasons, and some employed people below an annually changing gross-income threshold may apply for exemption. The application should be submitted in writing to the responsible regional BAMF office, ideally before the course begins, because an application made during the course cannot generally be backdated to the beginning. If the final test is passed within the applicable period, half of the contribution may be reimbursed under the stated conditions. BAMF’s cost information gives a concrete example: a general integration course with 700 teaching hours costs €1,603 at €2.29 per hour. Because the exact rules depend on the participant’s status and the date of the eligibility certificate, use the BAMF information on integration-course attendance and costs when calculating your own budget.

Self-Study Resources and Apps

Use free official digital resources, mobile courses and level-based practice to support formal German learning.

Free Digital German Courses

BAMF lists several digital German-learning offers that can support preparation before arrival or practice after moving. The vhs-Lernportal provides online German courses from A1 to B2 and is suitable for self-study. Learners are accompanied by an online tutor who corrects tasks, provides feedback, gives individual advice and offers motivation. The portal requires no previous knowledge, is optimised for smartphones and can be used through an app when there is temporarily no internet connection. Its menu navigation and user interface have been translated into 18 languages, and use is free of charge. These features make it suitable for a learner who needs a structured beginner path but cannot attend a classroom course every day. The resource is not described as a replacement for every official examination or residence procedure; use it as a study tool and keep your formal course or test target separate. The BAMF overview of digital German courses identifies the portal, its levels, tutor support, mobile access and free use.

“Nicos Weg,” provided through Deutsche Welle, is an online German course for beginners from A1 onwards. The course uses a video series and interactive exercises to present learning content in an entertaining and practical way. Learners follow Nico through everyday life and encounter the challenges of a new home while studying German. The mobile course is suitable for tablets and smartphones and is available in many source languages. The Goethe-Institut’s German trainer app provides ten chapters for practising vocabulary and structures on everyday topics, including counting, food and telling the time. The Austrian Integration Fund’s Language Portal offers online exercises, learning stories, podcasts and videos that can be used in a course or independently at home. It includes general-language and work-related offers, including live online classes that can be attended flexibly without registration. These resources have different formats, so assign each one a clear role: a structured course for progression, videos for listening and context, an app for short vocabulary sessions, and podcasts or live classes for additional exposure. The same BAMF digital-course page provides the official descriptions and links.

Choose One Core Resource

Self-study becomes easier to maintain when one resource acts as the core and the others provide focused support. For a complete beginner, the supplied resources support a sequence beginning at A1: use vhs-Lernportal or Nicos Weg as the main progression, then use German trainer for short vocabulary and structure practice. The portal descriptions do not require previous knowledge for vhs-Lernportal, while Nicos Weg explicitly starts at A1. A learner who is already in Germany can add “Mein Weg nach Deutschland,” a Goethe-Institut section containing short texts about living in Germany. A learner preparing for employment can use the official BAMF vocational language-course information to identify the language areas that will matter later, such as job interviews, employment contracts, professional emails and letters. The Goethe-Institut resource described by BAMF is especially relevant when the learner needs short information texts about living in Germany, while the DAAD learning page links to online learning and preparation options for students.

Keep a simple record of what each session produces. Instead of writing only “studied German,” record the resource, level, topic and output: for example, one vhs-Lernportal lesson at A1, one Nicos Weg video with its interactive exercises, or one German trainer chapter on food or time. Add one practical result such as completing a form exercise, writing an email, rehearsing a telephone call or explaining a housing question. This approach follows the content of the official integration course, which focuses on vocabulary for day-to-day life and the working world, correct use of familiar and new words, letters, emails, forms, telephone calls and job applications. If a digital resource is available offline, download or open the mobile version before a planned travel period so that the study routine does not depend on continuous internet access. The [BAMF Learn German leaflet](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/Integration/LernenSieDeutsch/lernen-sie-deutsch_en.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=13) gives the practical language areas that should guide this output-focused routine.

Study for the Intended Test

Digital resources are most effective when they are connected to the examination or procedure that follows. If your target is the integration-course certificate, plan toward B1 German in the DTZ and the “Life in Germany” test. If your target is a German-taught degree programme, compare the university’s accepted proof with the DSH and TestDaF formats. The supplied university comparison states that DSH and TestDaF test writing, listening and reading and correspond to B2/C1. It also describes a difference in scoring: DSH has no minimum result for each individual subtest, while TestDaF requires at least TDN 4 in every one of its four test parts for university study. This means that a learner using an app should eventually add balanced practice across all relevant skills. Do not use a vocabulary score as evidence that you are ready for a writing, listening or speaking examination. The DSH and TestDaF comparison should be read together with the current rules of the institution or examination provider.

