Moving to Germany? How to Choose a German Course Before You Go

Short answer: If you’re moving to Germany, learn for the situations you’ll face first: housing, transport, shopping, health appointments, meeting colleagues and asking for help. Before you book a course or examination, check the language requirement for your own visa route, occupation or qualification. There is no single German level required for every person moving to Germany.

Checked 20 October 2026. Immigration rules and course eligibility change. This article is a practical language-planning guide, not legal or immigration advice. Always check the official German authorities and your own circumstances before relying on an entry requirement.

Step one: Find out whether you need a certificate

Do not pay for a B1 course simply because somebody online says ‘Germany requires B1’. The official Make it in Germany guidance distinguishes between visa categories. For example, it says there is no general legal German-language requirement for the standard skilled-worker visa or EU Blue Card, although German may be very important for employment and everyday life. Other routes, such as certain qualification-recognition and vocational-training visas, have formal language conditions.

The opportunity-card points route can require at least A1 German or B2 English in some circumstances, while applicants with recognised qualifications may follow a different route with no language-proof requirement for that card. Always check the official opportunity-card guidance; a social post is not reliable immigration advice.

Particular regulated professions may have separate language standards. Healthcare, for example, may require B1 or B2, depending on the occupation and German state. Employers can also ask for language skills even where a visa category has no statutory language requirement.

What do A1, A2 and B1 actually mean?

A1 — beginner: Understand and use very simple everyday expressions and introduce yourself.
A2 — elementary: Handle straightforward familiar exchanges such as shops, personal details and basic routines.
B1 — intermediate: Deal with familiar situations and communicate about experiences, plans and many ordinary daily-life topics.

These are simplified descriptions of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). B1 is not ‘fluent’ and A1 is not useless. The right target depends on what you need to accomplish and any formal certificate requirement.

Step two: Identify your first-month situations

Imagine your first four weeks after arrival. Instead of opening an enormous vocabulary list, choose ten likely situations. A practical list might include:

Introducing yourself to neighbours or colleagues.
Reading signs at a train station and asking about connections.
Buying groceries and explaining what you want.
Explaining a basic health problem and asking for an appointment.
Understanding workplace instructions and checking something you didn’t hear.
Arranging a meeting, viewing a room or reporting a problem to a landlord.
Using a bank, mobile-phone service or parcel collection point.
Asking somebody to repeat themselves more slowly.
Understanding opening hours, dates, prices and directions.
Describing your work, family and reason for moving.

These tasks will make a beginner course more relevant. Practise listening and responding, not just recognising isolated written words.

Step three: Choose the right course format

Self-paced resources

Best for flexible study, practising regularly at low cost and preparing vocabulary. The Goethe-Institut offers free German exercises across multiple levels, including everyday-life and work-related topics. Use a structured sequence instead of opening random activities each day.

Live tutor or small group

Best when you want real-time speaking, pronunciation feedback and practice for a particular workplace or relocation situation. Before paying, ask whether lessons are aligned to your current CEFR level, whether they include listening practice, and how your progress is measured. A tutor’s qualification claims and experience should be checked individually.

Formal exam-preparation course

Choose this when your visa, professional recognition, university or employer specifically requires evidence of language proficiency. Confirm which certificate is accepted before enrolling. Goethe-Institut examinations run from A1 to C2; exams also have separate fees, dates and test centres.

Classes after arrival

Germany also has official integration-course systems for eligible newcomers. Eligibility, fees, place availability and whether participation is required depend on circumstances. The BAMF course finder can help locate authorised courses, including different attendance formats.

A six-month preparation roadmap

This is a planning template, not a claim that every beginner can reach a particular CEFR level in six months. Study time, prior language experience and practice opportunities vary hugely.

Month 1: Establish the foundation

Choose one course and attend to pronunciation, the most frequent conversational patterns, numbers, dates and simple questions. Make a thirty-second recording: your name, why you’re moving, where you’re going and what work you do.

Month 2: Build useful routine language

Practise transport, appointments, shopping, housing and work routines. Create mini-dialogues relevant to your planned destination. Check if the local pronunciation, vocabulary or regional accents may affect daily listening.

Month 3: Start predictable conversations

Find opportunities to respond to another person, whether through a language exchange, group or paid tutor. Ask for clarification and practise reformulating when your first attempt fails. Make new recordings of your month-one tasks.

Month 4: Concentrate on your own profession

Build a personal list of workplace vocabulary, common tasks and realistic situations. If you work in a regulated profession, verify that your desired course supports the required professional examination or language assessment.

Month 5: Rehearse relocation tasks

Practise a phone call, short email, appointment, introduction and problem-solving conversation. Use official German websites to become familiar with forms and commonly used terms. Avoid assuming automatic translation will always be available.

Month 6: Review and decide what to do next

Assess your actual listening and speaking ability, not just the number of app lessons completed. If an exam is required, use official sample papers and check your readiness with a qualified teacher or approved provider. Otherwise, focus on the gaps most likely to affect your first month.

Questions to ask a German-course provider

What level do you expect me to reach, and what does your estimate assume about weekly study hours?
Does the course prepare students for a specific recognised exam?
How much live conversation and correction is included?
Are textbooks, assessments and examinations included in the displayed price?
Is the course online, in person or blended? Can I change groups?
What is the total upfront cost and refund policy?
Can you show the detailed syllabus before I pay?

Free resources to use before booking anything

Goethe-Institut free practice — beginner through advanced exercises and situations.
For an overview of recognised exams and proficiency levels, see Goethe examinations.
For immigration and language requirements, use the official German information portal.
After arrival, explore BAMF’s integration-course search.

Our conclusion

Start with your real-world goals and formal requirements, not a glossy promise to ‘speak fluent German in weeks’. A structured free resource can help you discover where you stand. Add live speaking practice when you need feedback. Pay for an accredited qualification course only after verifying that the certificate is actually required and accepted.

Official sources and checks

Editorial note: This article links to official government and educational sources and contains no tracked affiliate links. Please check your circumstances with the relevant German embassy, immigration authority, employer or professional regulator.