Integrationskurs (Sprach- und Orientierungskurs), Zulassung beantragen

• §§ 23, 24, 25, 38a, 43, 44, 44a, 60 Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG)
• Integrationskursverordnung (IntV)
• § 55 Asylgesetz (AsylG) - Aufenthaltsgestattung
• § 15 Abs. 5 S. 2 oder Abs. 6 Zweites Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB II)

If you are a new immigrant or a foreigner who has been living in Germany for some time, you can take part in an integration course.

If you are not obliged to attend a course, you can apply for authorisation from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). Your foreigners authority, the course providers and the regional offices of the BAMF will advise you on the courses and help you with the application.

A general integration course consists of 700 teaching units (UE). Of these, 600 units are language lessons, while the 100-unit orientation course deals with politics and democracy, history, society, culture, rights and duties in Germany. There are full-time and part-time courses. The integration course is generally attended full-time.

The BAMF also offers special types of courses for women or young people, for example. The BAMF also promotes the equal participation of people with disabilities in special integration courses. There are special integration courses for people with sensory impairments, depending on the type of impairment.

• Spezielle Kursarten
• BAMF-NavI: Integrationskurse
  Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)

Application

Asylum seekers and tolerated persons should submit their application to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. You can find course providers and locations using the BAMF information system.

• Certificate of eligibility (issued by the foreigners authority)
• Application for admission to participate in an integration course (BAMF forms & online services)
• Copy of ID (identity card, passport, residence permit)

The Residence Act provides for different forms of access to integration courses. Which form of access applies to you depends on which residence title you have, whether you are a late repatriate or EU citizen, have a certain status under the Residence Act or are a German citizen.

You received your residence permit before 01.01.2005

If there are still places available, the BAMF can admit you to an integration course.

You may be obliged to take part if you receive citizen's benefit and are asked to take part in the integration course by the basic income support organisation.

If you receive a citizen's allowance and the organisation from which you receive the allowance asks you to take part, you must also attend an integration course.

You received your residence permit on or after 1 January 2005

If you fulfil the following requirements, you are legally entitled to attend an integration course:

You live permanently in Germany and received your first residence permit after 01.01.2005. You are in Germany

• as an employee
• for the purpose of family reunification
• for humanitarian reasons
• as a long-term resident

received a long-term residence permit.

Your stay in Germany is considered permanent if you have received a residence permit for more than one year or have had a residence permit for more than 18 months.

There is no entitlement to participate in the integration course

• for children, adolescents and young adults who are attending school in Germany
• if there is a recognisably low need for integration
• if you already speak sufficient German (you can still take part in an orientation course)

You must attend an integration course if you Received your residence permit after 1 January 2005 and cannot communicate in German in a simple or adequate manner. The foreigners authority will determine whether you are obliged to attend the course when it issues your residence permit.

You may be obliged to participate if you Receive a citizen's allowance and are requested to attend the integration course by the provider of the basic income support/the organisation from which you receive the citizen's allowance.

You cannot be obliged to participate if

• You are undergoing training in Germany or are taking part / have taken part in comparable educational programmes (e.g. further education, advanced training),
• it is permanently impossible or unreasonable for you to take part in an integration course, for example because you have to care for a family member,
• You are working and participation in a part-time course is not possible.

Asylum seekers and tolerated persons with good prospects of remaining in Germany

You can take part in the integration course if you belong to one of the following groups:

• Asylum seekers with a residence permit
• Foreigners with a tolerated stay permit (possibly in conjunction with a tolerated stay for training or a tolerated stay for employment)
• Foreigners with a residence permit

Furthermore, you must not have applied for asylum in any other member state of the European Union european Union or be obliged under the Dublin III Regulation to submit an application for asylum in to submit an application in another member state of the European Union.

Application for admission

If you belong to one of the above-mentioned groups, you can apply to the BAMF for admission to the integration course.

Note: You can find the regional office responsible for your area using the BAMF navigation (BAMF-NAvI) in the areas of asylum procedures and integration under "Authorities".

Obligation to participate

If you are an asylum seeker, you may be required to attend an integration course in addition to being authorised by the BAMF. If you have been instructed to attend an integration course, please register for a course immediately.

Late repatriates

As a late repatriate, you, your spouse and your children may attend the integration course once free of charge.

• If you have been admitted to Germany since 1 January 2005, you, your spouse and your children are legally entitled to a free integration course. The costs are covered by the BAMF. You received your authorisation to participate directly from the Federal Office of Administration in Friedland when you entered Germany.