1. Select one core resource at the correct level, beginning with A1 if you have no previous German knowledge.
2. Use a video or interactive course for progression and an app, podcast or short text for additional practice.
3. Create one written or spoken output after each session: a form, email, telephone script, explanation or summary.
4. Practise the skill balance required by your intended route: daily communication for integration, workplace language for employment, or examination tasks for university admission.
5. Review your plan whenever your residence, study or employment goal changes.

Support Beyond Apps

If self-study does not answer an administrative question, use the counselling services named by BAMF rather than guessing. The Migration Counselling Service for Adult Immigrants and Youth Migration Services can advise on work and careers, learning German, health and housing. They can be contacted online or through an advice office, and BAMF-NAvI can help locate relevant services. For people planning to move as qualified professionals, Make it in Germany is the German government portal for qualified professionals from around the world. It provides information from preparations in the home country through the move and the first steps in Germany, and it can be browsed in a variety of languages. These are not language-learning apps, but they help connect language study to the real decisions that learners must make. The BAMF migration-counselling information and the Make it in Germany portal are the appropriate starting points named in the supplied source context.

Practicing in Daily Life

Turn official course topics into repeatable speaking, listening, reading and writing practice after arrival.

Practise Real Tasks

Daily practice should mirror the situations that official German courses identify as important. BAMF lists shopping, public transport, contact with authorities, looking for a place to live, leisure activities with friends and neighbours, and everyday situations at work. It also includes writing letters and emails, filling out forms, making telephone calls and applying for a job. Turn these categories into a rotating practice schedule. On one day, rehearse a short shopping interaction; on another, read a transport-related notice or prepare questions for a course provider; on another, draft a housing enquiry or a work-related email. The exercise should end with a concrete action, even if the action is only reading a form aloud and identifying the information requested. This keeps “German daily conversation” connected to the language needed for living rather than limiting practice to isolated sentences. The [BAMF Learn German information](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/Integration/LernenSieDeutsch/lernen-sie-deutsch_en.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=13) specifically describes these everyday and workplace tasks.

A useful practice cycle has four parts: prepare, attempt, record and repeat. First choose a source sentence, form, email or video from your course or digital resource. Next attempt the task without translating every word. Then record the words or phrases that blocked you, together with the situation in which they were needed. Finally repeat the same task after reviewing the missing language. The supplied digital-course information supports this cycle because vhs-Lernportal includes tutor correction and feedback, while Nicos Weg uses videos and interactive exercises tied to everyday life. If you are attending an integration course, use the 600 language-course units to build a base and then apply the same topics outside class. The BAMF digital German-course overview describes both the tutor-supported portal and the practical video course, making them suitable sources for repeatable input and correction.

Speaking practice does not require a complicated language exchange system. Use the situations already named in the sources and rehearse the language needed to act: asking a question at an authority, speaking with a neighbour, discussing a workplace matter, calling a course provider, or asking about accommodation. If you are a student, the international office and local student services organisation are identified as support organisations in the international-student study. The same study says that tandem learning, language courses forming part of the study programme, information events and opportunities to create private and professional networks have helped international students find employment after graduation. This supports a practical rule: use every institutional contact as a chance to prepare and use German, while recognising that the exact language available depends on the programme and situation. The [BAMF study on attracting and retaining international students](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/EMN/Studien/wp85-internationale-studierende.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=18) identifies tandem learning, language courses and networks as useful forms of support.

Use Work and Study Settings

International students face language barriers among the challenges associated with study and later employment. The source study recommends targeted preparation, information and counselling, and describes practical experience, private and professional networks, information events, specific training opportunities, tandem learning and language courses as measures that have helped students during the job search. Build daily practice around the language of your actual course or work environment. Before a seminar, prepare the words needed to ask for clarification and describe your task. Before a workplace meeting, review the terms that appear in the relevant email or contract. Afterward, write down the phrases that were used repeatedly. This is more actionable than trying to learn every possible professional word at once. The vocational language-course programme is designed for people who need language for the workplace and includes examples such as job interviews, employment contracts, professional emails and letters. The BAMF vocational language-course information explains how these courses build on integration courses and prepare learners for workplace requirements.

