The aim of the course is to support the integration and social participation of immigrants. This is achieved by:

• A language course with a total of 600 UE * and
• The orientation course with 100 UE *.

In the language course, the participants learn the German language up to level B1 of the Common European Framework. In this way, they are able to cope with everyday life.

In the orientation course, the participants receive information about the legal order, history and culture of Germany. In addition, the participants learn in an orientation course which values are particularly important in Germany.

BAMF – integrationskurse

For people with special needs, there are special integration courses with up to 1,000 teaching units *:

• Youth integration courses,
• Parents and women integration courses
• Integration courses with literacy,
• Special classes (For people who have been living in Germany for a long time, who have incompletely learned the German language).

Intensive courses for fast learners with a total of 430 teaching units * are also offered.

Are entitled to participate:

•      All returnees and newly arrived people with permanent residence status,

• Foreigners who have been living in Germany for a long time, non-German citizens, as well as Germans who are particularly in need of integration (on request in the context of available course places),

• Asylum seekers with a good perspective, who has a residence permit pursuant to section 60a (2) sentence 3 of the Residence Act as well as holders of a residence permit pursuant to section 25 (5) of the Residence Act.

Required to attend are:

• New immigrants who can not easily communicate in German language or who do not yet have sufficient knowledge of the German language,

• Foreigners who are particularly in need of integration and who are asked to participate by the Foreigner´s Office,

• Foreigners who receive benefits pursuant to Book II of the Social Code and are requested by the institutions of the basic protection to the participation,

• From January 1, 2017, asylum seekers with good prospects of remaining in Germany, may be obliged with a residence permit according to § 60a (2) sentence 3 residence law as well as holder of a residence permit pursuant to section 25 (5) of the Residence Act by the institutions of the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act to take part of an integration course.

All participants must complete a grading test before starting the course. On the basis of the test results, the respective person is assigned to a specific course module.

If necessary, a visit to a special integration course is recommended.

The language course ends with the “German Test for Immigrants” (DTZ), the orientation course with the test “Living in Germany” (LiD). Participants who have successfully passed both tests will receive the “Certificate Integration Course”.

If you do not pass the language despite a proper course, you can repeat a maximum of 300 hours of the language course and participate again free of charge.

Literacy courses are aimed at migrants who ( the Latin alphabet or in general) can not read or write enough and therefore need special (written) language and methodological-didactic support at the beginning of the language acquisition process. The target group mentioned is composed of three main groups which are taught jointly:

– Primary illiterates (without literacy skills)

– Functional illiterates (more or less basic skills – competencies in reading and writing, but not sufficient to attend a general integration course or an integration course for other special target groups)

– Secondary learner (already alphabetized in a non-Latin alphabet)

In the literacy course it is aimed at coming very near to the aim of the functional literacy of the participant and at providing at the same time German knowledge, at strengthening the social integration ability of the participant by autonomy supporting and in lastingness oriented teaching methods, at acquiring German knowledge at the level of the elementary language use (according to the GER), as a rule up to the level A2 and if necessary, in addition.

Below are some links to learn German online:

DVV Migrationsportal

Vokabeltrainer für Menschen ohne Deutschkenntnisse

Spielerisch lernen mit der Vokabel-App Deutsch für Kinder

Deutsch lernen / Deutsche Welle

Kostenlos Deutsch üben (Goethe Institut)