Informationen zur Teilnahme am Integrationskurs

If you would like to live permanently in Germany, you can take part in an integration course.

If you want to live permanently in Germany, you should learn German and have knowledge of the history, culture and legal system of the Federal Republic of Germany. You will be supported in this by the integration course.

By participating in an integration course, you will learn

• communicate independently in everyday life on German (level B1 of the CEFR) and
• Everyday knowledge about life in Germany and knowledge about our culture and recent history.

The course therefore basically consists of:

• a language course of 600 teaching units (à 45 min) to learn the German language and
• an orientation course of 100 teaching units (à 45 min) to acquire everyday knowledge about life in Germany.

You must complete both parts of the course with one test each ("German test for immigrants" and test "Living in Germany").

Before you attend the integration course, a placement test will take place. Based on the test results, you will be assigned to a specific course module. If necessary, you may also be recommended to attend a special integration course.

These courses are offered for

• Women
• Parents
• young adults who are no longer required to attend school and have not yet reached the age of 27
• immigrants who have completed the acquisition of writing in one or more languages with a non-Latin writing system and are literate in these languages (second language learner course),
• immigrants who cannot read or write or write sufficiently (literacy course) and
• Persons who have been living in Germany for some time and have learned the German language only incompletely (remedial courses)

The special integration courses last 1,000 teaching units and consist of:

• 900 teaching units in the language course (9 sections of 100 units each) and
• 100 teaching units in the orientation course.

An exception among the special courses is the second language learner course with 600 teaching units in the language course and 100 units in the orientation course.

The other exception is the

• Intensive courses
  The intensive courses are suitable for particularly fast learners and highly qualified participants.

An intensive course lasts a total of 430 teaching units and consists of

• • 400 teaching units in the language course and
  • 30 teaching units in the orientation course.

If you have duly participated in the integration course (exhaustion of your individual number of hours with regular attendance), but have nevertheless not successfully completed the German test for immigrants, you have the opportunity to contact the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees responsible for you.

If you have last attended the literacy or second language learner course, you must have exhausted your individual number of hours with regular attendance before applying for admission to the repetition, but you must not have completed the German test for immigrants.

Please use one of these forms:

• Regular application
• Application for participants of the literacy course (Note: Information from the course provider is also required here)
• Application for participants of the second language learner course (Note: Information from the course provider is also required here)

Please note that with the application for admission to repeat 300 teaching units, the application for exemption from the obligation to contribute to costs can also be submitted at the same time. In the case of admission to the repetition, the cost exemption is not automatically pronounced.

COURSE SEARCH

You can find suitable integration courses in your area with the help of the information system of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees WebGIS or via the KURSNET portal of the Federal Employment Agency.

By entering your postcode or place of residence, you can use it to research the contact details of facilities accessible to you.

Personal help in finding a suitable integration course can be obtained from the following offices:

• Migration advice for adult immigrants and Youth Migration Service
• Foreigners' Registration Office
• Employment agency, provider of basic social security or corresponding institution of the municipality
• Providers of benefits according to AsylbLG
• Integration course providers
  Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

To register for an integration course, you need a certificate of eligibility issued by the following authorities:

• Foreigners' Registration Office (eligibility or obligation to participate)

• Basic social security institutions (obligation to participate)

• Institution of benefits according to AsylbLG (obligation to participate)

• Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (admission, admission to repeat)

• Federal Office of Administration (confirmation of entitlement for ethnic German repatriates)

PARTICIPATION POSSIBILITIES / COURSE TYPES / COURSE SEARCH

As a non-EU citizen (third-country national foreigner), you are entitled to participate in an integration course,

• if you received a residence permit for the first time after 1 January 2005 and are permanently resident in Germany

  • as an employee (§§ 18, 21 AufenthG),

  • for reasons of family reunification (§§ 28, 29, 30, 32, 36 AufenthG);

  • as a long-term resident (§ 38a AufenthG),

• if you first received a residence or settlement permit for international, humanitarian or political reasons after 1 January 2005 and are permanently resident in Germany

  • by order of the Federal Ministry of the Interior to safeguard special political interests (§ 23 Abs. 2 AufenthG) or

  • by order of the Federal Ministry of the Interior for the resettlement of persons seeking protection (resettlement refugees, § 23 Abs. 4 AufenthG) or

  • in the case of recognition as a person entitled to asylum (§ 25 Abs. 1 AufenthG) or

  • if refugee status or subsidiary protection is granted (§ 25 para. 2 AufenthG) or

  • as a victim of a criminal offence pursuant to §§ 232, 233 or 233a StGB after the end of the criminal proceedings, if humanitarian or personal reasons or public interests require continued presence in the Federal territory (§ 25 para. 4a sentence 3 AufenthG) or

  • in the case of sustainable integration (§ 25b AufenthG).

Furthermore, ethnic German repatriates and their spouses or descendants are entitled to free participation in an integration course (§ 9 para. 1 BVFG). The corresponding confirmation is issued by the Federal Office of Administration.

