Foreigners with residence permits issued before 2005 , format: Article, area: Integration

This content is also available in

Eligibility to participate

If you received your residence permit in Germany before 1 January 2005, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge)) can admit you to the integration course, provided that places on the course are still available. This also applies if you have a residence permit under Section 104a(1) or Section 23(1) of the German Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz).

Please fill out an application for admission to the integration course for this purpose. Please also read the Information sheet on the admission application.

Send the completed and signed application to the BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) branch office competent for you. You can find out which branch office is competent for you using the information system BAMF (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge)- NAvI.

Please note

If you have already found an integration course provider, you can request them to assist you in completing the form. The course provider will also answer your questions.

Obligation to participate

If you received a residence permit before 1 January 2005, you must take part in an integration course if you are receiving the citizens’ benefit (Bürgergeld) and you have been obligated to participate by the office that pays the citizens’ benefit.

If you are in special need of integration, and the immigration office requires you to participate.

Please note

You cannot be obligated to participate if you are undergoing training in Germany or are participating / have participated in similar training programmes (for example further education and training, continuing education).
if participation in an integration course on a continuous basis is impossible or unreasonable for you, for example if you have to care for family members.

Registration with a course provider

When you have received your admission to an integration course (Eligibility Certificate) from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, you can choose an integration course provider.

You can find an integration course provider near you by using the search engine BAMF (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge)- NAvI. Of course, you can also request a list of course providers from your immigration office or a migration consultation office.

As soon as you have found a course provider, you should go there to submit your Eligibility Certificate and to register. The course provider will assist you in choosing an appropriate course. In addition, they will tell you when the next course will start.

Costs payable

An amount of 2.29 euros is payable for every teaching unit of the integration course (contribution to costs). If you register for your integration course before 1 August 2022, the cost will be 2.20 euros.

A general integration course consists of 700 hours. The whole course therefore costs 1,603 euros in total (if registering before 1 August 2022, this will be 1,540 euros). This amount does not need to be paid all at once, but can be paid per course section consisting of 100 teaching units. If you join a special course with correspondingly more teaching units, the contribution to costs will also be higher (for example, 2,290 euros for 1000 teaching units).

If you are receiving the citizens’ benefit, unemployment benefits or benefits to cover the cost of living, you will be exempted from the contribution to costs on application. You can also be exempted from the contribution to costs if paying the contribution to costs is particularly difficult for you due to your financial or personal situation.

Send the completed and signed application to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees branch office competent for you. You can find out which branch office is competent for you using the information system BAMF (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge)- NAvI.

Please note

If you complete the final test at the end of the integration course within two years, or three years for integration courses for special target groups, after issue of the Eligibility Certificate, you may, under certain conditions, be reimbursed half of your contribution to costs. You need to complete an application for this, sign it and send it to the competent branch office.

Travel expenses

If you participate in an integration course and are receiving unemployment benefits, the citizens’ benefit or benefits to cover the cost of living, or if you were exempted from the contribution to costs due to your financial or personal situation, you may, on application, receive a travel expense allowance provided that the distance to the course location is at least 3.0 km by foot.

Please note

Further information in this regard can be found in the information sheet on the integration course.

Online application

You also have the option of sending your applications to the Federal Office digitally via the Federal Office portal.

The following applications can be made digitally:

  • Application for admission to the integration course
  • Application for admission to repeat a maximum of 300 teaching units of the language course
  • Application for exemption from the contribution to costs for the integration course
  • Application for the granting of a travel expense allowance incl. the granting of a higher daily lump sum
  • Application for reimbursement of the contribution to costs (50%)

The online applications on the Federal Office portal can be found at this Internet address: Internet address for online applications

All further information for applying online can be found at: Internet address for information on online applications