People who wish to study, work or stay in Germany, must know a minimum level of a primary German language and familiar about a few things about life in Germany, rules of the nation and societies. That is why the German authorities have formed the German Integration Courses, which are compulsory to a large number of individuals moving to Germany.
German Integration Course
The German Integration course is a school-like arrangement of classes that continues for more than a few months, through which students learn the German language and life, traditions and regulations. This course aims to participate foreigners into German culture and to make it relaxed for them to receive admission into schools and to obtain a job.
Who Requires to Join a German Integration Course?
All third-nation citizens who desire to move to Germany require to experience an evaluation exam. The assessment test, among others, examines your German language skills and familiarity on life in Germany. If you fail this assessment, you will require to attend the German Integration Courses once you arrive in Germany. As for the non-German EU nationals, if you are on and you wish to live in Germany, it is not obligatory to you to attend these courses.
Categories of German Integration Courses
There are two kinds of German Integration courses:
- German language course: This course offers you with German-language familiarity. If you are a novice learning German language, you will require to appear 400 to 600 hours of classes, and each of them takes 45 minutes. On the other hand, if you wish to take advanced courses, you will require to attend about 300 hours of classes.
- German legal arrangement, culture and history course (also recognized as the orientation course): There are about 100 hours of classes for this course, each takes 45 minutes. All individuals must attend these classes in full.
Other Kinds of German Integration Courses
Furthermore, there are different kinds of German Integration courses, for particular groups of peoples moving to Germany, as follows:
- Integration course counting literacy skills: For individuals who cannot read or write in any world language, and for persons who are unaware of the Roman alphabet.
- Integration course for mothers: Who wish to identify what their kids learn in kindergarten/school so that they can support them with the lesson.
- Integration course for individuals under the age of 27: They can learn further about schooling, training, work, job, family, etc.
- Catch-up language course: For German inhabitants who have not learned German yet.
- Rigorous language course: For individuals who can learn fast.
How to Apply to Attend a German Integration Course
The stages of appealing for a German Integration Course are given below in sequential order:
- Get a certificate named Berechtigungsschein: Dependent on your citizenship you will require to get this certificate at one of the two following:
- If you are a non-EU national, you will have to go to the local foreigners’ registration agency adjacent to your home in Germany.
- If the applicant is a national of any of the EU associate nations must communicate with Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (FOMR) in Germany.
- Find a course benefactor: This benefactor is termed Kurstraeger in German. You can find source benefactors online over the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Ensure that the course you contact is next to your home.
- Communicate with them: You can do so over phone, email or in person. The benefactor will ask you to submit few documents and then will deliver you with information on the registration procedure, number of hours, the course outline, the fees that require to be compensated and other particulars.
- Register: Follow the procedures of the course benefactor in demand to register.
When you complete these stages, you can start appearing in the course conferring to the timetable you are provided.
The Fee to Attend an Integration Course in Germany
However, the courses are compulsory; you will require to pay for them by yourself. Dependent on your citizenship, and the date you received your residence status, you may have to compensate either €1.55 or €1.95 per hour, or you can also be exempted from paying any charge.
The following groups require to pay a fee of €1.55 per hour:
- German citizens who do not speak satisfactory German, registered in integration course before 1 July 2016
- EU citizens who want to learn German in Germany registered in integration course before 1 July 2016
- Third nation citizens who got their residence status before 1 January 2005, but registered the course before 1 July 2016
- Third nation citizens who gained their residence status after 1 January 2005, and registered the course before 1 July 2016 have to pay only 1.55
The following groups require to compensate a fee of €1.95 per hour:
- German citizens who do not speak satisfactory German, registered in integration course after 1 July 2016
- EU citizens who want to learn German in Germany registered in integration course after 1 July 2016
- Third nation citizens who gained their residence status before 1 January 2005, but enrolled in the course after 1 July 2016
- Third nation citizens who got their residence status after 1 January 2005, and enrolled in the course after 1 July 2016
The following groups are exempted from compensating any fee:
- Ethnic German relocated to Germany, their spouse and children.
- Those who get unemployment benefit or social assistance.
German Integration Course Certificate
After you complete all your Integration course modules, you will have to experience two examinations:
- German language exam
- “Living in Germany” exam
If you pass both tests, then you will get the “Zertifikat Integrationskurs”.
