Language and integration courses

Language and integration courses are a way of familiarising yourself with the German language and bureaucracy under guidance and in a community. 

Successfully completing an integration course and sufficient language skills make it much easier to find a job, deal with the authorities and generally integrate into your new environment.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is responsible for managing and authorising integration courses. For this purpose, applications to attend an intensive course must be sent to the relevant BAMF field office. Sometimes the various providers will take care of the application for you. It is therefore best to ask the institution you have chosen.

BAMF Saxony field office:

Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge

Referat 51E

Otto-Schmerbach-Straße 20

09117 Chemnitz

Website: www.bamf.de 

Applying to participate in an integration course:

Participating in an integration course is not obligatory. You can, for example, also just take the German Test for Immigrants (DTZ). Participation is highly recommended, however, as it improves your chances in the job market hugely by proving your language skills and it also facilitates integration. 

If you fail a course unit, you can of course repeat the language course and examination, but you will have to finance this yourself. 

In addition to the integration courses provided by BAMF, there are other ways to improve your language skills together with others. You will find information on this topic here.

The general integration course usually has 700 teaching units and consists of a language course (approx. 600 units) and an orientation course (approx. 100 units). How the individual parts are weighted can vary from provider to provider or also according to the individual requirements of the teaching. 

As the name suggests, basic German language skills are taught in the language course. Primarily, this includes vocabulary and useful information about everyday life, i.e. work, authorities, shopping, health, media and the home. The orientation course teaches knowledge of Germany’s legal system, history, culture and, of course, bureaucracy. 

There is also the option of taking an intensive course, which then lasts only 430 teaching units.

The courses are offered by various providers throughout Leipzig and Saxony and are generally open to all immigrants. When searching for integration courses, advisory centres or authorities, BAMF offers a map-based information system: BAMF-NAvI. You can see how to search for something specific here. In addition to the courses, some providers offer childcare for the duration of the teaching units. You can also enter this in the search criteria.

BAMF-NAvI is a useful tool when finding the right course for you:

1. Start by going to the website for this tool: www.bamf-navi.bamf.de.

Click on the ‘Integration courses’ button.

2. A map will open. In the menu bar on the left, you can now enter the city where you are searching for integration courses.

A detailed map will now open, showing you the initial results. You can now click on one of the yellow boxes to find out the time, place and provider of that respective course in Leipzig.

3. It is useful to use the search criteria provided. You will also find them in the menu bar on the left.

For example, you can choose whether only courses with free places are displayed.

Or you can specify the time of day (morning, afternoon, evening) or day of the week (Monday to Sunday) the course units should take place.

You can also specify whether the course should be accessible for the visually impaired, hearing impaired or those with restricted mobility.

Likewise, you can filter for providers that also offer childcare during the course units if, for example, your children do not have a daycare place or are not yet in school.

4. It is useful to specify a type of course. For example, it should be a ‘General integration course’ that is suitable for the hearing impaired.

5. Once you have entered all the desired criteria, you can click on one of the yellow offer boxes. One or several windows will then open with basic information about the offered course.

Clicking on the blue ‘Learn more’ button then shows you all further information and the contact details.

In this window you will find out what type of course it is, when and where it takes place and who to contact.

There is the possibility of having your travel expenses reimbursed. To do this, you must complete an application for an allowance towards travel expenses (Antrag auf Gewährung eines Zuschusses zu den Fahrtkosten) and send it to BAMF. This allowance amounts to approx. €2.80 per day of travel. In Leipzig, this allowance, together with the Leipzig-Pass, fully covers the cost of a monthly ticket.

If this application is accepted, but the money is still not enough, you can make a further hardship application (Härtefallantrag).

If you withdraw from the course, you will usually have to pay back the reimbursed travel costs. It is best to talk to your course instructor about this.

Immigrants with the appropriate certificate of eligibility pay €1.95 per teaching unit, i.e. €195 per language course module and €195 for the orientation course. A cost exemption may be granted under certain circumstances (e.g. if you receive welfare benefits).

For this you must complete the application for exemption from the cost contribution of an integration course (Antrag auf Befreiung vom Kostenbeitrag zum Integrationskurs) and send it to BAMF.

If you withdraw from the course, you will generally have to cover the costs. However, if there is a legitimate reason for doing so, you can avoid this by submitting corresponding evidence. It is best to talk to your course instructor about this.

In order to attend an integration course, you must, as always, bear a few things in mind:

First, you should be in possession of a residence title. As a displaced person from Ukraine, you will have this as soon as you have registered. 

There is then usually a remark on your probationary certificate that you are entitled to attend an integration course.

If not, you will need a certificate of eligibility to attend an integration course. The application form for this can be found online on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge – BAMF). You can print out and complete the application. If you live in Saxony, you should send it to the following address:

Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge

Referat 51E

Otto-Schmerbach-Straße 20

09117 Chemnitz

You must also include a copy of your residence title (e.g. probationary certificate) with your application.

