Integration course
Who offers the integration course?
The integration course is a basic state’s offer of language and political training for immigrants of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The aim of the integration course is to promote the integration of new immigrants in terms of social participation and equal
What is an integration course?
The integration course is not an employment related language course but an offer for social integration. It aims new immigrants to acquire verbal and written German language skills at the competence level B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. However, integration into the German labour market often requires language skills above the competence level B1.
A general integration course consists of 700 lesson units (45 minutes each), divided into two parts: a language course to impart sufficient verbal and written German language skills and an orientation course to impart knowledge of the legal system, history, and culture in Germany.
The language course is the first part of the integration course. It comprises 6 modules of 100 lesson units each (600 in total) divided into a basic and an advanced language course – 300 lesson units everyone (45 minutes each), corresponding to competence levels A1, A2 and B1. The language course covers important topics from everyday life, for example: Housing, health, childcare and teaching, work and career, education and training, shopping, trade and consumption, leisure and social contacts, media, and its use. You will also learn how to write letters and emails in German, fill out forms, make phone calls and apply for a job. The language course concludes with the DTZ exam “German Test for Immigrants”.
Following the language course, you will attend the orientation course, or the 7th module of the integration course consists of 100 lessons units, where you will acquire knowledge about the politics, legal system and history of the Federal Republic of Germany, its society and culture, forms of social coexistence and values such as human dignity, the principle of non-discrimination, religious freedom, tolerance and equal rights for women and men. The orientation course concludes with the LiD test “Living in Germany”.
Each lesson unit usually costs 2,29 euros (cost contribution).
A whole general integration course that consists of 700 lessons costs approximately 1,603 euros.
Why do you need an integration course?
The integration course can help you to settle in Germany quickly as well to act confidently and independently in everyday life. Additionally, good German language skills increase your chances of integration into the labour market, and they are also the basis for your successful professional or educational career in Germany. The life-related language teaching in the integration course thus forms a strong foundation for the further steps towards your social, and cultural integration.
The integration course therefore aims to achieve sufficient language skills at level B1, the first level of independent using of German language. More important, the competence level B1 is a basic requirement for obtaining a settlement permit and naturalization.
Where can you find an integration course?
– BavariaNeedsYou migration service (https://charter22.eu/)
– BAMF-NAvI (https://bamf-navi.bamf.de/de/)
– Federal Employment Agency (https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/fuer-menschen-aus-dem-ausland/deutsch-lernen)
– Youth migration services ( https://www.jugendmigrationsdienste.de/)
– Adult education centers (https://www.vhs.info/bayern/)
When should you start an integration course?
As soon as you have received your settlement or residence permit, you can apply online to the BAMF for admission to an integration course. Once you have received the certificate of eligibility, you can register as soon as possible with the integration course provider named to you or, if this is not the case, with an integration course provider of your choice.
The certificate of eligibility is valid for one year. You have until the date stated on the eligibility certificate to register with an integration course provider of your choice.
How can you take part in an integration course?
Any new immigrant with a permanent residence status who speaks little or no German and has been issued a certificate of eligibility to attend an integration course by the responsible immigration authority or the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) – as well as anyone who would like to learn German, provided there is free course capacity.
To take part in an integration course, you can apply for admission online. Based on the results of the placement test you will be assigned to a specific course module and, if applicable, to a specific integration course.
The integration course provider must inform you of the expected start date. In any case, the course should start within six weeks of your registration. If no course takes place within this period, the integration course provider must inform you accordingly.
Please note that your entitlement to participate expires if, for reasons for which you are responsible, you do not start the integration course within one year of your registration or if you interrupt the integration course you have started for longer than one year.
If you need childcare to attend an integration course, please contact your integration course provider. They should inform you about existing childcare options.
In order to achieve the goal of the integration course, you should attend classes regularly until the end of the course and take the final test. Your integration course provider will confirm your attendance in writing if you wish.
If you want to and can achieve the course goal particularly quickly, you should choose an intensive course – 400 lessons in the language course and 30 lessons in the orientation course.
Completion of the language course is verified by taking the “German Test for Immigrants” language test. The test is successfully passed if the examination has been completed at level B1.
The orientation course is completed by taking the “Living in Germany” test. Participants who pass both final tests receive the “Integration Course Certificate”. Participation in the final test is free of charge. There is no entitlement to participate in the integration course if you clearly have little need for integration or already speak sufficient German (you may still participate in an orientation course). If your children have been enrolled at a German school, they will not receive a certificate of eligibility to take part in the integration course.
Please note that you are not covered by statutory accident insurance while attending an integration course.
In addition to the general integration course, there are special integration courses that may be suitable for you:
Integration courses for the aforementioned special target groups comprise up to 900 lessons in the language course and 100 lessons in the orientation course. If participants have not achieved the course objective but have duly attended the integration course, they can repeat up to 300 teaching units of the language course once under certain conditions.
language course. An application is required to participate in the repeat lessons.
You can find more information on this on the BAMF website: https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Dossiers/DE/Integration/integrationskurse-im-fokus.html
Further helpful links that we have listed for you:
You can apply for admission to an integration course online here: https://verwaltung.bund.de/leistungsverzeichnis/DE/leistung/99011002007000/herausgeber/LeiKa-574959/region/00
Here you can find detailed information on integration courses: https://www.bamf.de/DE/Themen/Integration/ZugewanderteTeilnehmende/Integrationskurse/integrationskurse-node.html
You can search for an integration course here: https://bamf-navi.bamf.de/de/Themen/Integrationskurse/
Here you can find all BAMF-approved providers of integration courses: https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/DE/Integration/Integrationskurse/Kurstraeger/ListeKurstraeger/liste-der-zugelassenen-kurstraeger-xls.html
Here you can find course providers and course locations in your area as well as your responsible BAMF regional office: https://bamf-navi.bamf.de/de/
If you live in Munich, you can find an integration course here: https://stadt.muenchen.de/service/info/hauptabteilung-ii-buergerangelegenheiten/1080801/
You can find all the necessary forms here: https://www.bamf.de/formulare
(Bitte here 1. flyer-integrationskurse-en; 2. lernen-sie-deutsch_en; 3. grafische-uebersicht-integrationskurs-DINA2 hochladen mit der Notierung der Quelle)