You are not entitled to participate in the integration course if

• you are a child, adolescent or young adult and you are taking up school education or continuing your previous school career in the Federal Republic of Germany,

• you have a noticeably low need for integration, or

• if you already have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1 of the CEFR).

In the latter case, however, you have the opportunity to participate in the orientation course.

Under certain circumstances, an authority may also oblige you to participate. Such an obligation to participate may be considered:

• by the Foreigners' Registration Office: If you are entitled to participate and

  • cannot communicate at least in a simple way in German (level A1 of the CEFR) (§ 44a para. 1 sentence 1 no. 1 lit. a) or

  • do not have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1 of the CEFR) at the time of issue of the residence permit pursuant to § 23 para. 2, § 28 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 1 or § 30 AufenthG (§ 44a para. 1 sentence 1 no. 1 lit. b).

The Foreigners' Registration Office may also oblige you to attend the course when issuing the residence permit pursuant to § 25 (1) or (2) AufenthG (person entitled to asylum, granting refugee status or subsidiary protection) if you can only communicate in a simple way in German (level A1 of the CEFR).

In addition, you are obliged to participate in the integration course if you are particularly in need of integration and the immigration authority asks you to participate (§ 44a para. 1 sentence 1 no. 3 AufenthG).

A particular need for integration can be assumed in particular if you, as the holder of personal care for a minor child living in Germany, do not have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1 of the CEFR) and have therefore not yet succeeded in integrating into the economic, cultural and social life of the Federal Republic of Germany without state assistance.

• by the basic social security institution:

  • If you receive unemployment benefit II and participation in the integration course is provided for in the integration agreement according to SGB II (§ 44a Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 2 AufenthG).

• by the provider of benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (§ 44a para. 1 sentence 1 no. 4 AufenthG): If you receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act and

  • as an asylum seeker have a residence permit according to § 55 Abs. 1 AsylbLG and a lawful permanent residence is to be expected with you (good prospects of staying, which is currently given in the following countries of origin: Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Somalia and Syria) and the Federal Republic of Germany is responsible for carrying out your asylum procedure or

  • have a tolerated stay according to § 60a Abs. 2 S. 3 AufenthG or

  • have a residence permit according to § 25 Abs. 5 AufenthG.

You are exempt from the obligation to participate if

• you are undergoing vocational or other training in Germany,

• you can prove that you have participated in comparable educational offers in Germany (e.g. public or private schools, vocational schools or private courses offered by employers or other providers) or

• Their participation is permanently impossible or unreasonable (e.g. in the case of their own disability or the care of disabled family members).

If there are places available, you can be admitted to an integration course by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees,

• if you are a German citizen, do not have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1 of the CEFR) and you have not yet succeeded in integrating into economic, cultural and social life in Germany without state assistance (§ 44 para. 4 sentence 2 alt. 1 AufenthG in conjunction with § 5 para. 4 no. 4 IntV),

• if you are an EU citizen entitled to freedom of movement or his family member without sufficient language skills (level B1 of the CEFR) and you have not yet succeeded in integrating yourself into economic, cultural and social life in Germany without state assistance (§ 11 para. 1 sentence 1 FreizügG/EU in conjunction with § 44 para. 4 AufenthG and § 5 para. 4 no. 4 IntV),

• if you are a non-EU citizen and acquired your residence permit before 1 January 2005 (§ 44 para. 4 sentence 1 AufenthG),

• if you are a non-EU citizen who had a legal right to participate in an integration course, but was prevented from participating for reasons beyond your control,

• if you are a non-EU citizen and

  • as an asylum seeker have a residence permit according to § 55 Abs. 1 AsylG and a lawful permanent residence is to be expected with you (good prospects of staying, which is currently given in the following countries of origin: Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Somalia and Syria) and the Federal Republic of Germany is responsible for carrying out your asylum procedure or

  • have a tolerated stay according to § 60a Abs. 2 S. 3 AufenthG or

  • have a residence permit according to § 25 Abs. 5 AufenthG.

1. Course fees

For participation in the integration course, a contribution to the costs must be paid to the Federal Office via the course provider with which you attended the integration course. The person who is obliged to provide you with subsistence is also obliged to pay. The cost contribution is to be paid at the beginning of each course section.

Each 45-minute lesson currently costs EUR 1.95.

• The general integration course and the second language learner course will cost you a total of EUR 1,365.00 with 600 units of language course and 100 units of orientation course. If 300 units of the language course are repeated, the total amount increases to EUR 1,950.00.
• The special integration courses cost you a total of EUR 1,950.00 with 900 hours of language course and 100 units of orientation course. If 300 units of the language course are repeated, the total amount increases to EUR 2,535.00.

The intensive course costs you a total of EUR 838.50 (with 400 units language course and 30 units orientation course). If you do not pass the German test for immigrants after exhausting your quota in the language course, you will incur additional costs (200 units at EUR 1.95 each = EUR 390.00 plus possibly 300 units at EUR 1.95 each = EUR 585.00, total up to EUR 1,813.50).