After a certain processing period, you will then receive a certificate of eligibility. This serves as an invoicing basis for the respective provider or association offering the courses. 

You can find out where there are integration courses taking place by using BAMF-NAvI and here.

Tip: The provider of the course that you wish to attend may be able to apply for the certificate of eligibility for you and you will not have to do it yourself. It is therefore best to find out in advance from a suitable provider about the bureaucratic procedure for applying for an integration course. Each association that offers integration courses handles this differently. 

However, the legal procedure is always the same: BAMF provides the confirmation.

For further information, it is best to contact a migration advisory centre. In Leipzig these include, for example the Migration Assistance at the Social Welfare Office, the Department for Migration and Integration or Mosaik e.V.

You can also contact the moderators of the Leipzig Helps Ukraine Telegram chat at any time. You will find information about help visiting the authorities here.

Other potential advisory centres:

• Amnesty International, Leipzig City Group, Asylum Group
• Arbeit und Leben Sachsen, Beratungsstelle Faire Integration im IQ Netzwerk Sachsen (Work and Life Saxony, Fair Integration in the IO Network Saxony Advisory Centre)
• BABS – Beratungsstelle für ausländische Beschäftigte in Sachsen, Beratungsstelle Leipzig (Advisory Centre for Foreign Workers in Saxony, Leipzig Advisory Centre)
• IBAS – Informations- und Beratungsstelle Arbeitsmarkt Sachsen (Saxony Labour Market Information and Advisory Service)
• Mosaik Leipzig – Kompetenzzentrum für transkulturelle Dialoge e. V. (Centre of Excellence for Transcultural Dialogue), which provides migration advice for adult immigrants
• Refugee Law Clinic Leipzig
• Sächsischer Flüchtlingsrat (Saxon Refugee Council)

Furthermore, you can use BAMF-NAvI. Instead of searching for integration course, as shown in this Click Guide, search instead for migration advisory centres or authorities. 

Another option is to use the mbeon app to chat with migration advisors across Germany and, of course, in Leipzig too. Mbeon is also available on Facebook.

Yes, such courses exist. You can find them using BAMF-NAvI by activating the ‘Childcare’ search criterium. Find out how to do that here.
You will find further information on this topic here.

If you have good German language skills or have successfully completed the integration course, it might be worth attending a business language course. There you will focus on learning business-specific vocabulary, for example, for medical and care occupations. You will find further information on this topic here.

There are many ways to start learning German even before you start your integration course.

We would like to present some of them here.

Firstly, you can use the vhs Lernportal to take some initial steps in learning German. You will find a guide to registering on the portal here.

BAMF also encourages taking part in an initial orientation course or a so-called MiA course.

There is also the option of attending non-BAMF-sponsored language courses offered by non-profit associations. You will find information on this topic here.

You can also look for a tandem partner. Tandem partners meet, for example, online or on walks to teach each other their languages. This platform is good for Leipzig: https://www.tandem.net/de/language-exchange/germany/leipzig. You can also find out more about Leipzig University.

Currently, most integration courses are full and it will take a while before you can start one of these courses. However, to gain some basic knowledge, you can attend an initial orientation course. These courses have a much more open structure and provide an overview of bureaucracy and everyday life in Germany and the basics of the language. 

Generally, the course consists of 50 lessons, each lasting 45 minutes. Participants mostly go on excursions together during these lessons, for example, to an authority or to the market.You will find further information on this practice-oriented format here.

The course structure is often chosen by the participants and initially does not follow a set syllabus. The main aim is for the participants to network, talk to each other and do something together with the course leader. The focus is on empowerment. You will find further information on this topic here.

If you do not pass a course examination, you can repeat it once for free.

You will find the application form to do this here. 

If you fail it a second time, a fee is generally charged to take the exam again. In exceptional cases, it is possible to submit a hardship application. It is best to ask your course leader about this.

If you need to withdraw from or suspend a course for legitimate reasons, you can let your course leader know. Together you can work out how to take a break from your course without losing time.

If you take a break from your course, your travel expenses will generally not be reimbursed.

Integration courses are offered at every adult education centre [Volkshochschule] in Germany. Many also take place online. You will find information about this here.

You will also find information on the websites of the respective federal state and social welfare offices. Here for Leipzig, for example.

An example of an integration course with childcare can be found here.

You will find language courses specifically for Ukrainians from the Mitteldeutsches Institut (MIQR) here.

In the context of adult education, language and integration courses are also offered, for example, by LBW, WBS, inlingua, Sprachinstitut Leipzig, Sächsische Lehmbaugruppe and Euro-Schulen. 

As you can see, there are many different providers. Use BAMF-NAvI for more information.
Most providers will help you fill in the application form for BAMF. It is best to ask for this help in person.