For people entering vocational training or employment, the BSK programme offers several formats. Courses may be delivered at a course provider’s premises or directly at an employer’s premises, in person or virtually, and full-time or part-time alongside work. Basic courses with certificate examinations cover target levels A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2, although entry rules vary by target. The source gives examples of lower entry levels for some courses: A1 may be accepted for an A2-target course and A2 for a Job-BSK. Workplace-related courses can address professional medical language, technical or commercial German, or specific job-related language. Use the daily workplace as a source of terms and questions, then choose a course format that fits your schedule and eligibility. The official BAMF vocational course page provides the target levels, examples of course groups, delivery formats and participation requirements.

Practise Reading and Writing

Reading and writing are central to functioning in Germany because the integration-course material explicitly includes letters, emails and forms. Create a small personal archive of the documents and messages you genuinely need to understand, while protecting personal data. Begin by identifying the purpose of each document and the action it requests. Then underline known words, mark unclear words, and write a short question that you could ask a course provider, authority, landlord or employer. Use a course or tutor to check your written response. The aim is not to produce a perfect essay; it is to make a reliable next move. If your future route is university admission, add the writing and reading practice required by the selected DSH or TestDaF format. The comparison source states that both examinations test writing, listening and reading, so an app-only routine is not sufficient evidence of readiness. The University of Hannover comparison of DSH and TestDaF explains the relevant examination skills.

A simple weekly review can connect daily practice to longer-term targets. Count how many real tasks you attempted, not merely how many minutes you spent. Note whether you completed a form, wrote an email, made a telephone call, understood a workplace exchange or participated in a conversation with neighbours. Then compare the gaps with the official course topics. If your problem is vocabulary for daily life, return to the integration-course modules. If the problem is workplace communication, consider a vocational language course. If the problem is an examination section, practise that section deliberately. The sources also show that course attendance matters: integration-course participants should attend regularly until the end and take the final test, and course eligibility may expire if the learner does not begin within one year or interrupts attendance for longer than one year. The [BAMF guidance on rights and obligations](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/Integration/Integrationskurse/Kursteilnehmer/Merkblaetter/630-036_merkblatt-auslaenderbehoerde-englisch.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=7) should guide formal attendance while your daily practice supplies repetition between lessons.

1. Choose one official topic for the day: shopping, transport, authorities, housing, neighbours, work or applications.
2. Prepare a short set of words and questions before the interaction.
3. Attempt the task in German and record the point where communication stopped.
4. Ask a course provider, tutor, colleague or counselling service for correction when appropriate.
5. Repeat the same task later and add one new variation, such as a telephone call instead of a written message.

Integration and Language Requirements

Understand how German language evidence connects to residence, work, study and naturalisation procedures.

Residence and Study Planning

Language requirements depend on the purpose and legal route of the stay. International students usually need to provide a higher education entrance qualification, proof of knowledge of the classroom language, and proof of sufficient financial means including healthcare insurance to obtain a residence permit for study purposes. Higher education institutions handle admissions, and admission requirements and deadlines may vary. As a rule, students apply for a visa in their country of origin, after which the visa is replaced by a residence permit issued by the responsible local foreigners authority. Students who attend international programmes taught partly or completely in English may not need the same German proof for admission, but the DAAD states that German knowledge remains helpful for everyday situations such as shopping. The [BAMF study of international students](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/EMN/Studien/wp85-internationale-studierende.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=18) describes the admission, visa, residence and language-proof framework, while the DAAD language guidance explains the difference between German-taught and English-taught programmes.

A person who wants to attend a language course in Germany should also distinguish between course participation and the right to work or study. BAMF states that an intensive German course can be attended in Germany for up to twelve months, with tuition every day for at least 18 hours per week. During that language-course stay, the participant is not allowed to work and must ensure subsistence. A language course may also prepare someone for vocational training or work when the next activity begins directly after successful completion and is stated in the visa process. A university may require a particular level of German or another language before admission, and in some circumstances a person may enter for a preparatory language course connected to a conditional admission. The BAMF page on attending a language course in Germany provides these limits and routes. Check the residence title before making financial or employment plans.