2. You do not have to pay any course fees in the following cases:

• As a ethnic German repatriate (confirmation by the Federal Office of Administration), you are always exempt from the course costs.
• In case of obligation to participate in courses by the provider of basic social security or the provider of benefits according to AsylbLG.
• If you are admitted by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, if you as an asylum seeker have a residence permit pursuant to § 55 Abs. 1 AsylG and a lawful permanent residence is to be expected with you (good prospects of staying, which is currently given in the following countries of origin: Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Somalia and Syria) and the Federal Republic of Germany is responsible for carrying out your asylum procedure or have a tolerated stay according to § 60a Abs. 2 S. 3 AufenthG or have a residence permit according to § 25 Abs. 5 AufenthG.
• If, as in the cases mentioned above, you are not automatically exempt from the obligation to contribute to costs, but receive benefits according to SGB II or SGB XII, you have the possibility - ideally before the start of your integration course - to submit an application for exemption from the obligation to contribute costs to the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (see WebGIS) with local responsibility for you.

Please use one of these application forms:

• Simultaneous application for admission to the integration course and cost exemption (foreigners)
• Simultaneous application for admission to the integration course and cost exemption (German citizens)
• Separate application for cost exemption.
• If you do not receive benefits under SGB II or SGB XII, you can apply to the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees responsible for you (see WebGIS) for exemption from the obligation to contribute to costs in the context of a hardship case. As a rule, a case of hardship always exists if you can provide proof or the decision of another body on financial need. These include, for example, current notices on the receipt of
  • Housing subsidy
  • BAföG
  • Child benefit supplement
  • remuneration under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act,
  • exemption from kindergarten fees,
  • Exemption from GEZ fees or
  • the presentation of your local social ticket.

If you have to pay the costs of the course yourself, you can request that you get half of your course costs back. This is possible if you have successfully completed the integration course within two years of the first issuance of your eligibility to participate (confirmation from the Federal Office of Administration, eligibility/obligation of the foreigners' authority, obligation of the provider of basic social security, obligation of the provider of benefits according to AsylbLG, approval of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) (passing the German test for immigrants and the test "Living in Germany"). have.

Please use this application form. Submit this to the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees responsible for you (see WebGIS).

Please note that the above deadline is a cut-off period. If this deadline is exceeded, no half of the cost contributions paid by you will be refunded, regardless of the reasons given.

3. Reimbursement or subsidization of your travel expenses

If you have been automatically or upon application exempted from the obligation to contribute to the costs of the integration course, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees will grant you reimbursement or subsidisation of your travel costs upon request (usually for the use of local public transport in the amount of the cheapest ticket), provided that you duly participate in the integration course and if there is a need.

A need exists if the distance between your place of residence and the course location you attended is more than 3 km and there is no other course provider within this distance to your place of residence who can provide you with a timely and needs-based course offer.

You are free to choose the integration course provider. However, travel costs that would not arise if you do not select a timely and needs-based offer available in the immediate vicinity of the apartment must then be borne by you.

Please use one of these application forms to reimburse your travel expenses:

• All eligible participants (except ethnic German repatriates)
• Ethnic German repatriates

Submit this to the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees responsible for you (see WebGIS).

To participate in an integration course, you need a valid voucher, which - depending on your residence status - can be issued by the following authorities:

• Foreigners' Registration Office (eligibility or obligation to participate)

• Basic social security institutions (obligation to participate)

• Institution of benefits according to AsylbLG (obligation to participate)

• Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (admission, admission to repeat)

• Federal Office of Administration (confirmation of entitlement for ethnic German repatriates).

After receiving the certificate of eligibility to participate in an integration course, you should register as soon as possible with a course provider in your area (see WebGIS).

If there is a validity date in the voucher, you must register with a course provider until the validity expires. Registration after expiry of the validity is no longer possible.

If you have been obliged to participate in the integration course, you must register immediately and submit proof of this to the mandatory body (immigration authority, basic social security institution or provider of benefits under AsylbLG).

Information on course providers and course offerings can be found in the information system of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

If you have any further questions, please use the contact details given in the "Contact Point" module.

After receiving the certificate of eligibility to participate in an integration course, you should register as soon as possible with a course provider in your area (see WebGIS).

If there is a validity date in the voucher, you must register with a course provider until the validity expires. Registration after expiry of the validity is no longer possible.

If you have been obliged to participate in the integration course, you must register immediately and submit proof of this to the mandatory body (immigration authority, basic social security institution or provider of benefits under AsylbLG).

If you want to live permanently in Germany, you should learn German and have knowledge of the history, culture and legal system of the Federal Republic of Germany. You will be supported in this by the integration course.

By participating in an integration course, you will learn

• communicate independently in everyday life on German (level B1 of the CEFR)

  as well as

• Everyday knowledge about life in Germany and knowledge about our culture and recent history.

The course therefore basically consists of:

• a language course of 600 teaching units (à 45 min) to learn the German language and

• an orientation course of 100 teaching units (à 45 min) to acquire everyday knowledge about life in Germany.

Your ability to attend an integration course depends on your residence status.

Please contact the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees - Citizen Service.

Federal Office for Migration and Refugees