German nationals , format: Article, area: Integration

Entitlement to attend a course

As a German national, you are not legally entitled to attend an integration course. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees may however permit you to attend an integration course if your spoken German is not yet adequate, if you have particular integration requirements, and there are spaces available on the course. You should complete an application for admission to an integration course.

Please also read the "Notes about the integration course".

Send the completed and signed application form to the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees responsible for you. You can find out which regional office is responsible for you using the interactive BAMF-NAvI search engine.

Applying to a course provider

If you have received a certificate of eligibility (Berechtigungsschein) to attend an integration course from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, you can look for an integration course provider near you using the BAMF-NAvI information system. As soon as you have found a course provider, you should hand in your certificate of eligibility there.

Choosing the right course

The course provider will help you to select a suitable course. They will also tell you when the next course is due to begin. You can look for a course provider in your area using the BAMF-NAvI information system. The information system will display the course provider’s address and telephone number.

Travel allowance

If you are attending an integration course and are receiving unemployment benefit II or social assistance, you will receive an allowance towards your travel expenses on application. This also applies if you have been exempted from the contribution towards the costs of the integration course, but is conditional on your living at least 3.0 km on foot from the place where the course is held. Please consult the information sheet on the integration course for more information.

Please sign the application and send it to the regional office that is responsible for you.

Contribution to costs

You will have to pay EUR 2.29 for each lesson unit of the integration course (contribution to costs). If you registered for the integration course before 1 August 2022, the contribution is EUR 2.20 per lesson.

A general integration course consists of 700 hours. This course will therefore cost you EUR 1,603 (if you registered for the course before 1 August 2022, it will cost you EUR 1,540). You do not have to pay this amount all at once, but can pay per course section of 100 lesson units. If you attend a special course with a correspondingly higher number of lesson units, the cost contribution will be greater (e.g. EUR 2,290 for 1,000 lesson units).

If you receive unemployment benefit II or social assistance, you can apply for exemption from contributing towards the cost of the course. You can also be exempted from contributing to the costs if you find it particularly hard to pay because of your financial or personal situation.

You will find the necessary application form here. Send the completed and signed application form to the regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees responsible for you. You can find out which regional office is responsible for you using the interactive BAMF-NAvI search engine.

Travel expenses

If you attend an integration course and receive unemployment benefit II or social assistance, you can have the travel expenses refunded if you live at least 3.0 km from the place where the course is held.

This also applies if you have been exempted from paying the cost contribution for the integration course.