Integration Programs in Germany: Which One Are You Entitled To?
Germany funds several integration programs, not just one. The BAMF Integrationskurs takes you from zero to B1 in 700 lessons, with special versions for parents, young people and learners who need literacy training. Berufssprachkurse continue from B1 to B2 or C1 for working life, and Erstorientierungskurse cover asylum seekers. Your entry ticket is almost always a referral called a Berechtigungsschein.
Five programs — and one entry ticket
People say "the integration course" as if there were only one. In practice BAMF and the employment agencies fund a whole ladder: the general Integrationskurs (from zero to B1), a set of special integration courses for particular groups, an intensive course for fast learners, the Erstorientierungskurs for people still in the asylum procedure, and the Berufssprachkurse (DeuFöV) that run from B1 up to C1 for working life. Alongside these sit recognition of foreign qualifications and vocational training — integration programs too, just through a profession.
Almost all of them share one entry mechanism: the Berechtigungsschein, a written entitlement. It is issued by the Ausländerbehörde, the Jobcenter, the Agentur für Arbeit or BAMF itself, depending on your status — newly arrived residence-permit holders normally go through the immigration office or BAMF, people receiving Bürgergeld through the Jobcenter, and employed or job-seeking people through the Agentur für Arbeit. Get the referral first, then choose an accredited provider: usually a Volkshochschule or a private language school.
The Integrationskurs and its special variants
The general integration course is 700 teaching units: 600 hours of German (six modules of 100) plus a 100-hour orientation course on law, history and everyday life in Germany. It ends with the DTZ exam (level A2/B1) and the "Life in Germany" test. The participant contribution is €2.29 per lesson — about €1,603 for the full course — and you pay module by module, per 100 lessons. People on Bürgergeld or other basic benefits, and anyone otherwise in financial need, are exempted entirely, and half the contribution is refunded if you pass the final test within two years.
Then come the variants that are rarely explained. The intensive course reaches B1 in 400 hours of German instead of 600. Special courses provide up to 900 hours of language plus 100 hours of orientation: a course for parents, a women's course, a youth course (Jugendintegrationskurs, generally for under-27s), a Förderkurs for learners who need a slower pace, and a course for people literate in another script (Zweitschriftlernerkurs). The literacy course runs to 1,200 hours. If you do not reach B1 in the DTZ, you can apply for up to 300 additional teaching hours and resit the test once.
Job-related language courses and the Erstorientierungskurs
The Berufssprachkurse (DeuFöV) begin where the integration course ends. The basic courses run to B1 in about 400 lessons, to B2 in 400–500, and to C1 in 400; separate specialised courses exist for regulated professions and for people going through qualification recognition. They finish with a telc exam. Participation is generally free: only people whose taxable income exceeds €20,000 a year (or €40,000 filing jointly) pay a 50% share. For medicine, nursing, teaching and most qualified work, the practical threshold is B2.
The Erstorientierungskurs (EOK) works differently: 300 hours in six modules of 50 lessons, covering basic orientation in everyday life plus first German. It is aimed above all at asylum seekers who cannot (yet) join an integration course; if places are free, others can join too. School-age children cannot attend. The EOK does not replace the integration course — it is a bridge to it.
Integration through education and work — and how to prepare early
"Integration through education" mainly means three routes. Recognition of a foreign qualification (Anerkennung): you apply to the relevant chamber or a recognition advice centre, often receive partial recognition and complete an adaptation course (Anpassungsqualifizierung) — which normally requires B2. Dual vocational training (Ausbildung): employers expect B1–B2 and pay a training salary throughout. University: C1, proven by TestDaF or DSH. People under 27 can take a Jugendintegrationskurs, which combines German with school and career orientation. In every case the bottleneck is the language level, not the paperwork.
And that is the real practical problem: you have the referral, but a place in a group opens up in weeks or months, the course moves slowly, and you need German now. Deutsch30 closes exactly that gap — short daily lessons from A0 to C1, spaced-repetition vocabulary, tasks in the DTZ and B1 format, and speaking practice with an AI partner. Not a replacement for your course, but a way to arrive prepared and get through it faster.
Frequently asked questions
Which integration programs are free?
The integration course costs €2.29 per lesson — about €1,603 for the standard 700 hours — but people receiving Bürgergeld or other basic benefits, or in financial need for other reasons, are exempted from the contribution, and half of it is refunded if you pass the final test within two years. Job-related language courses are mostly free: only participants whose income exceeds €20,000 a year (€40,000 filing jointly) pay a 50% share. The Erstorientierungskurs is free.
What is the difference between the Integrationskurs and a Berufssprachkurs?
The integration course starts from zero and takes you to B1, adds 100 hours of orientation on law, history and everyday life, and ends with the DTZ exam and the "Life in Germany" test. A Berufssprachkurs starts at B1 and leads to B2 or C1 using professional material — workplace vocabulary, letters, documents — and ends with a telc exam. In practice the order is: integration course first, job-related course afterwards.
Are there integration programs through education?
Yes. Recognition of a foreign qualification is often combined with an adaptation course (Anpassungsqualifizierung); dual vocational training (Ausbildung) is open to newcomers — employers usually expect B1–B2 and pay a training salary — and people under 27 can attend a Jugendintegrationskurs, which combines German with school and career orientation. University study requires C1, proven by TestDaF or DSH. The deciding factor is almost always your German level, not the program itself.