The provider shapes the experience more than the curriculum: the programme is identical everywhere (600+100 hours, certified textbooks); pace, atmosphere and teacher are not. Half an hour for two calls and one visit before signing is the best investment of this route.
Integration Course: Choosing the School and Starting
Between admission and the first desk lie the provider choice, the placement test and the waiting list. The right school saves months — and shapes what your German becomes.
✓ Verified: 15/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)
Federal agencyThe integration course and the citizenship test run through the BAMF. Find a course and school near you via BAMF-NAvI.
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
I sat in on a trial lesson at two schools before enrolling — one lesson shows everything: classroom language, speaking share, group mix. Chose the second and never regretted it.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
With children: ask about courses with childcare — some providers supervise kids during lessons, solving exactly the problem that makes most people quit.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The good school has a 2-month list — wait or start anywhere? ▾
Look at the horizon: the course runs a year, and a weak teacher costs more than 6 weeks of waiting. The compromise: start where available and transfer — changing providers is allowed.
Can I change schools mid-course? ▾
Yes, with the transfer form and a certificate of completed modules. Hours do not expire — the subsidy is tied to you, not the school.
What do I bring to the placement test? ▾
Passport and entitlement certificate. No preparation needed — and no sandbagging either: a too-easy module means lost months; the test is more honest than self-assessment.