Learning German in Berlin: VHS classes, integration courses and the exams that count

You can live in Berlin for years on English. But permanent residence, citizenship and a lot of everyday life need German, and Berlin is one of the cheapest places in the world to learn it.

The short version

• The subsidised integration course (Integrationskurs) is the best-value option: 600 lessons of German plus a 100-lesson orientation course for €2.29 a lesson, and you can claim half back if you finish on time [1][2].
• Australians who get a first residence permit for work are generally entitled to a place. Since February 2026 the federal office (BAMF) has stopped admitting voluntary participants without an entitlement, unless they pay the full cost themselves [3][4].
• Berlin's Volkshochschulen (VHS, adult education centres) are the other budget option. German courses up to B1 are capped at 130% of the integration course rate per lesson [5].
• B1 is the magic number. You need it for the standard settlement permit and for German citizenship [6][7].
• Germany now lets new citizens keep their old nationality [7], and Australia allows dual citizenship too, so becoming German no longer means giving up your Australian passport.

Why bother when everyone speaks English?

Plenty of Berliners switch to English the moment they hear your accent. That's lovely in a bar and useless at the Bürgeramt, the immigration office (LEA), a parent-teacher meeting or a phone call with the Hausverwaltung about the heating. Letters from the tax office and health insurer come in German, and so do most rental contracts.

There's also a hard legal reason. Most long-term options for Australians in Germany come with language requirements:

The settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) is Germany's version of permanent residence. Our moving to Berlin guide covers the visa side.

The integration course: Germany's best-value classroom

The federally funded Integrationskurs is designed for people settling in Germany. Language schools and VHS centres across Berlin run it on behalf of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).

What's in it

• Language course: 600 lessons covering everyday German for work, health, housing and dealing with offices, ending in the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ) [1].
• Orientation course: 100 lessons on Germany's legal system, history and values, ending in the "Leben in Deutschland" (Living in Germany) test [1].
• Fast-track option: a 400-lesson language course for strong learners, plus the same orientation course [1].
• Placement test before you start, so you join at the right stage [1].

Courses are usually full-time, but part-time, afternoon and evening classes exist for people who work [1]. Ask several providers; timetables vary a lot between districts.

What it costs

Participants pay €2.29 per 45-minute lesson. A 100-lesson module costs €229, so the full 700-lesson course comes to about €1,600 [2]. Finish within two years of your approval and you can apply to BAMF to get half your contribution back [2]. People on low incomes or certain benefits can apply for a full fee exemption before the course starts [8].

Compare that with private intensive courses in Berlin, which often cost several times as much per lesson.

Who can get in

This is where 2026 has changed things.

• Entitled participants. Foreign nationals receiving a residence permit for the first time are generally entitled to a course [2]. Australians who come to Berlin on a permit for work (for example a skilled-worker permit or an EU Blue Card) fall into this group, which wasn't affected by the 2026 cuts [4].
• Voluntary participants. On 9 February 2026, BAMF told course providers it would grant no new voluntary admissions "until further notice", for budget reasons. Groups hit include EU citizens and people without a legal entitlement [3][4]. They can still join if they pay the full cost themselves [3].
• Working holiday makers. Entitlement is aimed at people settling in Germany for the long term, so a 12-month working holiday visa may not qualify. Ask BAMF or a course provider before you count on a subsidised place.

Applying step by step

1. Check your permit. When the LEA issues your first residence permit, look for a note or letter about integration course entitlement.
2. Apply to BAMF for admission, or ask a course provider to help with the form. Apply for a fee exemption at the same time if you might qualify [8].
3. Find a course near you using BAMF's online course finder, BAMF-NAvI [1].
4. Sit the placement test with the provider.
5. Keep your attendance up. Your refund and your exam access depend on finishing the course.
6. Sit the DTZ and the "Leben in Deutschland" test, then keep the certificates safe. You'll need them for the LEA.

The Volkshochschule: cheap, local, flexible

Every Berlin district has a VHS, and German courses are their bread and butter. They run evening, weekend and intensive courses, usually starting with a placement test or advice session.

Berlin's new VHS fee rules took effect on 1 August 2026. The base rate is €3.20 per 45-minute lesson, and course fees can range from half to two and a half times that [5]. German courses up to B1 get special treatment: their price is capped at 130% of the integration course rate, so a little under €3 a lesson at most, and at least €0.80 [5]. Above B1, standard VHS fees apply, and discounts of 50% are available for groups such as full-time students, trainees and people on certain benefits [5].

That makes a typical evening course across a term very affordable by Australian standards. Book early: popular evening slots in Mitte, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Pankow fill quickly.

Private schools, unis and doing it yourself

Berlin has a crowded market of private language schools, from small Sprachcafés to big chains. They're useful if you want to start right away, need a specific timetable or want a smaller class. Prices vary widely, so compare per-lesson costs against the VHS and integration course before signing up for a long package.

A few other routes worth knowing:

• Your employer. Many Berlin companies pay for German lessons, especially for staff on skilled-worker permits. Ask during contract negotiations.
• University courses. If you're studying, your uni's language centre usually offers cheap or free German.
• Tandem partners. Swapping an hour of English for an hour of German is a Berlin institution. Australians are popular partners.
• Kita and school. If you have kids, their German will overtake yours within months. Read the Kita newsletter with them. See our Kita guide.

Exams that count: Goethe, telc and the DTZ

For residence permits and citizenship, the LEA wants proof, not good intentions. The usual proof is a certificate from a recognised exam:

Check exam dates early. Goethe and telc exams in Berlin can book out weeks ahead, and the certificate takes time to arrive. If you're planning a settlement permit application, line up the exam before your LEA appointment, not after.

One handy Australian detail: the Goethe-Institut runs German courses and exams in Australia too, so if you're still planning the move, you can arrive with A1 already in your pocket.

The citizenship question

Germany overhauled its citizenship law in 2024. You can now generally naturalise after five years of lawful residence, with B1 German and a passed citizenship test, and you no longer have to give up your existing nationality [7]. Australia permits dual citizenship, so most Australians can hold both passports.

Becoming German doesn't change your Australian obligations. You still need an Australian passport to enter Australia, and your Australian tax position depends on your residency, not your citizenship. Our guide on Australian tax residency after moving explains how that works.

Looking for a tandem partner or a study buddy for the B1 exam? Join Cooee Germany, our Facebook group for Australians in Germany, where members share course tips, exam dates and which VHS teachers are worth chasing.

Sources

1. Integration courses: content and stages – Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF)
2. Integration courses – City of Bonn
3. BAMF issues circular halting admissions to integration courses – European Union Agency for Asylum
4. Integration course 2026: no voluntary participation – migrando.de
5. Fee regulations for Berlin's Volkshochschulen – VHS Tempelhof-Schöneberg (State of Berlin)
6. Settlement permit – Make it in Germany (Federal Government)
7. Naturalisation flyer, October 2025 – German Federal Government
8. Integration course fee exemption – FIM portal (Federal Information Management)

Keep reading

• Moving to Berlin from Australia: the complete guide
• Schools in Berlin: public, bilingual and international options
• Aussie life in Berlin
• Are you still an Australian tax resident once you move?