• If you were admitted to Germany before 1 January 2005 and have not yet attended a language course run by the Federal Employment Agency (SGB III course), you can attend an integration course free of charge. To do so, please submit an application for an authorisation to participate to the Federal Office of Administration. You can send the application informally by post or fax to the following address:
  Bundesverwaltungsamt
  Standort Friedland
  Heimkehrerstraße 16
  37133 Friedland
  
  Telephone: +49 22899 358 91919
  Telefax: +49 22899 358 72304

• If you have already attended a language course organised by the Federal Employment Agency and would still like to attend an integration course, you must submit an application for admission to the integration course to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Please send this application to the relevant regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. You will then be admitted to the integration course as a German citizen. Please read the information for German nationals.

Note: You can find your responsible regional office using the information system of the BAMF (BAMF-NAvI) under "Integration courses".

EU citizens

As an EU citizen, you are not legally entitled to attend an integration course. However, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees can admit you to an integration course if you do not yet speak sufficient German, are in particular need of integration and there are free places on the course. To do this, fill out an application for admission to an integration course.

Sign the completed application and send it to the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees responsible for you.

Note: You can find your responsible regional office using the BAMF information system (BAMF-NAvI) under "Integration courses".

German nationals

As a German citizen, you are not legally entitled to attend an integration course. However, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees can admit you to an integration course if you do not yet speak sufficient German, are in particular need of integration and there are free places on the course. To do this, fill out an application for admission to an integration course.

Sign the completed application and send it to the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees responsible for you.

Note: You can find your responsible regional office using the BAMF information system (BAMF-NAvI) under "Integration courses".

Long-term tolerated persons

A foreigner who is not or no longer entitled to attend a course may be admitted to the course if there are places available. This regulation applies accordingly to German nationals if they do not have sufficient knowledge of the German language and are in particular need of integration, as well as to foreigners who

• have a residence permit,
• have a tolerated stay permit or
• have a residence permit.

You must pay EUR 2.29 for each lesson of the integration course (cost contribution). If you registered for your integration course before 1 August 2022, the cost contribution is EUR 2.20.

A general integration course consists of 700 hours. Therefore, this entire course costs you EUR 1,603 (if you registered before 1 August 2022, this corresponds to EUR 1,540). You do not have to pay this amount all at once, but can pay it per course section of 100 lessons. If you attend a specialised course with correspondingly more teaching units, the cost contribution will also be higher (e.g. EUR 2,290 for 1,000 teaching hours).

Exemption from costs

As a foreigner, you can be exempt from paying the cost contribution if you receive citizen's benefit, unemployment benefit or assistance towards living expenses (social welfare) or if you are financially needy for other reasons. Furthermore, you can be exempted from the cost contribution if you are employed and your gross monthly salary does not exceed a certain amount. Children are taken into account here. Further information and the exact amounts, which change annually, can also be found in the Application form.

Reimbursement of travelling expenses

If foreign nationals are taking part in an integration course and have been exempted from paying a contribution towards the costs of the integration course, they can apply for a subsidy towards travel costs, provided the distance to the course location is at least three kilometres on foot.

For all groups, you must first obtain an authorisation certificate from the BAMF before you can take part in an integration course.

• First read the information on the application form (available in several languages under "Forms & online services").
• Complete the "Application for admission" form in full.
• Sign the completed application and send it to the BAMF branch office responsible for you ("Responsible office"). Enclose the documents listed in the application.
• The BAMF will check your application. If you fulfil the requirements, you will receive a certificate of eligibility.
• Choose a course provider and register for the integration course there with your authorisation certificate.

Attention! Have you been obliged to attend an integration course by the authorities? Then they will issue you with a certificate of eligibility. Use the authorisation certificate to register directly with a course provider as soon as possible.

Online application

It is also possible to submit applications digitally on the federal portal and send them to the Federal Office.

The following applications are available digitally:

• Antrag auf Zulassung zur Teilnahme am Integrationskurs
• Antrag auf Zulassung zur Wiederholung von maximal 300 Unterrichtsstunden des Sprachkurses
• Antrag auf Befreiung vom Kostenbeitrag zum Integrationskurs
• Antrag auf Gewährung von Fahrtkostenzuschuss inkl. Gewährung einer höheren Tagespauschale
• Antrag auf Rückerstattung des Kostenbeitrags (50 Prozent)
  bund.de – Verwaltung Digital

All further information on online applications can be found here:

• FAQ zum Onlinezugangsgesetz
  Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)
  

and on the federal portal.

none

non applicable