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Integration course; application for participation

If you want to learn the German language, you can take part in an integration course under certain conditions.

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Online services

  • Antrag zur Teilnahme am Integrationskurs

Responsible for you

Street address

Frankenstraße 210
90461 Nürnberg

Postal address

Frankenstraße 210

90461 Nürnberg

Email

info@bamf.de

Website

www.bamf.de

Mehr zur Behörde

Street address

Rothenburger Straße 29
90513 Zirndorf

Postal address

Rothenburger Straße 29

90513 Zirndorf

Website

www.bamf.de

Mehr zur Behörde

Procedure details

The integration course teaches:

  • German language skills as well as
  • knowledge of the legal system, culture and history in Germany.

Each integration course consists of a language course and an orientation course.

There are different types of integration courses:

  • General integration course: this course consists of 600 hours of instruction in the language course and 100 hours of instruction in the orientation course.
  • Special integration courses: These courses consist of 900 hours of instruction in the language course and 100 hours of instruction in the orientation course. They are available for
    • Women
    • parents
    • young adults who are no longer of school age (youth integration course)
    • immigrants with literacy needs (literacy course)
    • people who have not learned the Latin script (second-script learning course)
    • People with increased linguistic needs (remedial courses)
    • People with disabilities (for example, deaf, visually impaired)
  • Intensive courses: These courses are suitable if language learning is easy for you and you want to and can reach the course goal particularly quickly. An intensive course consists of 400 lessons in the language course and 30 lessons in the orientation course.

Integration courses are offered as full-time and part-time courses.

Before taking part in an integration course, you need a certificate of eligibility. This is your participation permit with which you register with an integration course provider.

If you want to participate in the integration course voluntarily, you must first apply to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). You will then receive a certificate of eligibility.

If you are entitled to participate in an integration course as a late repatriate or as a family member, you will receive the entitlement certificate from the Federal Office of Administration (BVA).

You can apply for participation in the integration course:

  • if you are legally and permanently residing in Germany and
  • if you have no or insufficient knowledge of the German language (below level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Further requirements:

  • You have one of the following residence titles:
    • as a specialist
    • as a researcher
    • as a self-employed person
    • for the purpose of family reunification
    • as a person entitled to asylum (on humanitarian grounds), a person entitled to subsidiary protection, a recognized refugee, or a recognized refugee
    • as a long-term resident in another member state of the European Union
    • as an immigrant with residence for special political interest, for example Jewish immigrant, humanitarian admission program

and

  • Your stay in Germany is permanent. This is the case if you
    • have a residence permit of at least one year or
    • have held a residence permit for more than 18 months, unless your stay is of a temporary nature.

If you do not fall under the above-mentioned groups, you can apply for participation in the integration course if you

  • have a permanent and legal residence permit (for example, as a citizen of the European Union or as a family member) and
  • do not have sufficient German language skills.

In this case, admission is possible as long as course places are available.

If you have German citizenship, you can also apply to take part in an integration course if you

  • do not have sufficient knowledge of the German language and
  • are in special need of integration.

You can already be admitted to an integration course during an ongoing asylum procedure if you

  • have a residence permit and
  • have not yet applied for asylum in any other member state of the European Union or are not obliged to do so.

Furthermore, you can be admitted to the course

  • if you have a toleration permit because:
    • urgent humanitarian or personal reasons or
    • substantial public interests require your temporary continued presence in Germany.
  • if you have a residence permit because
    • your departure is impossible for legal or factual reasons and
    • you are prevented from leaving the country through no fault of your own.

Note: Admission is not possible

  • if the need for integration is recognizably low,
  • if you already have sufficient knowledge of the German language,
  • if you are subject to compulsory schooling
  • if you are a young adult or young adult taking up school education or continuing your school career in Germany.

  • Required document/s
    • Application for participation in the integration course (online or by post)
    • Copy of passport or identity card
    • Copy of the current residence permit

You can apply for your participation in the integration course online or by mail at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF):

Online:

  • Complete the online application for admission to participate in the integration course.
  • Attach the required documents using the upload function.
  • Log in via your user account and submit the application. To do this, you must identify yourself using
    • the online function of your ID card,
    • the online function of your electronic residence permit, or
    • your tax administration software certificate (ELSTER).
  • The BAMF will check your application and contact you if there are any questions or missing documents.
  • If you become eligible to attend an integration course, you will receive written confirmation from the BAMF.
  • Register with a course provider as soon as possible using the entitlement certificate.
  • Choose a course provider near you. You can research this, for example, on the BAMF website (BAMF-NAvI).
  • You will be admitted to participate within the limits of the available course places.

by mail:

  • You can choose to fill out the form on the BAMF website or download it and then fill it out.
  • Print out the form and sign it.
  • Send the form together with copies of your required documents to the regional office of the BAMF responsible for you.
    • You can find the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees responsible for you using your postal code via the BAMF-NAvI on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (under "Authorities").
  • The BAMF will check your application and contact you if there are any questions or missing documents.
  • If you are approved to attend an integration course, you will receive written confirmation from the BAMF.
  • Register with a course provider as soon as possible using the entitlement certificate.
  • Choose a course provider near you. You can research this, for example, on the BAMF website (BAMF-NAvI).
  • You will be admitted to participate within the limits of the available course places.

  • Own contribution per lesson (45 minutes) from 01.08.2022: 2,29 EUR
  • Total cost contribution for general integration course 1,603 EUR
  • Total cost contribution for special courses, e.g. literacy course with 1,000 teaching units plus the option of 300 repeat teaching units: total 2,977 EUR

Note: You can apply for a cost contribution exemption.

If you do not receive a cost contribution exemption, you can apply to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) for a refund of 50 percent of your cost contribution. In order to do so, you must provide proof of successful participation in the integration course within 2 years of receiving your authorization to participate: Passing the German Test for Immigrants (DTZ) and the "Living in Germany" test.

You must submit the application before the start of the integration course.

2 to 4 weeks

There are no clues or specifics.

  • Objection
  • Action before the administrative court

Status: 14.03.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bundesministerium des Innern
Source: Federal Portal
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