Integration Certificate and B1

The integration-course certificate combines two types of evidence: German language at B1 through the DTZ and civic knowledge through the “Life in Germany” test. The general course includes 600 language-course teaching units and 100 orientation-course teaching units, and the final tests are free. If the learner has attended the language course in full, taken the language test and not demonstrated B1, the learner may apply under the stated conditions to repeat up to 300 language-course teaching units once. The certificate can make daily life easier and improve prospects on the labour market, and BAMF states that it may support earlier naturalisation where applicable. This does not mean that every residence or university requirement is automatically satisfied. Treat the certificate as evidence for the particular purposes recognised by the authority. The [BAMF integration-course guidance](https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/Integration/Integrationskurse/Kursteilnehmer/Merkblaetter/630-009_merkblatt-zum-antrag-auf-zulassung.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=10) explains the B1 target, the two final tests, repeat lessons and certificate.

The cost rules are also part of practical integration planning. BAMF’s guidance states that the standard contribution is €2.29 per lesson and that the contribution is paid before each section of 100 teaching units and before the orientation course. People receiving Bürgergeld, unemployment benefit or subsistence assistance, people who are otherwise financially needy, and some employed people below an annually changing gross-income threshold may apply for exemption. If the final test is passed within the applicable two-year or three-year period, depending on the type of course and the date of the qualification certificate, half of the contribution may be reimbursed under the stated conditions. A travel allowance may be available where the course location is at least 3 km from the participant’s home, subject to the applicable rules. The BAMF cost information gives the concrete example of €1,603 for a 700-hour general course and explains exemption and reimbursement applications.

Workplace Language Requirements

Vocational language courses are intended for immigrants from non-EU countries, EU citizens and Germans with a migration background who need German for labour-market integration. The programme builds on the integration course and prepares learners for workplace language requirements. Courses may be suitable for jobseekers, people receiving SGB II or SGB III benefits, people seeking vocational training, people already in vocational training, people whose professional qualifications are being recognised, or employed people whose German is not sufficient for everyday work. The programme offers certificate courses with targets A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2, as well as workplace-related courses for particular professional or target groups. Courses may be full-time or part-time, in person or virtual, at the provider’s premises or at an employer’s premises. The BAMF vocational language-course page also gives concrete examples of content, including job interviews, employment contracts, professional emails and letters.

Participation in a vocational language course generally requires a certificate of eligibility. Jobseekers and people receiving SGB II or SGB III benefits should contact the local employment agency or job centre. Employed people, trainees and people undergoing professional-qualification recognition should contact the responsible BAMF main office. The course programme can be viewed through KURSNET, and registration takes place locally with the selected course provider. Participation is generally free. If taxable annual income exceeds €20,000 for an individual or €40,000 for joint assessment with a spouse, the participant pays €2.56 per teaching unit. For a course with 400 teaching units, the source gives a total personal contribution of €1,024, although the employer may take over the contribution. After passing the examination, the learner can request a refund of 50% of the contribution. Use the official BAMF vocational-course information for the eligibility and cost details.

Naturalisation Requirements

The BAMF naturalisation information states that sufficient German at level B1 is one of the requirements for naturalisation. It also lists five years of habitual and regular residence as a general requirement, while naturalisation after three years may be possible for people who have demonstrated special aptitude toward integration, such as particularly good academic or professional performance together with very good German language skills. Other requirements include clarified identity and nationality, commitment to the free democratic basic order, acknowledgement of Germany’s special historical responsibility, a permanent right of residence or an eligible residence title, financial self-sufficiency, no relevant criminal conviction and knowledge of Germany’s legal and social system and living conditions. The language target should therefore be planned together with civic knowledge and residence documentation. The BAMF naturalisation page is the source for these conditions and should be checked before applying.

The naturalisation test has 33 questions and 60 minutes. Each question has four possible answers, and at least 17 correct answers are required to pass. Thirty questions concern living in a democracy, history and responsibility, and people and society; three concern the federal state in which the applicant is registered as having their primary residence. The test costs €25, and a valid photo ID must be brought on the examination day. The complete preparation catalogue contains 310 questions: 300 general questions and 10 questions about the applicant’s federal state. A person who has obtained the integration-course certificate can use it as proof of B1 through the DTZ and civic knowledge if at least 17 of 33 points were achieved in the “Life in Germany” test. The same BAMF naturalisation source provides the examination format, cost, pass mark and recognition rules.